Loved your ramble. I am the same way. When someone comes over and wants to walk through our home I find that I have a story for everything. If they want it will take hours to walk through. You can always tell the ones that are interested and the ones that are "sorry they asked ", LOL.

I rarely have anything in my house that doesn't have a story...I think it is a wonderful comfort for you and for anyone that cares that is related to you or shares your sentiments.

I am so glad you posted this thread. We need to have a "walk through" each others' homes some day. c

I have two watercolor paintings, one of a dark haired child and one of a blonde child, both painted in 1929, and given to my mother when my brother and I were toddlers, because the painter's mother (our next-door neighbor) thought the paintings looked like us. The paintings are one of my most cherished possessions, but the backgrounds of both are blue, and I don't really do blue. I don't care; I want to be able to see them.

A year or so ago, I tracked down the painter's family through old property records and census records, then found her family on ancestry.com. They live in Maine and I sent them pictures of the paintings and told them how much they meant to me. The relative said she was going to share the pictures at her upcoming family reunion. It made me feel more connected to the paintings.
Dee

EXACTLY! Perfect. Thank-you!
My furniture is of the "sentimental" style more so than my accessories. I have a story for just about every piece; my dining room table and chairs are about 90 years old with my moms teething marks on the back of one of the chairs, my buffet was made by my uncle in Grade 12 woodwork when he was 17 and he is now 76 years old, my hutch with my linens has been in my family since 1860, my living room 4-piece sectional came from the parents of MY parents best friends and is probably close to 90 years old. (My mom thinks it's close to 100 years old)
I have three pictures painted by my grandmother (no longer living) that she painted in the mid-70's hanging in my sitting area off of the kitchen.
I also have some silver pieces from the early 20's which were wedding presents for my grandparents and a couple of platters from the early 50's that were wedding presents of my parents.
I love every single piece because of the story and the warmth of the memories that it brings to me.

Thank-you so much for allowing me to speak about this.

Orchid I'm so glad you coined this term because I think it fits ME!!! Most of my things have a story and I have so many things I would never part with because of their sentiment. Thanks for posting! I'm so glad to know where I fit now and I share the term with you!

bl: I hope to see those precious items some time when I up that way...what a treasure of memories you have .

dee : I bet that family was amazed to hear from you...can you share a photo of the paintings ? c

Here they are, Caroline. Thanks for asking. They're really nothing spectacular. Funny thing, I always think of the blonde as a boy even though (s)he is holding a doll.
Dee

Your story kind of brought a tear to my eye's. I can SO relate.

I've told this story before, but both of my grandmothers and one grandfather had died before I was born.

When I was 18 my mom gave me my dad's mother's a Watt Pottery bowl. Cream, green and deep red.

I also have antique pieces from the same grandmother. Her hopechest with the original papers in it from Virginia, where she lived.

Sentimental. Perfect description. My whole house is in the colors of that one bowl. Plus I have more pieces to match it.

Great topic!

What a wonderful thread! This is one to which I can assuredly relate, particularly as I've done some taking stock over the past year and have become even more determined to surround myself with the things that hold personal meaning to me, no matter if they go with or match or are decoratively correct - because they are a part of me, and I just need to have them where I can see them. Losing my grandparents and traveling to England with my mom this year were pivotal for me, and I have a longing for those items that remind me of precious people and special places. They're just things, but they serve as constant reminders of connections that are at the very heart of who I am.

Thank you for starting this thread. I needed this tonight.
:-)

This should be on the other side! I am also Sentimental. I love having family things around me. Only furniture is a rocking chair, but many smaller things and pictures. Mom recently gave me her mother's mini cornbread iron skillet (shaped liked ears of corn). It's on top of my microwave so I see it daily. Love being reminded of the bond I had with all four of my grandparents. Great thread.

dee those are very sweet. Lucky you.

I walked through the house after reading this post and boy...every room and surface has something. I don't have anything stored away. Have never put things in boxes and alternated displays. I don't have that much so no reason to hold back. Nice to touch something and think back to how, where, when...circumstances surrounding...very nice thread. c

Aw, I love all these posts! I also agree and do think it is a wonderful and strengthening style. I have the corner cupboard and dough trough my g-g-grandfather made, along with the frakturs for his and his future wife's births/baptisms (Taufscheine-birth and baptismal certificates). Also, several pieces of art from my grandfather and grandmother and lots of miscellaneous stuff. Every time I sit in one of the recovered wing chairs, I think of family and there is another very high-backed wing chair in need of recovering that belonged to one of my grandfathers- it was the place he always sat when we were at his home. We always had to shake his hand when we left (he insisted on a good firm shake) at which point he would slip us a dollar. It is now in the library and the pink (!) upholstery doesn't bother me a bit. Wonder if that is why I can't seem to decide what to do with it.

It does bring me joy to see these items scattered around the house. Mixed in with all my own stuff and even modern pieces, our home makes me smile.

Guess we are all softies, huh? Not too bad!

Great topic and perfect title for a decorating style!

This is a lovely thread!
My favorite sentimental thing is a child's wooden rocking horse which belonged to my mom when she was a child- it's about 85 years old. I think it was originally painted red, white, and blue, but it has beautifully patina-ed to orange, cream, and light blue.
My whole house isn't decorated in sentimental style, but my sister's is and it's wonderful!
I'm loving reading about all your sentimental things.

Love hearing that I'm not alone in this. We moved across the country (paying ourselves,) so I originally thought I'd ditch a lot of my "stuff." Didn't happen. The MCM teak dining table from Singapore had to come, as did the dinged Coramandel (?) chest with the painting of "mothers and sons." The picture of Mom in Scotland when she was 3--yes. The old brass bowl from Dad's grandma--yes! When I was last at the family cottage I spied a blue sugar and creamer that was used daily during my childhood. Asked brother if I could take. His response, "Sure. It probably came from Woolworths." Did I care? Great memories!

jab65 you made a really good point. I googled the platters that were wedding presents of my parents and it was interesting to read about the history of the manufacturer and the hallmark on the platters. But they are worth about $20 and I don't care. It's the story and the connection to me that is important.

I don't think it defines my decorating style, because I really don't have one, but we have a few things that mean something to both of us. A chair in the livingroom that was my dad's favorite in his final days. A small table that he made in high school and a wooden ashtray stand that dh's dad made when he was in high school. I have a large battery-operated pillar candle on it instead of an ashtray ... it was a perfect fit. Also have a number of my mom's pots and pans and her china. I don't use the china, but I love cooking with her pans. Brings back happy memories.

I also use many sentimental pieces in our home. In the great room, I have my great grandmother's rocking chair. Wooden legs and arms with fabric seat and back. It's beautiful. I have my grandparent's first bed (poster)in a bedroom and a chair they bought at the same time in another room. Many small pieces including parts of a china tea set that belonged to my mother. I have used one of the cups as a candle holder. Several items in the kitchen, including a large crock (actually a churn) that was my great grandmother's. I have a hoosier cabinet (one of 2!) in the sunroom that my mother had for many years in her kitchen and later gave to me. I have some of my grandmother's silver and ruby red glass pieces that she was given when she married. Have added to the ruby red collection.

tina

Thank you all for sharing your wonderful stories about your treasured pieces with me - I've really enjoyed reading about them, and feel privileged that you chose to share them. You've all expressed what I feel about these special items.

AuntJen said "They're just things, but they serve as constant reminders of connections that are at the very heart of who I am." YES! That's the truth that it seems we've all found, that it isn't paint or a new fabric that makes a room 'warm', it's the things in the room that make us smile, reminisce, remember, feel connected...the things that make where we happen to live truly our homes. Thank you again for sharing your treasures with us all!