Juju hat - african bumbles on etsy; kente cloth from my father’s family; leopard belt - veronica beard elsy belt

People often say a house feels like home when the pictures are up on the walls. But I think a house really feels like home when those pictures are up and they’re inspiring you! When we first moved to Minneapolis, my husband and I bought my father-in-law’s house. (Pausing for cries of “what in the world were you thinking?!”) The house came with some perfectly lovely paintings. But they always made me feel like I was living in someone else’s place. Since that time, I’ve committed to only having art that I either love or that means something special to our family. It’s a revelation! Interior designer Jodie Shields know this well. “Art should speak to you,” she enthuses. Here are Jodie’s top tips for finding your artistic inspiration.

1. Hang something you love, even if it isn’t “art”

vintage london bus blinds - bluehse on etsy; hampers - the little market

Have you noticed how interesting it is when a friend’s décor tells you something about them? Not just about their taste, but about where they’ve traveled, what their interests are or where their family comes from. These objets don’t have to be 2D art. “Hang pottery, tapestries, woven pieces, screens, tribal masks or architectural remnants,” suggests Jodie. The options are as broad as your life experiences. I found bus blinds for the London routes I used to ride on Etsy. Grouped and framed they provide a friendly reminder of home. On another wall we have a 36-inch Juju hat. It’s from Cameroon (again, via Etsy) …close enough to my father’s home country of Ghana to feel heartwarmingly familiar.

2. Harness form, function and free space

If you’re a Marie Kondo devotee, you’ll recall that a piece can “spark joy” if it has function – as much as if has form. (That’s why you get to keep your utilitarian utensils and elastic band ball.) Wall décor like mirrors, chalkboards and pinboards can be both. Mirrors can visually enlarge a room and ensure you don’t leave the house with your dress tucked into your undies. Pinboards can corral sentimental odds and ends like kids’ sketches and photos into one neat and tidy place. After all, gathering works in one place so you can abstain in another can be pleasing. “There is power in some blank space,” assets Jodie. “Not every part of a wall needs to be covered.”

3. DIY (or DI with your family’s help)

Frames - ferm living; seven-year-old - our own :-).

Perhaps the most obvious way of creating personalized pieces is to make them yourself. But you don’t have to be Monet crafting wall-sized Water Lilies. I’m old enough and British enough to have had exhaustive handwriting lessons at school. So I take this otherwise obsolete ability and write calligraphy(ish) versions of messages that move us. Perhaps you’re good at embroidery or pottery or batik…? Or perhaps you have kids who are pint-sized Picassos…? Pop your family’s best efforts in a frame or on a stand, et voila, art that’s as individual as you are! And if you’re not up for creating original works yourself, you can still find accessible options. “Try art shows at colleges, up and coming artists or limited edition prints,” advises Jodie.

4. Frame a piece of your past

Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls hotel, a stop on our honeymoon, has a wicked sense of humor. It rises above its colonial past by cleverly poking fun at it. Among the jabs are a series of Punch cartoons depicting the “British character.” As an American married to a Brit, my husband found these wildly amusing. He was particularly tickled by “Refusal to admit defeat,” and “Absence of decision.” To prove I can take a joke, I bought a few of the prints and had them framed with a wide grey mat. “A good frame makes a difference,” says Jodie. “But I like to go simple. Let the art do the talking.” Now, every time we walk up the stairs, we get a reminder of a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. And a friendly nudge never to take ourselves (or our art) too seriously!

5. Make wallpaper a feature

If you’ve ever tried removing wallpaper, you may be wary of putting it up! Have no fear. Today’s removable wallpapers let you create a high-impact feature wall…and then change it almost as easily. Allegedly you can hang the paper yourself. But since finding a lovely and well-price wallpaper installer on Thumbtack, I’ve left that to the experts. It’s a little bit of outsourcing in a scheme that’s otherwise all our own. And that’s what’s important. It doesn’t have to be perfect or objectively chic. It just has to be you!

I can’t wait to hear how you personalize your place. Please let us all know with a comment!