One day, Dallas-based designer John Phifer Marrs was looking through photos of homes he had worked on, and he became aware of all the wonderful collections that his clients had and how often he had organized, arranged, and displayed all those various collections. “It was a part of the interior design that I loved,” Marrs says in the introduction of his recently released book, Interiors for Collectors. “Some clients already had collections, but really didn’t know it ― so I would gather up the various collectibles from around the house and put them all together in a bookcase or organize them in a lovely piece of furniture or cabinet. Other clients collected passionately, and I always had to find a spot for a new acquisition. Either way, I really enjoyed dealing with all these different collections and loved making them enjoyable for the client and attractive in their home.”
Hence the idea for the book ― Interiors for Collectors. As an interior designer and purveyor of antiques, Marrs helps clients build their collections and display the objects in unique and beautiful ways from arranging in a cabinet to using an entire wing of a house. This book is about the joy of collecting and the author’s passion for displaying just about anything and everything in unique and beautiful ways. It also contains a fascinating overview of the history of collecting. Told in entertaining stories and anecdotes, and lavishly photographed, let’s take a peek inside!
“ ‘I think everyone should collect something,’ I tell my clients. Some already do and some don’t. Those who do seem to get the disease quite quickly and off we go! I have been so lucky to help in the acquisition of collections and in deciding how to edit and organize, and finally, to decorate rooms, wings, or whole houses with magnificent collections of just about anything and everything you can imagine.”
~ John Phifer Marrs
This exceptional book is particularly special to me because when I was a student at SMU, I used to babysit for one of Marrs’ clients whose home is featured in this book! The timeless decor, antiques, family heirlooms, and collections influenced me tremendously and were largely instrumental for sparking my passion for traditional, classic interior design.
If you love collecting and would like to learn more about John Phifer Marrs, you will definitely want to add Interiors for Collectors to your library. You can also follow @john_phifer_marrs on Instagram for ongoing inspiration.
To take a tour of Marrs’ very own Dallas apartment, please enjoy the Homeworthy tour below…
For further inspiration on collections, click here to read our interview with Patricia Altschul, whose homes were decorated by the late Mario Buatta, a master when it came to collecting. In the article, Patricia shares inside information on her vast collections, along with her favorite tips.
And we would love to hear from you! What are your favorite things to collect?
These are all beautiful, but my favorite is the Welsh cupboard with the blue and white china!
Oh wait, that spot under the stairs with the fireplace–be still my heart!!
That first photo, a true bookshelf! A book lovers dream, no books turned around so it all looks insta perfect. And the nook under the stairs, what a brilliant idea, I would sit there all day reading.