10 Best Ways To Create A Worldly Eclectic Style With Your Souvenirs

One of the best parts about traveling is picking up quirky things along the way. Here's how to fit new global items into your home decor.

1. A Secret: Trays, Trays, And More Trays

Collect your smaller worldly goods in beautiful display trays to prevent them from getting lost in dusty shelves. "Find great trays to highlight your favorite pieces," says Framel. "I'm a total tray collector. I think they do a beautiful job of curtailing a sense of clutter, so I use them on top of dressers, trunks and even stacks of books."

2. Never Settle On One "Look"

If you decorate with your souvenirs, the aesthetic of your space will continuously evolve as you jet-set to new lands and bring back new goods — so don't expect your globally-influenced style to ever be set in stone. "Remember that your home should always be evolving, just as you are," says Framel. "I am constantly picking up new treasures on my travels. Your nest should always be a place of comfort and inspiration, and it's a constant work in progress."

3. Use Your Travel Goods As Organization

Put those trunks and cartons you bought abroad to good use. "Our cozy New York apartment works as a highly functional pied-à-terre thanks to a plethora of cabinets, hutches, trunks and chests of drawers in varying sizes," says Framel. "Many double as coffee tables or bookshelves to showcase art, books and ornaments."

4. Remember, Scale Is Crucial

If you have plenty of items to display, your style is bound to be a bit maximalist. The trick to avoiding a cluttered look? "Scale is so important in creating an environment that feels airier and less cramped, even down to the art you choose," says Framel. "I love using large-scale artworks in small spaces. It gives grandeur and gravitas, and opens up the room."

5. Use Lighting As The Jewelry Of The Room

Don't be afraid of your light fixtures competing with your global decor — they'll complement it, not distract from it. "Go bold with lamps and chandeliers," says Framel. "In our space, I've paired vintage fixtures with affordable options from places like HomeGoods for a look that's polished but still eclectic."

6. Make Curtains The Backdrop For Your Global Art

Artwork is always a precious goodie to pick up abroad, so showcase it in an attention-grabbing way in your home. For Framel, a key way to do that is by using velvet curtains. "They just create a great, calming energy in which you feel very shrouded and comforted, making for a luxurious and restful environment," she says. "And being able to put a really great pop of artwork in front of that textural colored backdrop has a lot of impact."

7. Anchor The Spaces With Clean, Modern Lines

You'll have a lot going on in your worldly apartment. Anchor it all with a few pieces that either have clean, minimalistic lines or monochromatic color schemes. "Bring in a modern element that creates cohesion and calmness in the space," says Framel. That could be a simplistic tray, a contemporary brass chair or a modern rug.

8. Incorporate International Cooking Ingredients Into Your Kitchen

Some of the greatest souvenirs you can find are food and spices, so make them visible in your worldly kitchen. In her small kitchen, Framel hung copper pots above the stove to make more room for ingredients on the shelf below. "We use them to try to recreate some of the most memorable meals we've had on our travels," she says. "We're always inspired by new cultures and cuisines."

9. Use Your Worldly Books As Closet Decoration

As you travel the world, your book collection is likely to expand quickly, but avoid cluttering visible spaces. Instead, try stacking your reads in a closet. "I wanted to keep the living space very calm and uncluttered, and it was a little manic seeing all my books in there," says Framel. "Stacking books on the windowsill in the closet served a dual function of making the sunny closet space a little darker so the clothes wouldn't fade." (Just don't try that trick with older or more valuable books — because they might fade over time, too, if exposed to light).

10. Continuously Edit Your Possessions

You'll likely never be able to have everything out at once, so continuously think about what souvenirs you'd like to showcase and what can be stowed away for now. (This'll make designing a non-cluttered space way easier.) "I'm always editing my space, but I've kept several cherished pieces that I've collected over the years, and give them new life by simply rearranging," says Framel.