Organize & Display Your Vintage Linen Collection With A Linen Cart

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Have you noticed the transition in home decor to a more nostalgic, even maximalist aesthetic that encourages people to display items that invoke happiness and comfort rather than hide them away? The cluttercore design trend, which embraces showing off collections and favored personal items, has become a big hit, and can still be aesthetically pleasing despite including more busy than minimalistic designs. This is good news for people who love to thrift or accumulate vintage items like linens. If you've been waiting for the nod of approval to keep your collectable linens out for all to see rather than stacking them up in a closet until you want to use them, this decor trend is for you. By adding a linen cart to any room, you have a way to display everything from antique tablecloths to vintage napkins and everything in between while also keeping them neat and tidy.

When you search for linen carts online, you mostly come up with utilitarian designs made for nursing homes, hospitals, or hotels. However, upscale options like the Serena & Lily South Seas Rattan Side Cart are undeniably meant for aesthetic purposes rather than just storage. While this option is upwards of $400 and certainly worth the splurge thanks to the luxurious material, airy frame, and warm color, you don't have to break the bank on your cart. The key for this is to find something that lets your fabrics breathe and leaves them visible but organized.

If you search for "decorative storage carts," you should come up with a variety of options that would work just as well. The Boaz 3-Tier Bamboo Cart on Amazon is a good example, offering three levels to fill with your various linens as well as decorative vases, candles, books, or ornaments on the top level for a more stylized finish. Depending on your decor, you can also opt for other materials like metal or even plastic. Try to find a design that has lower edges or borders so the majority of your linens aren't covered by the solid lines of your cart. These vintage-inspired finds for your modern home are also a way to soften a space, so the more you can see of them, the better.

The key is to layer your textiles. On the bottom, fold tablecloths or other larger pieces of fabric, making sure to stack everything so each layer or linen is showing. The middle tier can be dedicated to smaller pieces like napkins, handkerchiefs, even repurposing old pillow cases or linen place mats that can be folded and stacked as well. While you want to make each level seem full, don't overdo it. Choose patterns, prints, and textures which complement one another, and avoid too many different designs or colors that will make the cart clash. You can always swap out linens seasonally to show off those that don't all fit if need be.