I used to be a pack rat as a kid. I crammed all the furniture, art, knickknacks and posters I could into my tiny bedroom. I even had a wrought-iron basket hanger in one corner. Now I like things streamlined, with a sense of being lived in. I don't mind papers sitting around as long as they're stacked neatly. I don't have a ton of knickknacks, but what I do have on display are things that mean something to me. There are a few things, though, that I keep around just because I adore them.

A map of the universe. This thing is sizeable—it takes up the whole wall between my front door and living room window—and virtually useless, since I don't plan on doing any galactic voyaging in the near future. But I'm an Inner Space Nerd. Plus it's pretty.

A replica steamer trunk full of blankets. Sure I have a linen closet in the hall. Sure I'm much more of a heat person than a cold. But I like walking in the front door and seeing an old-timey chest chock full of cozy.

A sheepskin. I had one when I was a little girl, so when I saw them on sale I had to pick one up. It's draped artfully over a chair in my living room. Although in the dead of winter, I have been known to curl up under it. That baby holds some heat!