Bringing home beautiful souvenirs from different places around the world is one of life’s greatest joys. Such items can remind us of our travels, bring a smile to our face and serve as conversation starters when entertaining company. Souvenirs can range from modest local arts and crafts to high-end luxury items that have been carefully crafted in far-off lands. Whether it’s a small trinket bought from a street vendor or something of great value, souvenirs bring back memories of our travels and make us feel special.

However, when you get home with your souvenirs, the challenge of finding ways to use and display them can be difficult.  Different cultures produce different styles, which is one of the reasons travel is so fascinating!  However, it can lead to an accidental collection of a hodge-podge of items you struggle to integrate into your decor.

It pays to think before you buy and consider how souvenirs will integrate into your home decor. However, even if you go out on a spontaneous limb and buy a huge multicolored carved elephant, there is always a way to make it shine when you get home.  With thoughtfulness, creativity and an eye for good design, finding a way to make souvenirs work within the home can be achieved.

There are two primary techniques to integrating travel mementos into your home.  You can create a specific place to cluster your purchases and tell a story of your adventures.  You can also scatter the pieces throughout your house, integrating them into the other items you already own and use.  Consider these tips for where and how to place your souvenirs.

Set It Up To Be Used

Many of the items that you find on your travels can offer a practical purpose in your home.   In many cultures, art is not solely to be looked at – it can also be used daily in our homes.  Place souvenirs where you will use them and be sure to enjoy them each time you do!

For example, ceramic plates from Peru can be used to serve food.  A crystal vase from Ireland should hold flowers.  Wooden bowls from India are perfect for displaying and serving fruit or keys while also making a beautiful statement when not in use.  Textiles collected in South America can become wall hangings or accent pillows.

Be sure to place the memento in a way that it’s convenient to use as well as attractive.  For example, if you bring home the most glorious hand-woven hammock from your trip to Mexico, don’t let it languish in a closet.  Hang it on your porch, where you can enjoy it.  Install the perfect adjustable patio lighting so you can lay in it to read during the day and canoodle in during the evening.

Shelve It

A bookcase or shelves can be the perfect spot to show off your souvenirs.  To break up the look, you may consider adding a chair rail near the top of the shelf – this allows for different sized items to be placed in front of and behind it.  Place smaller mementos on top of it for an interesting layered effect.

Use multicolored museum-style boxes to house items inside the bookcase, but be sure not to let it look too cluttered.  Break up the shelves with your souvenirs and some of your favorite books for a collected but sophisticated vibe.  Consider up-lighting to highlight the more splendid items from your collection.

Carefully arrange books and artifacts that are similar in color to create symmetry and unity.  Be sure to rotate them periodically and display the items in different ways from time to time so that you can enjoy your souvenirs even more!  Every time you change it up, it will be like returning to a destination one more time.

Make it Prominent

For particularly special items, you may choose to give them a pedestal or pride of place.  A sculpture from on a plinth at the entryway of your home can be stunning and will draw attention from all those who enter. Place a lamp next to it for added drama – its effect will be remarkable! Anywhere the eye is naturally drawn, such as a mantleplace, the end of a hall, or the center of a table, creates an opportunity to show off something beautiful and meaningful.

No matter what souvenirs you bring home from your travels, with a bit of thoughtfulness, creativity and design savvy, any piece can become a showstopper in your home. Displaying mementos from trips is about reminding you and your guests about the most interesting parts of you.

Author

Northern girl Laura is the epitome of a true entrepreneur. Laura’s spirit for adventure and passion for people blaze through House of Coco. She founded House of Coco in 2014 and has grown it in to an internationally recognised brand whilst having a lot of fun along the way. Travel is in her DNA and she is a true visionary and a global citizen.

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