Display your travel souvenirs in a clutter-free manner

By: Gabrielle Marie A. Gianan, Philippine School of Interior Design Advanced Class 2014 - 10 years ago

IT’S GOOD to stick to a certain theme when incorporating souvenirs to keep the look from being cluttered. In this case, the designer used three different maps as wall décor.

t0910psid_feat2_2 — IT’S GOOD to stick to a certain theme when incorporating souvenirs to keep the look from being cluttered. In this case, the designer used three different maps as wall décor.

DON’T stick all your “big gun” pieces in one room. Rather, distribute them to different rooms of the house to keep the look from being cluttered and to make guests focus on your interesting item. In this example, the focal point is the interesting ottoman. PHOTOS FROM PHILIPPINE SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN

Travel clutter happens when the mementos from your trips are kept hidden. Bring them out, display them and show how much fun you had from the experience.

Here are tips from the PSID (Philippine School of Interior Design) Advanced Class of 2014 on how to use souvenirs as decor. Its graduation exhibit, titled “Globalscapes,” features 22 unique, elegantly designed spaces inspired by the architecture, art and culture of different countries.

The exhibit will run Oct. 1 to 31 at SM North Edsa.

Eclecticism is key. Mix and match—most of the mementos you’ve brought home might not go well with each other but that’s the beauty in it. Eclecticism encourages you to think outside the box and experiment. It also creates a more interesting look.

Explore the numerous possibilities of combining and don’t conform to a particular style.

Focus on a theme. Look for a common denominator among the items. It can either be a theme like “tropicana,” for example, to remind you of your travels in the tropics, or a color present in all your mementos. Not only will your décor look clean, it will also look good together.

Tell a story. Vacations always feel too short so it’s always nice to bring something home to remind you of the places you’ve been. Tell your friends about your various trips by arranging these pieces in such a way that they tell your story.

USE YOUR souvenirs in unusual ways, such as repurposing this chocolate box from Italy into a storage item.

Turn something old into something new. When shopping abroad, many are drawn to old trinkets that have more character. Turn old teapots into flower vases. Hang a vintage movie poster on your walls. Use rugged worn-out dividers as bed frames.

Find a way to make use of these great buys in a manner one wouldn’t expect.

Keep it simple. It’s always best to have a few conversation pieces around your home, but make sure to scatter them around, not just in one area. Use them as accessories in different parts of the house. This way, people will definitely take notice of them.