Put More YOU in Your Home – 3 Tips for Making Mementos Into Art
An inspiring color scheme, nice furnishings, and a great layout all make for a lovely home. But incorporating elements of your history, identity, family memories, and things you love makes a powerful, personal statement.
What does your home have to say about you?
Here are three of my favorite ways to infuse your personality and personal history into your home. And you probably already have everything you need!
1. Put Personal Treasures on Display
We all have beloved items handed down to us from parents and grandparents as well as special wedding day or baby mementos from our own families. All these treasured items tell your story, but they’re often packed away in boxes in the garage.
Hand-written letters or recipe cards can be made into lovely artwork or household items such as dish towels. If Grandma’s jewelry doesn’t quite fit your personal aesthetic, turn it into a creative display. And did you know you the broken glass from your wedding ceremony can be transformed into glassware or art? Talk about recycling!
1. Geneartistry 2. Spoonflower 3. In My Own Style 4. Southern Living 5. Geneartistry 6. Restoration Hardware 7. Traditions Jewish Gifts
2. Showcase Your Collections
Whether you have a collection from when you were a kid or a current hobby that’s close to your heart, find a way to show it off. Besides the sentiment and story, collections can make a strong visual statement.
You may think your husband’s old (er, vintage…) lunchbox collection is childish, but with a little imagination it can become a fun, original piece of art in a playroom or basement family room. Sames goes with ties, ticket stubs, and old cameras. How can you turn passions old and new into art?
3. Strut Your Signature
Laverne famously wore her “L” sweater and Mary Tyler Moore proudly featured an “M” on the wall of her living room. In and out of Hollywood, and in the living room, home office, or nursery, initials and monograms are a timeless way to represent identity.
Monograms are often considered really traditional, but there’s no reason you can’t take a playful approach to font treatment and presentation. One of my favorite ideas is to cover an entire wall with stylized initials. It’s so much fun to collect letters and expand your story over time.
Monogrammed pillows—monogrammed anything, is a great way for kids to mark their turf in shared rooms.
Now it’s your turn. What’s currently hiding in a closet or packed out of sight that you’d like to tastefully or even playfully incorporate into your home decor? Come on back and let us know!
This article also appears in the online publication of Seattle’s Child, where I publish bi-weekly articles on home organization and design. You can see this article on the Seattle’s Child website here.