Detroit Photos, City Bird, Metal D, Anthropologie 

To commemorate an event why not use art to create a lasting impression? Art can be a canvas to perserve memories in a singular, soulful way. Too often, art conjures up impressions of expensive, unattainable pieces favored by only the most rarified of aesthetes. Design Detroit is here to prove that idea wrong.

Art is anything that you like, that means something to you, that touches your soul. And it can be a piece envisioned by your mind, made by your hands. Some examples …

Mat and frame themed pictures that resonate with you and your family – black-and-white landscapes, city street scenes, life’s milestones – and you’ve created an instant, and growing, collection that can be passed from generation to generation.

Metal Numbers, Leon & Lulu

Know someone who  is graduating? Consider giving metal plates with numbers stamped on them to commemorate the date.

                   
Frames, Pottery Barn, Architectural Numbers, Leon & Lulu, Matted shells, Leon & Lulu

Do you remember the date that you met your spouse? Buy numbers reflective of the date to frame and hang in a prominent spot in your home … Definitely a conversation starter.

   
Painted Letter, Butterflies on Canvas, Leon & Lulu,  Frame and Musical note cards, Pottery Barn, Music, Spirit Tile, Leon & Lulu

And speaking of spouses – and as Valentine’s Day approaches – ‘tis the season of marriage proposals. A popular spot in which to pop the question is the butterfly house at the Detroit Zoo. Naturally, such a special moment calls for an equally special remembrance like large butterflies on canvas hung alongside a painted letter symbolic of you and your fiancés new last name.

Map, National Geographic, Push Pins, Office Max, Frame and mat, Michaels

If you or someone near and dear has an ever present case of wanderlust, mount and frame a world map, and use tiny push pins to mark all those fabulous places visited.

    
Posters, postcards, City Bird

Using art as a metaphor for your life will require you to be on the lookout wherever you go for those just-perfect, memory-invoking pieces to capture memories for you and your loved ones. Look for postcards, stationary, shopping bags, candy wrappers, CD covers, sea shells and more. And when you pick up something in your travels, and it make you think of someone or something, buy it, mount it, frame it, gift it, (or save it for yourself)!

Design your space Detroit.