Moving in Los Angeles comes with its own set of challenges: traffic, high rent, and, very often, limited storage space. If you’re downsizing your belongings or just trying to avoid clutter, deciding what to do with sentimental keepsakes can be tough. More often than not, family heirlooms, childhood mementos, and old photographs hold deep emotional value. However, they can also take up a lot of room in your home. The good news is that you don’t have to part with these keepsakes completely. Here are some of the best creative ways to preserve family keepsakes without taking up space to help you out instead.
Pick Your Favorites to Display
Dealing with limited space will probably be one of the first challenges you come across when moving to Los Angeles. Your first instinct might be to store or throw away all the extra belongings that simply can’t fit into your new LA apartment. However, rather than keeping every heirloom packed away in boxes, you should instead choose a few special items to showcase in a meaningful way.
For example, you can create a memory wall and put up a corkboard or frame a few old family letters, ticket stubs, or photographs and arrange them as an artistic display or collage. Similarly, you can use a glass cage to showcase more delicate heirlooms like antique jewelry or porcelain dishes. You can consider rotating displayed keepsakes depending on the season instead of showing them off through the entire year.
Digitize Sentimental Items
Ever wondered what’s the proven best way to preserve family keepsakes without taking up space? It’s digitalization, simple as that. Moving to LA often requires downsizing. While you can’t throw away or donate some old belongings, there are also some items, like old family photos and tapes, that you want to keep. Well, rather than packing and storing all the bulky albums or tapes, you can now digitize them. Technology allows us to store thousands of photos, documents, and even videos in a fraction of the space they would take up physically.
You can start by scanning old photos and documents. Luckily, you don’t have to do all of this by yourself, as there are places that digitize photos and tapes in LA that will do this for you. Moreover, you should also convert VHS tapes and DVDs to a digital format so you can access them easily from a cloud service or external hard drive. This will also save them from deteriorating further. Additionally, if you’re struggling to let go of a childhood toy or an old wedding dress, consider taking a high-resolution photo. It’s a way to preserve the memory without keeping the physical object.
Repurpose Old Items into Functional Pieces
If you’re feeling inspired, you should consider transforming sentimental belongings into practical objects. This way, you can keep them after moving without adding to the clutter. If you need some creative ideas to get started, we’ve got you covered:
- Turn old T-shirts into a quilt – If you have a pile of old shirts from concerts, beloved sports teams, or your old college, consider stitching them into a cozy quilt. This way, you can have them with you all the time, and they won’t just be sitting on the bottom of a cardboard box, waiting to be looked at.
- Repurpose furniture – If you’re really attached to an old wooden chair from your grandparents but don’t have space for it, you can find a creative way to turn the chair into a stylish plant stand or wall shelf. Doesn’t that sound plausible? Look up more inspiration on Pinterest, and you’ll definitely find something you like.
- Make jewelry from sentimental pieces – A single earring from a lost pair or a broken necklace can be reworked into a pendant or a new piece of jewelry you’ll actually wear.
Share the Memories
If you’re struggling to keep everything in your compact LA home, consider sharing some of the sentimental items with loved ones. In other words, distribute heirlooms among your favorite family members. This way, you can ensure they remain in the family without laying the burden on only one person. If you’re considering this strategy, know there are a few ways to do this:
- Pass down heirlooms gradually – Instead of waiting for a major life event, gift small family treasures over time.
- Create a shared digital archive – Upload scanned documents, videos, and photos to a family cloud storage account so everyone has access.
- Host a memory swap – Gather family members and go through keepsakes together, allowing each person to take home what’s meaningful to them. This can be a wonderful idea for a heartwarming family reunion or party.
Store Keepsakes Strategically
If you simply feel like you have to keep some items but don’t want them to take over your home, strategic storage is key. In other words, it’s all about multifunctional furniture built with storage in mind. For example, ottomans with hidden storage, bed frames with drawers, or coffee tables with secret compartments are your best friends in a small LA apartment.
Moreover, even regular beds with free space under them can be great for storage. You can keep containers with old documents, letters, or old clothes without overflowing your closets and desks. The best hack in small apartments is to utilize vertical storage as much as possible. Wall-mounted shelves, over-the-door storage, and hanging organizers can help you store keepsakes without taking up any of the valuable floor space.
Rent a Small Storage Unit
For those keepsakes you truly can’t part with but don’t have room for, a small storage unit might be the answer. If this is really your last option, make sure you choose a facility with climate control to protect delicate items like photographs, old clothing, or wooden furniture. However, be mindful of what you store. In the end, paying monthly fees for items you rarely visit may not be worth it in the long run.
Keep Your Memories Forever
Moving in LA means adapting to limited space, but it doesn’t mean losing touch with the past. Even with limited storage space, you can still preserve family keepsakes without taking up space. At the end of the day, keepsakes are about memories, not just objects. If holding onto something makes you feel guilty or overwhelmed, it might be time to let it go. So, take a moment to reflect on whether the item truly adds value to your life or if a photograph or small token would be enough to preserve the memory.