Decorate a Petite Home With Personal Touches

One of the top, small-space design tips that I stand by time after time is to layer a petite home with personal mementos that extend beyond family photos. Maximizing a space-deprived home is not only about square inches but how to make those inches matter.

I was trying to organize a gallery wall in the guest room, but I was having trouble gathering the right mix of images and art. I began to ask myself what moments and places make me smile, and the many walks across the Brooklyn Bridge to and from my old apartment in Cobble Hill came to mind.

Bring in a Bit of History

Rather than framing art photos of the bridge, I liked this print that celebrates the year 1883; 14 years after the Brooklyn Bridge was completed when P.T. Barnum (Mr. Circus himself) proved to the world that this architectural wonder was safe enough to allow 21 elephants and seven camels to walk across it with great fanfare.

TIP

Look out for a built-in, wide mat border, which gives this image a sense of importance. Here is a delightful children’s book called Twenty-One Elephants, which tells the story of the exciting elephant bridge walk. You could even frame a copy of the book cover for your wall.