Heirlooms, Photos, Jewlery and More

I've recently acquired some family heirlooms and had to Google some ways in which to visually display and/or use them, rather than just putting them in a box and never using them. I think vintage items are so beautiful and should be shared, not boxed. So, take a look at some of the ways I've found and may use in my own home very soon...

Pot holder collage: Handcrafted items are the BEST! If you have potholders from your grandma, display them in all their worn glory. Perfect for an eclectic home with the space to display. Can be used in a dining room above a serving buffet or in the kitchen itself. The shapes and spacing are infinite. Get creative!

Old Ladder: An old wooden ladder can be so resourceful. I wouldn't recommend using it for it's given purpose, just cause the structure may not be up to it's past life's strength, but it can be used around the home to display jewelry or as a shoe rack. I have also seen them as photo racks and so much more. These can be so beautiful and save some space at the same time.

Clocks: I don't know about you but I LOVE clocks. Especially old ones, and I was just given two from my grandmother's collection. I was looking up ways on how to display them fashionably, and with my bedroom scheme I think they will go nicely stacked on a shelf like this image on the left. I just have to be sure all the alarms are turned off!...Most I have don't work all together, which is fine with me!

Non-window Curtains: While this is a little too country for my style, I loved the idea of using curtains on a non-window wall. I loved it so much that I used it in my bedroom on my bed wall to book-end my bed and "future" headboard. I don't have many people in my bedroom but I have had a couple friends compliment the idea.

Picture Wall: While it may seem scary to hang so many frames, I loved the idea of showing off my family to anyone that came into my home in a bold and beautiful way. I am not one for measuring out the spacing, so when it came to designing my own photo wall, I laid out the general spacing I wanted on the floor and then just went for it by eyeballing and nailing! I added shelves to my photo wall and added pops of green ( a green frame mixed in and a green perfume bottle on a shelf) to go with my living room decor. All my photo frames are black and images are all b&w so the green pops more and the images look more uniform. Classic and gorgeous. I was asked by my mother to help her with a mini photo wall, including mirrors for her living room as well as a hallway of family photos. People seem to love this idea but are scared to DIY. I say GO FOR IT!

Below is My photo wall which resides in my living room. I am lucky to have a huge wall to work with! Add a large mirror or small ones in the mix to brighten the room.

Apparel as Decor: I hear a growing trend in homes is using apparel as artwork and I have been doing this for years now. I am glad to hear it is in trend now. I used basic long nails, 5 across in a row to display my necklaces (costume jewelry, not the good ones) under a high floating shelf. I have color coated the necklaces: Black/Dark silver, Silver/diamond, Blues/Browns, Golds/Pearls, Colorful.
I am however thinking of painting half a tree on my wall and putting nails randomly on the branches to hang my necklaces from.....

I also use a shoe rack from Target to display my bracelets (also by color). It has rectangular holes (5X5) and stands about 2.5 feet tall. My displays make choosing my daily jewelry fast and easy!