Do you collect the keys to all of the previous places you've lived? I do, and apparently so do Sherry and John of Young House Love. The difference between us? Mine are stashed in a shoebox in the back of the closet. Theirs are lovingly and stylishly displayed in their home:
We love this idea:
"I picked up an affordable little shadow box from Target and simply adhered each key with a few dots of Liquid Nails and scribbled the location and date of each key underneath. To this day it’s one of our favorite items in the entire house."
See more framed and displayed memorabilia from the couple's history over at Young House Love.
Images: Young House Love
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I try to collect the keys but I always eventually forget which is which so I end up with a drawer full of old keys that don't mean anything...
Instead I just get tattoos for the homes I've owned - can't ever forget that!
Home 01
Home 02
Ugh, that's so adorable, it's sickening! Why didn't I think of that?!
very clever and personal. two thumbs up. i'd rather see a hundred of these (the idea copied again and agin -- each person adding their own mark) than one epson-printed KC&CO poster...
Super cute idea. Mine would take up an entire wall...
very cute idea, but don't most people return their keys to the landlord?
I agree this is cute, but... am I the only one who has had to return my keys to the landlord every time I move out? I guess I could have made extra copies just for this purpose, but as it is all my old keys are long gone and I'm okay with that.
Terrible idea to get stuck in the past.
oh my - I wish I had saved the keys to our first apartment together :( What a completely sweet idea.
so cute! wish i still kept all my keys
I loved this when I saw YHL post this! As for others saying they have to return their old keys, that is true, but who would know if you kept a spare and framed it? :)
I love this idea-- not only does it preserve the memories of past residences, but it reminds you of the life changes that prompted each move. I'll bet it's a great conversation starter when guests come over.
Am I the only one who wants to forget my past apartments?
Really? Taking a painting class or something!!!
I take pictures of my keys every few years. There have been some interesting keys over the years, especially when I lived in Buenos Aires and in Barcelona. I had some awesome old-school oversized keys that were gorgeous (and that I couldn't keep...so a picture was all I could take).
why?
I remember seeing this on their blog and I love the idea! I'm definitely keeping a copy when we move.
as a painter...
one who wants to forget past apartments...
one who has turned in keys to the landlord...
i think this is absolute lovely idea.
For those that love this idea but don't have the keys...I recently made a wedding present for friends where a photographed an framed a collage of every place they had ever lived, including as children.
My apt. complex charges $100 if we don't turn in our keys. Cute idea though.
I've never thought (or really had the time) to go and make a spare key for my apartment just for this sake. I've always lived in apartments and all keys had to be returned to the landlord.
What a cute idea!