Custom Matchbooks Are the Whimsical Little Luxury Your Home Is Missing

I live in a self-renovated 1973 Airstream Travel Trailer. It’s small — 188 square feet of living space, to be exact — and despite squeezing in what we’ve deemed essentials, but others might not (an espresso machine, a facial steamer, and walking treadmill) we try to keep things mostly minimal. 

But living in a small home doesn’t mean there isn’t space for fun novelties (yes, this is coming from the person who keeps two plastic sharks in their pantry specifically for “shark attack” cocktail drinks). To be worth the space, the perfect home novelty has to fit a few characteristics: playful, affordable, and semi-disposable for when the novelty wears off and you just want the space back. Enter: house matchbooks, first introduced to me via Delany Lundquist of @tremont_home. These custom matchboxes look like the chic restaurant matches everyone squirrels away in their bags to collect, only these are the matchbook calling cards of your home. 

Who says going to a friend’s house shouldn’t include a built-in party favor? That’s the kind of world I want to live in. Custom matchbooks allow you to express the exact vibe of your home, in a miniature form for people to carry away. Perhaps the sweetest part of having merch made for your home is that guests have a personalized trinket to bring back to their own — and whenever they light a candle, they’ll have a reason to think of you.

“It’s this token you’ve taken the time to create and design to reflect your personal taste. The most enjoyable homes to be in are the ones that feel like a real reflection of their inhabitants! And frankly, things that are unexpected and delightful are just fun,” Lundquist tells Apartment Therapy. 

A bowl of carefully created matchbooks on your counter, coffee table, or, for me, with little space, next to my espresso machine, adds the perfect touch of personalization to your space. They are the joyful reminder that your home is yours — not just a jumble of trends or decor pieces — and the usability of them elevates the thoughtfulness of your space. Use them as tags when you wrap up gifts for friends, tuck them into host gifts, send them off with visitors and use them yourself to light a candle as you settle in for a relaxing night at home. Life needs whimsy — let some custom matchbooks give that to you!