Your Family Museum in a Guest Bedroom & Home Office

Guest Bedroom

Curio Cabinets

                                                                                                                                                                 

The empty bedroom. For whatever reason the room is not occupied, then why not occupy it with Your Family Museum. There are several ways you can accomplish this. The room’s purpose, usefulness and size will be your guide when choosing a curio cabinets to display your heirlooms. They can be petite or grand. They can go in the corner of a room or by using several cabinets, they can take up a whole wall. Yet, as small as some curio cabinets can be, they are nevertheless a great place to showcase a collection. Curio cabinets make excellent Family Museums.

 

There are several styles of curio cabinets available at furniture stores and online. You can also have one custom-built to meet your specific requirements based on the objects to be displayed. Most curio cabinets come with lighting, glass shelves and beveled glass doors. One challenge about glass shelves is some may not be provided with a groove to support dishes. This is easily remedied by using clear museum gel, a clear removable adhesive that secures not only dishes but also any object that may be vulnerable to falling. You can also purchase small plate stands. Bookends are good for all support needs. For a thoughtful touch, place a photograph by the heirloom of the person to whom the heirloom belonged which defines and associates the item with the person and adds more interest.

         

For more ideas, visit a museum. Take a look at the smaller exhibits of artifacts displayed. Due to the massive security museums employ, these diminutive collections are sealed in glass-enclosed chambers. Not much different from a curio cabinet except, of course, you cannot open the glass doors and take the heirloom out anytime you please. However, you can in your museum. Also, antique shops do an admirable job displaying a plethora of items. These displays will show you how unrelated items can work together. Be creative. Have fun.

Once your curio cabinet is filled and you show your guests the objects displayed there, refer to the cabinet as Your Family Museum. That always sparks their interest. You can even apply a small brass plaque identifying the museum. For example,

Grandmother’s Collection of China Dolls, circa 1890

After your museum is completed, what a pleasure it will be when you walk into that bedroom and no longer feel loneliness there. And what a delight it will be for your guests. The museum will be a great way to introduce them to your family and encourage conversations. You may even stimulate them to create their own family museum.

Home Office

Bookcases

More than ever, today’s workplaces are at home. What a great place this can be for your own Personal Museum of Success, dedicated to the occupants’ career or profession.

The size of the type of occupation will determine the area. You want to allow enough space to accommodate the memorabilia collected over the years that showcase the stages of a career, such as significant tools of their trade, books, and military items if service to our country was performed.

For example, after my husband retired from the Naval Reserves, he was presented with a large American Flag. He did not want to keep it folded up and in the display box, so he hung it on the wall. His Certificate of Honorable Discharge hangs above his desk.

Other items such as photographs of special people and events, licenses, framed certificates(s), letters of acknowledgment, cherished books, keepsakes from past offices and colleagues, all the important things that led to his or her success. The home office is also a great place to display trophies. After the Personal Museum of Success is completed, the occupant of the home office will have a feeling of accomplishment. Taking pride in ones' attainments solidifies his or hers success, skills, achievements. What better way is there to start the workday with a gentle reminder of something well done. And at the close of the day, an affirmation of the same.

Next Post: In the Hallway & On the Walls Museum

 

P.S.
Here is an image of the 'Museum Gel"
I mentioned in this post. It is very useful
and easy to use. You can find it any any
office supply store or building center.
Online, too.