Displaying travel finds at home

I love bringing things home from my travels. But not just anything and not just for the sake of it. I’m not talking about fridge magnets or slogan t-shirts. I mean real finds: objects that carry a story, spark a memory and feel just as at home on your shelf as they did in the market or studio where you found them.

Over the years, I’ve slowly collected pieces from all over—Uzbekistan, Iran, Portugal, Japan, Thailand, South Africa, Malaysia, just to name a few and they now live together in our home. On shelves, in bowls, tucked into nooks. Not in a way that screams “look at all the places I’ve been!” but in a way that feels layered and personal.

It’s all in the pairings

There’s a common thread in how I approach displaying travel finds at home: I rarely style them by origin. Instead, I group them by tone, texture or mood. A piece from Japan might sit alongside something from Portugal or Thailand—not because they belong to the same part of the world, but because they speak the same visual language.

Like the small square art piece I found in Mostar, Bosnia: it now sits on the bar next to a miniature painting from Uzbekistan and a kokeshi doll from Japan. A small tea glass found in Morocco holds cocktail stirrers found in the UK. They’re from different cultures, different continents even, but together they feel cohesive: detailed, delicate and intimate.

On a floating shelf, hand-potted Thai and Chinese vases sit beside a ceramic wall hanging and a tiny insect artwork which we both picked up on travels around New Zealand. Further along: artworks picked up in Vietnam, Malaysia and New Zealand along with a copper sculpture made by a Thai artist and a brass sculpture of an Indian god. Again, it’s not about geography—it’s about rhythm and balance.

My favourites? Ceramics and art

If there’s one thing I always find myself drawn to, it’s ceramics. Whether it’s a handmade bowl, a sculptural vase or a slightly wonky little pot— I love the texture of a well-made ceramic piece. I like that they’re practical and beautiful. And because no two are exactly alike, each one feels special.

Art is another go-to. Not necessarily big or expensive—just small, meaningful pieces that capture something about the place. Miniature paintings, prints, local illustrations, photography … they all have their own charm and slot easily into my ever-changing displays.

That said, your thing might be textiles, baskets, carved spoons, vintage matchboxes—anything really. The key is to buy things you love, but also think about how they’ll live once you’re back home. I tend to ask myself: “Will I actually put this out somewhere?” If the answer is no, I leave it behind.

Anchored by materials

One of the easiest ways to make travel finds feel intentional is to pay attention to materials. Metals often work beautifully together, as do ceramics. A ceramic pomegranate I found in Iran now shares space with a Japanese plant pot, a bowl I bought in Óbidos, Portugal and two fish made using recycled metal from Thailand. They’re all held in a rusty Indian metal tray, which acts as a grounding base. It’s a mix, but one that feels considered.

On the coffee table in our TV room, a large intricate hand-pottered platter from Thailand holds a playful wooden durian fruit from Malaysia in a Thai ceramic bowl, Indian coasters, a small blue ceramic bowl found at a pottery fair on Waiheke Island and a small plant in a blush-pink plant pot from New Zealand. Somehow it works—thanks to that colour palette, materials and a touch of the unexpected.

Even the white wooden giraffe from South Africa doesn’t sit alone. He’s got some Thai pottery and art for company and they get on just fine.

It’s not about showing off

The goal isn’t to create a museum. I never want the house to feel like I’m cataloguing my passport stamps. It’s more about curating little corners that spark joy and remind us of where we’ve been, what we’ve seen, who we met and what we carried home in a suitcase wrapped in too many socks.

Every piece has a story and when they’re brought together thoughtfully, they tell a bigger one: about the places I’ve loved, the details I’ve noticed and the joy of finding something beautiful when you weren’t even looking.

Further information & help

If you’re curious about how I manage to mix all these global pieces without it feeling like a theme park or souvenir shop, I shared more thoughts on that here: Decorating with cultural influences. It’s all about finding the balance between personality and intention—and making sure your home still feels like you, not a souvenir shop.

Let me know if you’d like help styling your own pieces or sourcing display ideas that actually work in real homes (not just on Pinterest boards). Displaying travel finds at home is all about making them part of your everyday life, not just your travel scrapbook.