Inside design: Judith Miller

S@H: What explains our love affair with the past—with antiques and collectibles?

JM: I come from the Scottish Borders, and I have such lovely memories of sun-soaked days playing in the hills. But hold on—in reality it's an area that has its fair share of rain, so where do those memories come from? It's nostalgia that tints the past with a warm glow. Antiques tell a story of that past. You sit in a 17th-century chair and wonder what it could tell you. We are custodians of antiques. If you're a collector, you're collecting memories. I can tell you where I was and what I was doing when I bought each one of my oriental porcelain pieces. Within my collections are my memories, and that's so precious to me.

Showing off your collections

Maybe you find Royal Doulton irresistible, or you're mad about Murano glass (for more, see 15 ways to show off your collection). Even if the objects of your affection are tiny treen (small domestic wooden items), how do you display them stunningly? We asked Judith Miller for pointers.

1 More is more
"Better to display your collectibles when you have more than three," advises Miller. "Three could be a mistake, but there's no mistaking 23—that's a statement."

2 A group effort
A collection isn't a collection if it's scattered throughout the house. "It loses impact," says Miller. Instead, display plates, pins or copper pots as a group.

3 Likes attract
If you have varied patterns or colours within a collection of, say, plates or figurines, keep similar patterns together, so they're easier on the eye.

4 Be a show-off Accent your collection by painting the wall behind it. If your Murano glass is mainly blue and green, create a bold blue backdrop. Or set off your impressive array of African masks with chocolate brown and dramatic uplighting.

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