Decorating
Top Ideabooks
Decorate With Intention: Unbury Your Treasures
Love letters languishing in a box? Memories getting mildewed? Give them pride of place on your walls for more meaningful decor in your home
Houzz Contributor. You can also find me on Lolalina (http://www.lolalina.com/), my blog devoted to all of the things that make a house a home - decorating from the heart, living with intention, and savoring life's simple pleasures.
Houzz Contributor. You can also find me on Lolalina (http://www.lolalina.com/),... More »
Family heirlooms, photographs and other treasures are a meaningful part of any home. They spark conversation, stir up warm memories and offer glimpses into the lives of an older generation. This week we look at creative ways to display these objects, so they may enhance your life with their rich history instead of languishing in storage.
If you haven't gone through your family mementos for some time (or ever?), it may seem overwhelming to begin, so I suggest you take it slow. Pull out one box at a time and keep it near the sofa to sort through as you watch TV. Being slightly distracted while sorting is actually good, because it will make it easier to part with those blurry (but cute!) baby pictures that never made it into the book. Aim to keep only what is truly special. It's hard, but keep in mind that the impact of a small collection, carefully maintained, can be much greater than a massive heap of boxes of who knows what.
Now that you have your collection winnowed (you just ran off and did that, right?) we can move on to curating and displaying eight of the most common types of mementos. Let's get started.
If you haven't gone through your family mementos for some time (or ever?), it may seem overwhelming to begin, so I suggest you take it slow. Pull out one box at a time and keep it near the sofa to sort through as you watch TV. Being slightly distracted while sorting is actually good, because it will make it easier to part with those blurry (but cute!) baby pictures that never made it into the book. Aim to keep only what is truly special. It's hard, but keep in mind that the impact of a small collection, carefully maintained, can be much greater than a massive heap of boxes of who knows what.
Now that you have your collection winnowed (you just ran off and did that, right?) we can move on to curating and displaying eight of the most common types of mementos. Let's get started.
| |
| 1. Nature collections. Whether it's sand gathered at each beach you vacationed at as a child, or a bird's nest from the backyard of the first house you bought, many of us have items from nature that hold special meaning. Here are a few easy yet eye-catching ideas for displaying your nature collection:
|
by Atypical Type A
»
2. A special handwritten note. Have a meaningful letter? Don't let it languish in a box in the basement. Frame it instead, and you will be able to appreciate it every day.
| |
| 3. Old family documents. Envelopes and postcards yellowed with age can make an eye-catching wall display, especially against a dark wall. Just be sure to use color photocopies if you want to hang them without frames or in a room prone to dampness, like a kitchen or bathroom. |
4. Family photos. Looking for a fresh new way to display those family portraits? Try supersizing them and adding simple frames for a modern look. And if you use ready-made frames, you can easily swap out the photos from time to time to keep the display current.
| |
| 5. Jewelry. Give pride of place to your most cherished jewelry. Sure, you might want to keep the really pricey stuff locked away, but most of us also have costume jewelry with sentimental value. Try arranging a few special pieces on trays and small dishes atop your dresser. |
| |
| 6. Clothing. Why hide that gorgeous flapper dress you inherited? Use it as creative décor by hanging it from a bedroom wall. And what about all of those precious baby clothes? Try framing one or two favorites in shadowboxes or have a pile reworked into a one-of-a-kind quilt. |
by simple thoughts
»
7. Children's artwork. The budding artists in the family may be coming home with dozens of pieces each week. What to do with all of that art? First, create an easy display area with room for displaying at least a dozen pieces at once. A gallery wall or large bulletin or magnet board would work beautifully.
With the overflow, consider limiting what you keep to one box per child. If that seems like too little, you can also take digital photos or scan in the artwork and make photo books, for a solution that preserves the memories but takes up far less space than the originals.
See more ways to display children's art
With the overflow, consider limiting what you keep to one box per child. If that seems like too little, you can also take digital photos or scan in the artwork and make photo books, for a solution that preserves the memories but takes up far less space than the originals.
See more ways to display children's art
| |
| 8. The good silver. Fancy glassware may be too fragile for the daily table, but silver actually benefits from regular use and looks gorgeous to boot. If you are lucky enough to own a set, stop worrying about it and just use it. Tell us: What are your favorite ways to display your family treasures? If you had only a few moments to save things from a fire (not counting people and furry friends) what would you take with you and why? More: 20 Great Ways to Display Family Photos Put Clothes and Textiles in a New Frame of Mind Give Your House Some Natural Curiosities |
Ideabook published on March 28, 2012.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
Jennifer
We recently bought a travel trailer and I took one of the smaller sets and keep it in the trailer. I love using it at every meal when we travel - because its the only time we hand wash.