Need advice about displaying my collection. Any suggestions?

[Beth3346]

Right now I have my ponies and my vintage LPS in my home office/guest room on Ikea Billy Shelves.  They take up quite a bit of space and they are pretty much the focal point of the room.  I love to look at my collection and admire my ponies but sometimes they're a little distracting. When I'm trying to work sometimes I end up staring at my collection.  I primarily work from home so this isn't good.

A pony room would be great is not an option. I really would rather display them more discreetly in my office.  I would like a solution where I could have them visible when I want to look at them and hide them while I am working or when I have a guest (My parents don't approve of collecting anything ever so they don't know about my ponies).  I would also like to have the option using the room as a guest room where people don't have to sleep with 300 ponies staring at them.  I like it but some people may not feel the same way.

I'm thinking maybe some cabinets.  I have a fairly large collection that takes up almost 2 large Billy shelves so I'm not sure.  I don't want to put them in storage.

Does anyone else have this issue?  Any suggestions?

[Katika]

In one of the houses I lived in, my pony room was in my office, as well.  My office, however, was actually a bedroom, and so I put my pony shelves in the closet.  It worked perfectly to be able to instantly make the room less distracting and more "professional".   If you have a closet in the room you're talking about, maybe you could reorganize what's already in there to make room for your pony display too?

[partypony566]

Maybe cabinets with sliding doors? like this:

http://www.directindustry.com/prod/lista/sliding-door-cabinets-9332-542399.html

[LightingElectricDream]

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It keeps them dust free as well as you could throw a nice table cloth over it..maybe lace.

This or a upright glass cabnet.

[mlp4me]

I would suggest making curtains for the shelves. You can pick up expandable rods to keep them in place.

[Beth3346]

In one of the houses I lived in, my pony room was in my office, as well.  My office, however, was actually a bedroom, and so I put my pony shelves in the closet.  It worked perfectly to be able to instantly make the room less distracting and more "professional".   If you have a closet in the room you're talking about, maybe you could reorganize what's already in there to make room for your pony display too?

I've thought about this some.  There is a small closet (maybe the width of one of the Billy shelves.  I would love to have shelves built in or find some shelves that can fit.  The billy ones are too tall.

Maybe cabinets with sliding doors? like this:

http://www.directindustry.com/prod/lista/sliding-door-cabinets-9332-542399.html

I like the sliding door but I would really like to be able to see them all at once.  Glass sliding doors could work well.  I don't really mind if they're visible.  The cabinet will make everything look more organized.

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It keeps them dust free as well as you could throw a nice table cloth over it..maybe lace.

This or a upright glass cabnet.

I do like this a lot.  You can still see them and everything looks more organized.

I found this cabinet that I really like.  With risers it looks deep enough to fit most of my ponies

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http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kraal-white-cabinet/s339492

[DaffyDilly]

It might be cheaper to just buy doors for the Billy bookcases? I have some glass ones on my display cabinet but they do solid or frosted ones as well.

This has the added advantage of helping to stop your ponies from getting dusty!

[Beth3346]

It might be cheaper to just buy doors for the Billy bookcases? I have some glass ones on my display cabinet but they do solid or frosted ones as well.

This has the added advantage of helping to stop your ponies from getting dusty!

Are they easy to install?  I'm not very handy

[DaffyDilly]

Yes - the doors come with brackets and you screw one bit into the holes that already exist on the bookcase, then put the door onto it and screw. All the holes are ready made so it's really easy.

[himmie]

Yes - the doors come with brackets and you screw one bit into the holes that already exist on the bookcase, then put the door onto it and screw. All the holes are ready made so it's really easy.

It is not necessarily easy, unfortunately.

How long have you had your Billy shelves? IKEA likes to change things occasionally. I bought doors a couple months ago for shelves that I have had for a few years, the old shelves do not have holes in the correct place. New shelves + new doors, very simple.

[Beth3346]

Yes - the doors come with brackets and you screw one bit into the holes that already exist on the bookcase, then put the door onto it and screw. All the holes are ready made so it's really easy.

It is not necessarily easy, unfortunately.

How long have you had your Billy shelves? IKEA likes to change things occasionally. I bought doors a couple months ago for shelves that I have had for a few years, the old shelves do not have holes in the correct place. New shelves + new doors, very simple.

They're over 10 years old. I inherited them when I moved into my house.

[Aadra310]

Now you see 'em...

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Now you don't!

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GIANT curtain in front of Billy system.  I love it!  I can make the room much more simple and functional as a guest room/craft room and open it up when it's time for ponies.

[Beth3346]

Now you see 'em...

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Now you don't!

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GIANT curtain in front of Billy system.  I love it!  I can make the room much more simple and functional as a guest room/craft room and open it up when it's time for ponies.

  Amazing!! This is exactly what I need.  How did you mount the curtain?

[Aadra310]

Amazing!! This is exactly what I need.  How did you mount the curtain?

It's a ceiling mount system... from IKEA!  I can't remember the name but I bet you could find it if you poked around the website.

[hathorcat]

Woah! I love that Aadra! Perfect!

I had been going to suggest glass doors with internal curtains which could be drawn as and when you wish but that giant curtain is so much better!