How can I display my travel souvenirs in a way that doesn’t look cheesy?
Gillian H. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and interior stylist (and SweetHome blogger) Arren Williams answered:
I have a couple of rules when it comes to souvenirs and collectibles. There's a very fine line between displaying them and having it all look good, or going too far and becoming a candidate for that awful Hoarders show on A&E. Basically it all comes down to editing: finding and keeping only the best bits and pieces – from seashells and snow globes to old keys and commemorative spoons – and not junking things up with, ahem, what I would charitably call "filler."
For smaller things, like shells, one of the best ways to display them would be to go out and buy yourself a shadow box, available at stores like Ikea, with their extra-deep Ribba frames. Back the frame in a material simpatico to whatever you want to display, like silk, linen or grasscloth. Wrap over a piece of board, and then either pin or carefully glue your objects in place. A repeated pattern can work well, or an odd number of different sized objects that are carefully scattered and set in place. Or you can head to Etsy and check out someone like ShorelyChic, who does a lovely job on shadow-boxed seashells that you can buy and then claim as your own work (I won’t tell).
For larger items, the best bet is to pick out a single surface (like the top of a dresser or wall mounted shelf) and then display your objects there, and there alone. Don’t let them spread any further than that one solitary spot! Massing similar objects together, like a slew of snow globes picked up on your travels, look fantastic set all together on a single wall-mounted shelf, but step beyond that and I’ll be calling the people at Hoarders and asking about getting you on the show next season!