Treasures Chest
Though hope chests began as places for women to store their trousseaux, many Southerners now use the trunks to collect all manner of memorabilia, from love letters and childhood toys to heirloom linens and family albums. This Selamat Designs trunk, featuring both exterior and interior art by the beloved British designer William Morris, offers an especially charming resting spot for all of the above ($1,250; perigold.com).
Photo: alice gao
Close to the Heart
The jewelry designer Monica Rich Kosann collected antique lockets—and other lovely objects in which to display and carry photographs, including this cigarette case she fitted with family images—long before she began dreaming up modern spins on the pendants. The intimacy of those antiques informs her sophisticated designs, such as her own monogrammed oval above, which holds photos of her husband, daughters, grandson, and late father. She nicknamed the smaller pendant her Jack locket, in honor of her grandson, who always checks to make sure she’s wearing “him.” Both lockets are part of her collection, and image fitting on her website is a cinch ($10,850 and $1,375, respectively; monicarichkosann.com).
Photo: alice gao
Hang It Up
Why keep your grandfather’s beloved bandanna or a passed-through-the-generations scarf in a drawer when you can feature it as a work of art? Simply Framed specializes in displaying such textiles, and the process is easy: Choose a frame style from the website, mail the item of choice, and soon your piece will return, ready to hang ($130 and up; simplyframed.com).
Photo: alice gao
Scrapbook of Life
In the age of digital everything, scrapbooking has become a rarer pastime. Not so at Scriptura in New Orleans, which offers scrapbooks that will endure, including these clothbound versions in which waxed paper protects each thick page. With the aid of paper corners, you can create a priceless object for this generation and the next, overflowing with photos, concert tickets, newspaper clippings, and other manifestations of memories ($45–$200; scriptura.com).
Photo: alice gao
Fashion Plates
Instead of filling a blank wall with paintings or photographs, consider hanging pieces from a dinnerware collection, such as these timeless Blue Danube plates available through Replacements, Ltd., or a set of your own that might be missing a piece or two. Better to celebrate them as decor than to let them languish inside a cabinet ($30–$289; replacements.com).
Photo: alice gao
