Ever find yourself longing for that small town, slow-paced, Mayberry way of living? Where any and every problem can be cured in a rocking chair or front porch swing. Maybe you’ve even lived that life before, but now you find yourself in a high-rise sipping Manhattan’s instead of Mamaw’s sweet tea –  all the while, longing for a taste of home. Nostalgia is a funny, fickle thing, it beckons you back, back to a time, a place, a feeling. For this Texan girl living near skyline lights, it takes me back, to those country starry nights.

Below are 3 ways to incorporate the past into the present.

VINTAGE PHOTOS

Remember being at your grandparent’s house and there was barely room to sit your amber-colored glass down because of all the picture frames? So. Many. Frames. But admit it, you miss the hodgepodge of outdated family photos lining the dining room sideboard and stealing every inch of real estate from the living room end tables.  Recreate it with a bit more polished approach. Gather all those antiqued, yellowed, scorned edges aged photos, and place them in updated frames. An oversized matte will bring a modern flair. Hang them evenly for a gallery effect, or in a collage for a more lived-in look.

HEIRLOOMS

You couldn’t wait to finally have custom built ins. Now that you have them, all they’ve collected is dust and last night’s takeout. Fill those lonely bookshelves with legacy! Integrate meaningful family heirlooms. Nothing is off-limits. Grandpa’s antique pocket watch, Great Aunt Barb’s vintage change purse, Grandma’s church handkerchief (you know the one.) You get it, anything goes. Place them as decorative accessories or use them as bookends to your favorite novel or antiqued books (another repurposing opportunity.

PILLOWS (duh…) Y’all already knew to expect this. Our obsession with throw pillows knows no end. Obsession aside, pillows are an excellent way to incorporate yesterday’s sentiments with today’s sophistication. Look for a reminiscent pattern, meaningful to you and/or your family. For example, if your grandmother’s favorite flower is a hydrangea, the Camille or Adeline pillow from SBH would be a perfect element. Even just one pillow is enough to achieve that country-coziness.

Weaving heritage into your home does more than fill a space, it tells a story. Your story. And that’s the greatest of them all.