We love a home filled with meaningful objects and items that spark great memories. I know many people can feel overwhelmed by buying art, but if it’s personal, it will always work. Here are a couple of thoughts on how to incorporate personal pieces.

Travel Art

If you are lucky enough to travel, consider bringing something home to remind you of the trip. Here are a couple of ways to approach it:

Landscapes

My brother and sister-in-law go to art fairs and galleries when they travel. They make a point to pick up a landscape painting from trips they love! When hung together, they serve as a sort of travelogue.

Photo: Spacecrafting. to see more of this project click here.

Poster Series

We have clients who visit a national park each year. There is a great series of prints that depict the national park and their collection grows with each trip!

The same client has a single, large print from a trip to Italy on prominent display in their living room.

Group of Etchings

If you can’t bring home a large piece, a group of small ones can still make a statement when grouped together. These Minneapolis clients stacked a set of etchings of Paris between their dining room windows.

Objects

Of course you can also bring back objects from your travels. These colorful African sculptures add a lot of fun to a boys’ bathroom in California!

Baskets and vessels are another great souvenir to display. In the same home in California, we used a basket to hold air plants.

Event Specific Posters

While posters can say “dorm room,” there’s something to be said for celebrating special events you want to remember. I would choose artistic, well-designed posters and frame them simply. In my entry, a limited-edition poster from a public art installation with David Byrne that I had a hand in producing.

In a client’s sunroom, we preserved a poster that belonged to a loved one, tears, stickers, and all, by decoupaging it on a painted board.

Photo: Josh Grubbs. To see more of this project click here.

Hobby-Related Art and Objects

These Bloomington clients share a love of biking. How sweet is this little bicycle sculpture on display in their kitchen? It was a wedding gift from a friend who had their names written across the front wheel.

This client is a tennis player, and collected vintage rackets from garage sales. We put the racquets—and her passion for a sport—on display.

Namesake

Another way to use a print in a personal way is to find one that incorporate your name. These clients have a welcome sign inside their door—emblazoned with their family name!

Tell me: Do you have souvenirs or meaningful art and objects on display?

Personal Art at home: Travel and Meaningful Objects