Some of the most decorative objects we own are our jewelery, yet they are the most difficult to store and display. Strings of beads get mixed up with each other and tangled, rings are scratched and earrings become divided as easily as socks so that you can only find one of a pair when you want to wear them. It is worth searching around for different ways to store jewelery because when it is displayed in the open it looks very rich and exotic, and is certainly safer from damage and easier to find.
A row of hooks on the wall over the dressing-table is a simple answer but there are other ideas. A bamboo-framed mirror, where the frame includes small shelves, looks very pretty festooned with beads and bangles. A collection of individual metal hooks attached to painted metal pictures covering a whole wall would make a very intriguing and decorative ‘jewelery bank’. A tailor’s dummy will carry necklaces, scarves and hats, and a bentwood hat stand will hold feather boas, hats, scarves and dangling strings of beads. Screens can also be useful for draping scarves and jewelery. Stylized “hands’ will hold numerous rings, cut them out of stiff board, paint them and fix them to the wall so that they lean away at the top.
Earrings are especially tricky things to store. A collection of small boxes will do the trick, or you can create a display. Cover a piece of board in fabric (velvet makes a good backdrop), with a little wadding in between, and hang it on the wall. Loop the earrings on pins stuck into the fabric, and add stray brooches, hatpins, etc.
Once you start thinking of the possibilities, more and more solutions begin to emerge. A pair of antlers or the protruding parts of wooden-framed mirrors all make good hangers for necklaces, and a champagne bottle is ideal for bracelets; spray it gold if you want it to look even more exotic. If you prefer a high-tech look, plastic-coated wire storage units are very practical for jewelery and are also invaluable for keeping track of scarves, ties, socks and gloves.