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Every Room Has a Story: Living Room Edition

June 12, 2024

Reading time: 4 minutes 

Among our ARTIcles by Artifcts with enduring appeal, at least according to Google, is Show Me the Favorite Moment in Your Home. The premise was simple: Interior designers know that to be able to help their clients design and decorate their spaces, they need to understand what makes them tick. And invariably what we keep says a lot about what matters most to us. Now, if only 'stuff' could talk! 

We’re picking back up on the ‘favorite moment’ theme through a multi-series installment that will take us room-by-room—yes, including the closets and bathrooms—and challenge us to consider why we have the items we do, what they mean to us, why we keep them, and ultimately for some things, what we want others to know about them as well.  

Through this process, we hope you’ll take a fresh look at the items you are toting around with you in life that be elevated displayed anew (reclutter not declutter) if you love them and they’ve been hidden away or perhaps retired or rehomed (yes, that's the declutter part), and consider what’s next for your space so you enjoy being in it.

Stories & Your Living Room 

We’re starting this series in the living room. Arguably this is the most social space of your home, everyone transits through it. How do we make it us and make it welcoming?  

We are not going to talk feng sui specifically, but there is certainly something to be said for at least a cursory understanding of the concept and trying out any number of the amazing online guides available to help you. Feng sui is a concept of Chinese origin that literally means wind-water. In the context of our homes, it’s about how we arrange and fill our spaces to promote health, harmony, and balance.  

Let’s get right into the nitty-gritty of the stuff of your space, because, of course, we’re Artifcts.  

WHY THIS LIGHTING?

Bear with us, because just like our ARTIcles story about decluttering for dementia, here, too, we must start with a nod to lighting. Surely you’re not surprised to learn that we should not live like cave trolls. Studies show that “uplighting,” meaning lights pointing upward at the walls, can literally uplift moods. We’re no experts on “chi,” but if this appeals to you, look into it! 

From the perspective of letting you and your stories shine, lighting can also be an opportunity to introduce a splash of personality, creativity, and color via the fixture itself or shade. Artifcts co-founder Ellen Goodwin brought a custom splash of nature and color into her space with a shade she found on Etsy. Great conversation piece that’s also Artifcted! 

 
 
Photo credit: Original image provided by seller on Etsy. Shop is now closed.

WHY THESE NATURAL OBJECTS?

Think about decorative rocks, plants, and other natural objects in your space. Don’t have any? Consider adding them in.

Rocks, minerals, and gemstones you’ve picked up on hikes and other travel adventures are a win-win: Memories meet decoration. But Artifct them! You’ll be surprised how fast you forget which came from where. 

Thinking back to lessons of feng sui, plants offer an element of air purification and research shows that pausing to care for them can give you a breath when you need one to de-stress from your day. Plants also “warm up” a cool space to welcome people in. 

Not up for keeping plants alive? Preserved green walls have become very popular for this reason and are another great Etsy find by Ellen, who is equally great at killing plants but loves the effect they have in a room. 

And don't forget wood in your space works, too, like shelves made locally from sustainably harvested trees!

wood shelves loaded with books in rainbow order 

WHY THIS "CLUTTER?"

Excuse me?! Not clutter, but decor. Okay, if it is all decor in your mind, prove it. Sweep through your living room this weekend, yank everything off its perch, and then purposefully re-clutter. Is that a word? We’re still not sure, but we’re going with it. 

We love this approach, because it’s like you are moving. You have to rearrange in your mind what you have, why you have it, and where you want it to live in your home. What amount is “too much” is entirely up to you. You must dust it and make room for it after all. 

If you want your decor to spark conversation, remind you of great stories, or maybe keep your loved ones closer to mind, then your objects on display should reflect those priorities! 

      • Photographs you or a friend took, enlarged and framed. 
      • A memento or two from a trip. 
      • Books from favorite authors, maybe you even met them or know them. 
      • Boxes, vases, and other vessels that are heirlooms or perhaps simply great finds or investments that are functional and make you happy.

 
 
This tea tin we featured in curator's choice last year is pretty and sentimental, and paired with modern vase from MOMA. View the Artifct >
      • Toys. No, not those that belong to a child. Think instead of a jar of colorful confetti, dominos in a bowl, a spinning top perched on the coasters. Introduce fun in your space and signal to those who may be feeling blue, uncomfortable, or stressed that you hope they can relax here. This tip is picked up from the book, “Joyful,” by Ingrid Fetell Lee.

What stories and moments make up your living room? Send them in to us at Editor@Artifcts.com or join the conversation on Instagram (@TheArtiLife) or Facebook (@Artifcts). We'd be delighted to hear from you!

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Preserving and Sharing Your (Sports) Collection

Reading time: 4 minutes 

Do Fall weekends find you cheering on your home team? Whether it’s football, baseball, swimming, or soccer, chances are you’ll catch a game or two either in person or with the 21.4 million viewers who tune in to watch their favorite Sunday night matchups.  

Fall may also find you longing for adventure, whether it’s a short drive across town or across state lines or a flight across the country. It’s a great time to travel before the holiday rush, and an even better time to take in some of our country’s museum-worthy sports collections.  

To inspire your trips, we’ve compiled the list below highlighting some of the best sporting collections our country has to offer. And in case you find yourself staring at your own sports collection, and you're not sure how to keep track of and share it with others, we've prepared tips about how to Artifct those collections, even if they are not destined for a museum.  

Roadtrip Worthy Sporting Destinations

The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY is one of the most-visited sports museums in the US. The Museum boasts over 40,000 artifacts, including a baseball thrown by Cy Young in the first modern World Series.  

A close second is the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. One of the key features of the Museum is a banked speedway modeled after Talladega Superspeedway, featuring 18 cars and a salute to 46 tracks!  

Want to view artifacts AND try your hand at your favorite sport? The International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum in Newport, RI is adjacent to 13 grass courts open for public play. When not serving up a winning shot, you can watch video highlights from some of the greatest matches in history and learn about Hall of Famers Billie Jean King and Pete Sampras.  

A short drive from Newport, RI will take you to Springfield, MA and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Hall proudly displays artifacts from when James Naismith introduced the sport to his YMCA class in 1891 (!) in addition to interactive exhibits, skills challenges and decades of basketball history.  

Building and Preserving Your Museum-Worthy Collection 

Aside from having amazing collections and rare artifacts, museums tell stories—the stories of their sport, their legends, and the fans that make it all worthwhile. We get a glimpse into the greats, an understanding of their firsts, and maybe even come away with a newfound appreciation for the past times we love.  

Museums preserve and safeguard artifacts for the next generation. But these artifacts, like the everyday objects we all collect and accumulate, cannot talk. There is no way to know by looking at an object that it was a game winning ball, or a record setting car. Absent the context, the details, and yes, even the story, legend, and lore, all artifacts are just that, artifacts, aka ‘stuff.’  

There is no way to know by looking at an object that it was a game winning ball, or a record setting car.

So how do you build, preserve, and share your collection so that, just like the museums, the story, history, and memories live on? Since we’re Artifcts, we’re a little biased, and our first response is going to be “Artifct that!” whatever ‘that’ may be. It takes time and effort to tell the story behind your collection (whether it be sports memorabilia or art!) and add in the details, the who, what, when, where, and why that will one day (if not today) matter. We made it easy and enjoyable.

We’ve compiled tips below to help you get started. (Go deeper with How to Artifct That Collection.)  

      • Start with the basic facts. What is it, and how did it come into your possession? Does the item have any financial value? If in doubt, request a free valuation from our partners at Heritage Auctions.
      • Next, get nostalgic. Think about your collection this way: If someone were to inherit your collection, are any pieces of particular value to you? Why? 
      • Include photos and videos to augment the description/story. Add audio recordings if you want your family to hear the story the way that you only you can tell it, complete with fun facts. 
      • Now try looking at your collection and natural groupings within it. For example, photos, trading cards, and gear may be three groupings. Start and complete Artifcting for one group before moving on to the next. 
      • Overwhelmed? Start by taking a video of your collection to ensure you have a record of it. You can then dedicate a certain amount of time per day, week, or month to capture details with individual Artifcts for each piece. 

No matter how big or small your collection is, no matter if it is sports ‘stuff,’ or other ‘stuff’ entirely, take a moment to capture at least one piece, one story, one memory. Your family (and maybe even one day a museum!) will thank you.

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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What to Do with All That Sports 'Stuff'

Reading time: 3 minutes 

Fall is nearing, and depending on where you live the air might already feel crisper, the leaves may be starting to change color, and pumpkin spice has undoubtedly infiltrated your daily routine. Fall also brings many back to school and back to sports, not to mention the the start of the NFL season and the MLB World Series.  

Our co-founder Heather’s youngest went back to school last week and in seven short days has started training with her cross-country team, preparing for the start of her Interscholastic Equestrian Association show jumping season, and tapering her long runs ahead of her first half-marathon. Heather’s first thoughts? Where is all that STUFF that goes with it going to go? 

You know what she’s dealing with, no doubt. Probably some ribbons and medals along with event t-shirts, pennants, school spirit wear, and more. The fall sports season kicks off the fall ‘stuff’ season, or at least it seems that way in our founders’ households. 

The fall sports season kicks off the fall ‘stuff’ season.

What to Do with All That Sport Stuff...

Sport ‘stuff’ falls into that tricky category of the ‘tough stuff’ in life. We probably all have it, and yet, what are we supposed to do with it? We save it for the memories, the stories, and the sentiments, but one day, hopefully many years from now, the next generation in our family is going to be staring at that sport stuff wondering, “What next?” Or, in some cases even, “What is this stuff?”  

 

We offer the tips below to help you come to grips with all that sports ‘stuff’ in a way that honors the history, stories, and memories, while also freeing up some much-needed space in your home.  

  • Overwhelmed with old sports equipment? Dedicate an hour a day sorting through what is what and determine what if anything is still usable and whether or not it will be used. Just because it is usable does not mean anyone will actually use it. Donate the usable equipment you no longer need and recycle the rest. Check with local schools and sports clubs. And always Artifct especially sentimental pieces (first cleats, winning baseball from the home opener, etc.) before donating them.  

Short checklist of sports items to preserve

 
 
CLICK THE IMAGE to download your copy of our Wild World of Sports checklist for help getting started. 
  • Buried in medals, ribbons, and medallions? Struggling to remember what they all were for? Take it box by box. Using our Artifcts app, photograph the most memorable or significant mementos and add the details—the who, what, when, where, and why—and share with family and friends. Enjoy reminiscing over those shared memories! 
  • Stressed by the tens of thousands of sports photos on your phone? You’re not alone! It’s easy to snap a photo of the winning goal, or a quick video of the game winning catch. But then life happens. We forget and those photos end up years back on our photo reels. Our tip? Dedicate 15 minutes every Sunday to going through those old sports photos and Artifct the ones that have a special story behind them, add video and audio too to make the photo come to life!  

You may also enjoy A Virtual Impossibility: Keeping Up with All of My Digital Photos -->  

 

A treasured family Artifct complete with video! Sorry, it's private. 

...And Is Any of It Valuable? 

 We’ve heard from our members over the years that sometimes they hold on to the sports ‘stuff’ in hopes of it being valuable one day. We read the headlines about record setting prices on the Babe Ruth "Called Shot” jersey to Muhammad Ali’s title winning belt and we think, “Mmm....maybe one day the [insert prized sports paraphernalia] will be worth that too.” 

Just look at what happened earlier this month when the LA Dodgers released a limited edition bobblehead of star player Shohei Ohtani and his dog Decoy. People were lined up for hours in hopes of scoring one of the bobbleheads, only to immediately turn around and sell them on Ebay. 

Screenshot of news headlines about Ohtani bobblehead sales

When in doubt, Artifct your sports ‘stuff’ and use our “What’s It Worth” feature. Our partners at Heritage Auctions will provide you with a free valuation (make sure you fill in all the details for accuracy!) to help you make an informed decision—keep or sell? And at what price?  

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Three Peas in a Pod: Sports, Stuff, & Stories

If you are a parent, a friend of a parent, neighbor of a parent, or contemplating parenthood, you've probably noticed that sports consume a vast amount of time & energy for parents and child athletes alike not to mention money and storage space for all that gear. And then, they get older, and the equipment larger and more expensive.  

We’ve found ways to cope and find the humor in this sporting reality. Surely you've seen bumper stickers like "swim taxi" or heard someone say, "I'll be working from my {barn} office," as Artifcts Co-founder Heather Nickerson often quips as she departs for her daughter's horse riding lessons. 

You may already be using Artifcts as your top ally in keeping track of the key moments, good luck tokens, awards, gear, and other memorabilia you can't (yet?) part with.  

broken baseball cleat without laces    child in hockey jersey and gear standing outside an indoor rink

Click the image to view the baseball cleat or hockey jersey.
 
 
The owners tell us neither of these has been given up (yet)!

Inside the World of Swimming 'Stuff'

Today we're focusing on that last bit, the hall of fame worthy gear, but not from a parent. We're pivoting to the sport of swimming and the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame.

Charles Logan spent the better part of 12 years as the Director of the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at The University of Texas at Austin. And lucky for all who enjoy the phenomenal Olympic-level center, Logan has long had a passion for collecting swim memorabilia. Much of his collection now resides in frames, glass display cases, and special exhibits at the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame, with notable contributions from Texas athletes and their families. 

Picture of an old postcard with a caricature of a swimmer on the front

 
 
 
 
This Artifct is part of a private swim memorabilia collection. Click the image to view the Artifct.

To clarify, the stuff resides at the Hall of Fame; until very recently, the stories did not.

Those stories were locked in Charles' memories of a lifetime of collecting and chasing histories. That of course meant that when massive crowds visit the facility for NCAA competitions and championships, Olympic qualifying events, and regular long and short course seasons (not to mention hours and hours and hours of practice) the swim memorabilia left people to wonder, "What is this?” “Why is it here?" and “How does it all connect?” And for all those who never visit the Hall of Fame in person, it’s simply lost history. 

Joining forces with Artifcts, the 'stuff' now has stories and is ready and waiting to inform and entertain Hall of Fame visitors and maybe even inspire a whole new generation of swimmers. We invite you to a virtual tour of some of those exhibits on Artifcts! 

black swimsuit with white T on it  Vintage USA Olympic Swim Team Luggage, bag and suitcase    vintage swim patch collection on a swim jacket

 
 

And if you're visiting the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame, be on the look out for Aritfcts QR codes sprinkled throughout!  

Artifcts QR code on a swim mannequin

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Have a space in your life like the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame making you say, "Hmmm?" Contact us at Hello@Artifcts.com to discuss personal concierge options and non-profit and enterprise support. 

© 2022-2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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