Decor: Tell Your Story

I wanted my décor to reflect the era of the house and tell my story. I sorted through things I already had to find like items for grouping. In the living room I started with photographs of ancestors since genealogy and family history are two of my loves. I had them printed in sepia and framed with wooden frames. I had an old fiddle that a grandfather once played and placed some guitar strings in an old package on the front. To help tell about my heritage, I grouped the family momentous together at the corner of two walls.

Because I am an artist, displaying some of my paintings is a must. I find a mirror hung here or there is useful in opening up a room. In the photo above on the right, the mirror on one wall reflects one of my paintings which adds more dimension to the living room. As you walk across the room, the mirror discretely reflects other scenes. On the wooden sconces on either side of the mirror are a few keepsakes.

Since I grew up with the colorful Utah deserts as my playground, I am interested in geology, rocks and crystals. I grouped my fossil/rock/crystal collections in areas around the house intermixed with other keepsakes such as my father’s cribbage board and one of his favorite books. I once found a large commercial antique butter churn with my maiden name printed on the front. Since it had my name on it, I had to buy it. This is where I store my firestarters (see my Helpful Hints and Tips, Tip: Firestarters on the right side of this blog page). I grouped it with crocks, a washboard, my father’s branding iron, and a large antique-looking vase containing a few peacock feathers and some hand-carved walking sticks.

I look to the experts such as Pottery Barn catalogs, decorating magazine and books. Stores like T J Maxx and Pier 1 Imports offer fun decorating items. If you have a treasure, make it the center and decorate around it. In the kitchen I used my Mason jar collection and a few old cook books to add my interests to the décor. See my post Adding Flavor to the Kitchen

Manti has power outages now and then so a kerosene lantern is incorporated in the décor of each room. Too keep the lanterns well supplied, I found wick by the yard at http://www.wickstore.com/