kitschmachine's Profile

If you want to cover the whole thing, you could find one of those big ol' screened room divider, probably vintage. Many of the ones I've come across are really gorgeous, but I can never find a use for them; this seems perfect! You could set up some sort of decorative vignette or seating area in front of it to make it appear less obvious that it's hiding something. Of course, if you wanted to use the fireplace all of it would have to be moved...guess it depends on how much you hate the general look of that wall.

I agree with HouseBee. A bunch of Marimekko plates as seen in the second plates link would be an awesome souvenir. Heck, any kind of plate at all would be a lot better than the usual keychain or coffee mug. Those usually get stuffed away discretely until the next goodwill haul...

And Nevanna, if the style of your home is compatible I would suggest some kind of vignette setup that highlights your objects for what they are: memories of people. Doesn't have to be a tacky shrine or anything, but just keep the set together (a dozen or so isn't too much) so that they are not mistaken for objects that you chose to buy and use.