It's easy to fall in love with collectibles, especially when you're faced with the array of wonderful things on display at last week's Baltimore Summer Antiques Show in the convention center. But it can be hard once you get them home to figure out how to work your finds into your decor.

You don't have to shut collectibles away in a cabinet or plop them down on a sideboard, even if they don't work in the room. We asked local designers how to decorate with some of today's hottest collectibles, and they came up with ideas for displaying and using new pieces.

Candlesticks

Candles are popular in home decor, so it's not surprising that candlesticks have become some of the most sought-after collectibles. But if you just stick one on each end of your mantel, you aren't making the most of your collection.

Expert's advice: We asked Darryl Savage of DHS Designs in Queenstown how he would use them in a room setting. He suggested grouping two or three candlesticks that don't match but have something in common (made of the same material, for instance) on one end of the mantel. Stagger them according to height for a more up-to-date look.

Savage scoured antiques shops looking for brass candlesticks that clients wanted for a large dining room table under a brass chandelier. He suggested covering them with etched hurricane glass globes, so they would look less "matched" with the chandelier and have more volume on the oversized table.

Birds and bird-related collectibles

The current green movement has renewed interest in natural motifs, including birds and bird-related collectibles, both antique and reproduction.

Expert's advice: Displaying rows of porcelain birds on shelves or in a curio cabinet looks a bit old-fashioned, says Donna Foertsch of DLF Design Associates in Timonium.

Instead, she likes to scatter them on shelves with books and a bookend, a decorative plate or a small plant in a decorative container.

You can accessorize with porcelain birds, but go high to low on an end table (for instance, a lamp, bird, small box and plate).

If you want to display your collection as a whole, look for a modern version of a curio cabinet, such as Henredon's faux bamboo etagere.

Antique quilts

Even if you aren't interest in country decor, a beautiful antique quilt can be hard to resist. Of course, you can always use it on your bed; but consider putting your quilt on display.

Expert's advice: A valuable quilt should be hung like a work of art on a wall. Otherwise, suggests Susan Obrecht of Morgan Truesdell Interiors in Stevenson, use it as an accent piece.

"I'm not a country person," Obrecht says, but if she liked the colors, she might drape it over the back of a sofa or chair "for a splash of color."

Although antique dealers might tell you the quilt doesn't have to go with other fabrics in the room, Obrecht says, she prefers to coordinate colors.

You could buy an antique rack and fold the quilt over it, displaying your favorite part of the pattern. Finally, brighten a hallway by draping a colorful quilt over the banister.

Carnival glass

People tend to either love or hate carnival glass, the inexpensive, iridescent pressed glass that comes in a variety of colors. If you fall in the first category, you may have trouble figuring out how to display your collection to best advantage.

Expert's advice: Kim Coale of Kim Coale Interiors in Baltimore warns that "less is more" in this case. To best show off your collection, pick a few pieces to arrange on a bookcase in your living room. Use larger pieces so the arrangement doesn't look too fussy.

"You don't want to look like a junk shop," says Coale.

If you love your collection, make it the focal point of your room. Because carnival glass colors can be quite striking, it's best to keep the fabrics in the room "on the quieter side."

Group the pieces together using different sizes and colors, says Coale. "The interest is in the variety."

In six months or so, put away the pieces and bring out different ones to keep the display from getting stale.

Brass items

"Brass items" is a broad category, encompassing antiques and reproductions with an antique finish, which is softer than that of new brass pieces. These might be anything from cachepots (ornamental containers) to bookends.

Expert's advice: Brass collectibles should be used, not simply displayed. A cachepot can hold a decorative plant, boxes can be an accent with glass or plates on a sideboard or a chest of drawers.

Diane Litz, in-store decorator for the Kellogg Collection in Baltimore, points out that the most popular finishes today are distressed rather than shiny-new looking. Most of us don't have time to clean, much less polish brass, so it's perfectly OK to let your brass collectibles keep their patina. She recommends polishing items (or having someone polish them) once a year.

"My husband takes our brass down to Howard Street [Antique Row] when it tarnishes," she says.

hot list of collectibles

The Internet Antique Shop (tias.com), a large online retailer for antiques and collectibles, regularly publishes a list of the most-searched-for collectibles on its site. Here are the latest:

* cookie jars

* bird-related collectibles

* brass items

* teapots

* transferware

* carnival glass

* stamps

* Avon (containers)

* Roseville (pottery)

* candlesticks