Interior design trends may come and go, but the character imbued by the unique possessions people gather over the years is generally timeless.
Some items are gifts, others are found at a hole-in-the-wall thrift store visited by a chance while on vacation. Some are larger pieces – like an inherited vintage grandfather clock – but others are eclectic tchotchkes picked up here and there. For many, this is the way collections are born.
Constantly evolving design trends may make some feel pressure to consult a catalog and make their home as picturesque as the West Elm pages, but the most memorable – and comfortable – spaces are usually those that embrace the personal pieces. Items on display in the home tell a lot about the owners, who they surround themselves with and where they have been.
What do Yixing teapots, ceramic pears and rabbits have in common? For local musician and teacher Corrie Dunn, each represents the three collections that make her Los Altos house a home. The items seem random and unconnected, but they all say something about Dunn’s personal and familial history.
Little teapots
Dunn’s collection of Yixing teapots is prominently displayed in her home entryway in a row of built-in cabinets with display lights that illuminate their distinct shapes and details. She began collecting the teapots, all made from a clay distinct to the region near the city of Yixing in Jiangsu province, China, in 1983. After a year as an exchange student in China while attending UCLA, she brought 10 teapots home and has been collecting them ever since.
“I like them because they’re small and they’re all different,” Dunn said.
The teapots she enjoys most tend to be the less traditional ones that appear to be something else. Her favorite of the nearly 70 she owns is not shaped like a normal pot at all, but rather a little bamboo chair.
“It’s history – they remind me of when I lived in China. It was an adventurous time because I was there by myself and I traveled a lot by myself,” Dunn said. “So, this collection has a place close to my historical heart.”
Im-pear-fect
Dunn’s ceramic pears are truly one-of-a-kind, thanks to her sister Rae Dunn, Bay Area ceramicist and creator of a line of homeware commonly found in T.J. Maxx.
“I usually get Rae’s ‘rejects.’ They are rejects to her, but they’re not to the normal person,” Dunn said. “There’s something slightly wrong with all of them, but I just think they’re beautiful.”
Whether it was a crack in the glaze, some discoloration or a big brown hole on one side, all of the “rotten” pears (so-called by the sisters) are on display in a dedicated space attached to Dunn’s dining room area. Sometimes, she will bring some fresh pears from the tree in her backyard to temporarily add to the collection.
Dunn isn’t entirely sure why her sister so intently focused on pears as a design subject, but the significance of pears in her household is added to by her husband’s deep appreciation for the fruit and Dunn’s love of organic gardening.
Rabbits
Dunn’s final collection isn’t presented as a set like the others, but as sweet little surprises throughout her home and garden.
From a 3-foot-long stone bench to a tiny origami on a shelf, look in any direction in her home and you’ll find a rabbit – including two real ones. Some rabbits even found their way into other collection displays, like the gold bunny heads as the knobs on the teapot display cabinets or the hare holding a plate carrying a couple of the “rotten” pears.
“I started having house rabbits in the ’80s, before I had kids. And people know that, so they always give me rabbits,” Dunn said. “I’m kind of a crazy rabbit lady.”
In addition to the numerous varieties on display, the Dunn house is home to two live bunnies, Simon and Garfunkel, which she adopted after seeing them in a “Pet of the Week” feature in the Town Crier.
Jennah Pendleton is a staff writer and Your Home editor. To share stories of unique home items or prized possessions and collections, email [email protected].
