Your Travels
No matter where you travel, you're sure to find something you want to bring home. For Carol Isaak Barden, a travel writer for Southern Accents and Travel & Leisure, traveling is a way of life. Her Texas
home is filled with unique and beautiful items from Europe and Asia, usually handmade by local artists. "I appreciate things that have been made
by artisans--wood pieces, statuary, textiles," she says. "Religious art has also been precious to me. My Buddhas and Indonesian temple doors are among my most valuable possessions." Let your home be a kind of travelogue. Unusual items from faraway lands will always be a conversation piece and will last much longer than photographs and maybe even your memories. Even if you haven't visited foreign lands, you can decorate your home with symbols of the places you have been. Pretty, unusual seashells lining a bookshelf or framing a memorable travel photo can remind you of great times by the ocean. Beautiful travel books on the coffee table are also a great way to remind you of where you've been or to serve as inspiration for places to visit.
Your Interests
Hobbies and interests can add personality to your home. An avid gardener might showcase a collection of beautiful garden books or use a favorite
antique urn as a vase for wildflowers. Botanical wallpapers and fabrics or prints also reflect a passion for the outdoors. Cooks often fill their
kitchens with gleaming copper kettles or antique serving ware, which act as functional monuments to their hobby. If you enjoy needlework or quilting, display your handiwork in conspicuous places. Collect books on your favorite
subjects to line a bookshelf or display antiques that pertain to your
hobby.
Your Collections
In many respects, personal style boils down to collections with character. In Rome, Jo and Angelo Bettoja have amassed some fascinating collections over their 47 years together. Plates displayed in the front hall date from the 1600s, a mantel holds marble and lapis lazuli balls and busts, and a painted baby cradle from the 1600s adds interest to the master bedroom.
All these precious objects represent the Bettojas' love for objects that are well-aged, like the city they call home. Books, quilts, and other items from Jo's native Georgia also give their apartment a cosmopolitan sense of place. The couple combines simple Georgia furniture and art with sophisticated Italian objects. The pairing is unexpected and interesting.
Don't be afraid to use your antiques every day. Betty Gertz, the owner of antiques shop East & Orient Company in Dallas, sets her table with Ming dynasty plates and lounges in a living room filled with antique furniture. Display your finds in rooms you actually use and where they can be viewed and appreciated by visitors. Sharing your collections creates a home that is both elegant and lived-in.
