One of my favorite pastimes is traveling. Whether the trip is near or far, I love experiencing different cultures, trying new foods, and seeing a bit of life in a new place first-hand. And of course, searching for the perfect souvenir!

Today, I’m sharing my favorite tips for decorating with travel souvenirs.

Do you love traveling, too? It can be bittersweet to return home from a great trip, and that’s why I love decorating with travel souvenirs.  There’s nothing better than finding that special something that will bring back all those memories.

I look for souvenirs that will fit naturally into my eclectic decor, and I love seeing these little reminders of my trips every day.

I was recently introduced to BKing Designs, a gorgeous line of indoor/outdoor pillows lovingly created by Australian mother-daughter duo Bridget King and Katie Sneath. The pillows feature Bridget’s beautiful photos from her family’s trips around the world.

The pillows immediately caught my attention and spoke to my inner travel bug, so when BKing Designs offered to send me a pillow, I couldn’t say no! I had the hardest time choosing just one, but in the end I selected the Zebras pillow, part of the Our Heart collection.

How gorgeous are those zebras? What a fun twist on animal print!

A trip to Africa tops my bucket list, and my marathon-running-husband recently informed me that he wants to run the South African Comrades ultra-marathon (I can’t even imagine!). So hopefully, I’ll get there sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, I’m enjoying my gorgeous pillow. One thing I love about BKing Designs is that each pillow comes with its own story. You can read the stories on their website, and they are printed on the back of every pillow, too.

I’m sharing some of my favorite BKing Designs pillows, as well as an interview with Katie, at the end of the post, but in the meantime, let’s talk about my tips for decorating with travel souvenirs.

Skip the cheesy figurines and get something you’ll actually use!

I’ll admit that my husband and I have a large magnet collection showing off all of our travel destinations. Apart from that though, I prefer to spend my money on something that I’ll use or display for years to come.

On my first trip to Mexico, I picked up a pretty hand painted bowl. It sits on my kitchen counter, and I use it to hold fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s a daily reminder of that wonderful trip!

For your next trip, look for housewares, pillows, blankets, or even clothing.

Some of the best souvenirs are free.

Vacations are expensive, but there’s no reason to spend a ton of money on souvenirs.

I love collecting unique rocks, sand dollars, and driftwood at the beach. In urban destinations, I save matchboxes, maps, and other trinkets that can be pasted into a scrapbook or framed in a shadow box when I return home.

Pick up a book you can’t find at home. 

If you’re a reader like me, books are a no-brainer. My husband and I traveled to London, Paris, and Belgium a couple years ago. It was pretty much my favorite vacation ever, and I returned with quite a few books that I flip through regularly.

The majority of these books are written in French (although English volumes were available, too), and I like to think I’m absorbing a bit of the language every time I pick one up! Hey, it doesn’t hurt, right?

Do something with all the photos you took!

The best thing about digital photography is the capacity for unlimited photos. Don’t let those pictures clutter up your hard drive though. As soon as you return home, start sorting through your photos. Pick your favorites and print them out.

While in Paris, I enjoyed visiting all the historic covered arcades, known as passages or galeries. One day, I captured a woman walking through a passage carrying a striped umbrella. I love how the umbrella complements the beautiful floor and lines in the glass ceiling.

I also like creating special photo albums with my vacation photography. I use Shutterfly, which makes it fun and easy to create gorgeous photo books, canvas prints, and other photo projects (use code SHIP39 for free hipping on orders $39+). Keep the albums somewhere convenient so you can flip through them often!

Look for reminders of your trip after you return home.

Get my free Sugar Skull printable!

Some of my favorite “souvenirs” are the ones I found long after I’ve returned home. Vintage/thrift stores and flea markets are some of the best places to find one of a kind items that remind you of a favorite trip.

I always have my eyes peeled for these fun finds, like the vintage Florida tray displayed in my bathroom. My husband grew up in Sarasota, and we visit family there often.  My all-time favorite discovery though is a heart-shaped New Orleans plate I found at a San Francisco sidewalk sale. I was married in New Orleans, so I think that plate was meant just for me!

The colorful pillows from BKing Designs are another fun find that remind me of my travels! Here are a few of my favorites:

Top row: Village, Luna Park, and Kelpie pillows; Middle Row: Tower, Topi, and Tattoo Lady pillows;
Bottom Row: Boy, Old Man, and Cocktail Bar pillows.

I was lucky enough to ask Katie a few questions about their amazing collection!

What is the inspiration behind BKing Designs?
Our family has always loved travel, and we have now been lucky enough to have traveled to over 90 countries. As avid travelers, we have always been fascinated by what differentiates one place from another and capturing the essence and unique energy that defines it. Over the years, we have taken hundreds of great photographs that we knew we wanted to showcase. After deliberating for quite some time exactly how we were going to do this, the idea of pillows and BKing Designs was born.

Do you have a favorite travel destination?
Africa – what a beautiful continent! Hence the name ‘Our Heart’ for that particular collection. It holds a very special place in all of our hearts as a family, and we will continue to go back there and explore its endless treasures.

What can we look forward to next?
We’re currently working on a UK collection and are also looking into an exclusive leather range so stay tuned!!

Make sure to visit BKing Designs to read the story behind each image and to check out their other designs!

What is your favorite travel souvenir?

Disclosure: I was gifted a beautiful pillow from BK Designs but did not receive any compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.