Hat Storage That’s Both Functional and Decorative

Welcome to the 427th Metamorphosis Monday!

A couple of months ago I purchased this adorable sunhat pictured below. After it arrived, I liked it so much I ordered a second one in the navy-ribbon style. With my hat collection rapidly growing, I decided it was time to find a better way to store them other than just tossing them onto the top shelf of my master bedroom closet where they were impossible to reach without a stepladder.

 

You may remember in an earlier post, I mentioned having ordered this vintage/antique hat rack from an Etsy seller about a 1-1/2 months ago. Coming all the way from Bulgaria, it appeared to take quite a while to clear customs. The tracking number showed it languishing away in New York for about a week before finally making its way south toward Georgia.

Photo from Etsy Ad

Tracking showed it was set to arrive the day I was flying out for Morocco. I had my mail held while I was gone, so it was waiting for me when I returned home this past week.

I decided to hang it here in the office…

 

…right above my Bucket List Travel Map. So I moved the map down some (it had always felt a bit too high anyway) and I hung the hat rack right above the map.

 

It adds some much-needed personality to this reading corner and this really is the perfect spot for it since so many of my hats have been acquired during my travels or were purchased to wear during a trip.

 

I purposely hung the rack so the sun hats along the bottom row would slightly overlap onto the map below. I didn’t want a gap between the hats and the map, instead, I wanted them to feel connected since they really are in many ways.

Update: I’ve had several questions about the chest beside my reading chair. When I was furnishing the office, I came across that chest and it was exactly what I needed for this reading corner. You can see more details about the chest in this previous post: Another Piece of the Puzzle. I love that the drawers are dovetailed, so rare to find in today’s furniture. It’s held up beautifully and is still available here: Chest.

 

The white hat on the top row (on the far left) was inspired by the hat Diane Keaton wore in the movie, Something’s Gotta Give. She looked so adorable in her little beach hat, when I came across this one not long after seeing the movie, I decided I needed one for my next beach vacation.

 

It’s reversible, the other side is a sand/tan color with little white polka-dots. I like to wear it with the white side up and the brim turned up just a little so the tan, polka-dot side is visible, too.

 

When wearing it, I probably look more like Gilligan than Diane Keaton 😉 but it’s still a really cute hat when I want to get my Something’s Gotta Give vibe on.  (Pssst: Take a tour of the house in the movie in this post: Something’s Gotta Give.)

Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give, Photo from Rotten Tomatoes

The light-colored sunhat on the bottom row on the far right was purchased during a trip with friends to the “Cotton Pickin’ Fair” in Gay, Georgia. The sun was super hot that day as we walked around checking out all the arts and crafts and I remember being so thankful to find one of the booths was selling sun hats. It has little shells all around the brim, so it’s a cute one to wear during the summer.

The brown sunhat hanging on the bottom row on the far left was purchased during a trip to Italy in fall, 2015. During that trip we had a free afternoon during our stay in Sorrento, and it happened to fall on one of the few sunny days we had on that trip.

 

If you were following BNOTP on Instagram back then, you may remember when I posted this photo. I was sitting and enjoying the view while sipping a special Limoncello concoction my server had recommended.

 

As I sipped and admired this stunning view, I was wearing the sunhat you saw hanging above. I had just purchased it at one of the stores in the shopping area down below.

This was an especially surreal moment because just to the left of all this beauty that you see below…

 

…was a view of this: Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that completely buried several cities in AD 79, including Pompeii and Herculaneum! I was very happy to find it peacefully sleeping that day!  (Take a tour of Herculaneum in this post: A Visit to Herculaneum, An Ancient City Buried for 1,700 Years)

 

The little necklace hanging on the dress form says: Not All Who Wander Are Lost. I found it here: Travel Necklace.

 

I’ve worn it on several trips, including a safari to Kenya and to Giraffe Manor.

 

See the sunhat hanging there in the center, the one with the navy bow?

 

That’s the one I purchased right before my recent trip to Morocco. It was the hat I was wearing when I snapped this photo a little over a week ago. I’ll never forget that moment in the Sahara Desert, and yes, the sand really is that gorgeous shade of orange!

 

I can’t tell you  how much I enjoyed wearing that hat all over Morocco the 15 days I was there. I purchased it HERE just before leaving for the trip, and it accompanied me every single day as we ventured out. We had beautiful sunny weather the entire trip and it did an excellent job of protecting my face and neck from the hot Moroccan sun.

I’ve become a great fan of hats, more so than ever before. Besides the sun protection they offer, they are just so much fun to wear. I hadn’t realized how much fun they could be until my trip to Morocco.

 

Do you have any special hats that always accompany you when you travel?

 

Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. Susan, I love your hat rack for your special hats. It’s a super idea! Would also be great for those collections of beautiful antique hats, for those special ones from family. I’m going to do this. Thank you!

  2. The little reading nook is brimming with personality, and th office maybe taking on a bit of global flair. I also love how each hat has a bit of story with it. Hope you are sleeping in until at least sunrise by now 😉

    • Not yet, awoke at 3 AM this morning. Argggh! I’m forcing myself to stay up later tonight. About time to turn in, though…have a tree guy coming early tomorrow morning.

  3. Susan, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this hat rack and the fact that you’ve placed it in such a perfect place since those hats have been such an important part of your travels! It looks like your map is getting scratched off very successfully. I have no doubts that by the time you’re done traveling it will totally be uncovered. You are an inspiration to everyone who has decided it’s time to see the world……..and off you go! Bravo! Rosie
    P.S. I hope you get a copy of that picture of you on the camel, and have it framed. It truly exempifies the exotic adventures you have taken in an artistic way!

    • Thanks, Rosie! I think I need to visit some “bigger” countries, at this rate, I’m barely uncovering it. Ha! I’m having fun trying, though! 🙂
      I do need to frame that one. I took about a lot of pics during that ride and that photo was the best one of the bunch. It was such a bumpy ride, most were blurry.

  4. Cyndi Raines says

    Great addition to your room and all the hats are darling, I’m a hat lover too.
    Question for you – the frame for your scratch off map, did you purchase that separately? I’d like one for my new scratch off map of the USA. Thanks Susan

    • Thanks, Cyndi! I had a local frame shop frame it for me since it was such an odd size. It was kinda pricey to do it that way, but I knew it would be hanging here in the office so I decided to just have it professionally done. I’d love to buy a scratch-off bucket list map for the USA, too…love that idea!

  5. Robin Lambert says

    I have a very similar rack that was ma mother’s. I’m curious about the throw in your reading corner. What does it say?

  6. Judith Stretton says

    Hi Susan

    Love the hat rack, it looks great above your travel map.

    I love hats too , when I come in from gardening often forget to take my hat off, it just feels comfortable. I usually hang it on the edge of my antique hutch dresser where it looks quite jaunty!

    Cheers
    Jude

    • Judith, it’s so funny you say that because with each passing day that I was wearing mine, I felt so at home wearing it, I kinda hated to take it off. I can see now why my son LOVED wearing a baseball cap all through highschool, whenever he could. They become a part of you after a while.

  7. I, too, love hats and I enjoy your blog for various reasons, one being, you love hats also!!!!

  8. BamaCarol says

    Susan, I have a couple of antique hat racks that I got from ebay as well. Two for my hats and one where the hat ‘holders’ fold in and I use that in my guest bathroom for towels. It is quite cute. I love the white hat with polka dot trim. Do you remember where you got that one?

    • I’ve had it for so many years, it’s hard to remember now, but I’m pretty sure I found it in either Marshalls or HomeGoods. I remember that it wasn’t expensive. I just looked to see if there’s a tag inside and there’s not, probably because it’s reversible. Check those stores this spring/summer, pretty sure that’s where I found it.

  9. A bucket hat is useful at the beach because it doesn’t fly off like straw hats do. I have a raffia hat that squashes nicely for packing, though the brim undulates; I’d like it to stay flat.
    A cute new movie “Paris Can Wait,” with Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin, might whet your appetite for a trip to France…and not just to Paris.

  10. Thanks so much for the party!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

  11. lyn stewart says

    where did you find the travel map? I am thinking my brother who loves to ‘roam’ would love it. ty.
    lyn

    • Antoinette says

      Hi Susan, I love the idea that each hat has a story behind it and how you display them. I have done something similar in my kitchen, I have hanging ceramic hand painted dishes that I have purchased in my travels to different countries. The designs are so colorful and they’re indicative of their country and most importantly they remind me of my trips. By the way, as someone else just mentioned, you would definitely love France! I have been there a couple of times and it is sooooooo charming and there is so much to see! Love your photo on the camel!

      • Antoinette, I love that idea…what a wonderful way to remember your travels! I do so want to see France…one of these days I’ll make it there.

    • Lyn, I bought it here: http://amzn.to/2nxVngz.
      After it arrived I took it to a local frame shop and had it framed, without glass, of course. 🙂 It looks like I’ve hardly put a dent in it. I guess I need to travel to some “bigger” countries. lol I gave one as a gift a couple of years ago to a friend who has traveled all his life. I do think they make great gifts for the travel enthusiast.

  12. Cute idea Susan! Decor, memories, and storage all in one! Thanks for the party, glad you’re back safely after your travels-the silhouette photo with the camel is incredible !

  13. Love the hat rack! And all the darling hats. Each one has a story. Your room looks cozy. I could plop in the chair and talk to you for hours! Thanks for your interesting blogs.

    • Thanks, Dawne! I hadn’t realized that about the hats until I started writing the post, then I realized they all had special memories associated with them.

  14. Laura Carder says

    How fun to hear all of the stories behind the hats! And your reading nook looks so restive with the white and khaki colors.

  15. Susan, you make me want to go out and buy some hats. Your hat collection is great, and that hat rack is beautiful. I need a place to store hats. I have to hunt for mine when I want to wear them. I love that photo of the camel shadow against the sand. Thank you for hosting.

    • Thanks, Laurie! I’m really enjoying this one. Check on Etsy and eBay if you’re looking for one that has a vintage feel. If you have a mirror with space on either side, I LOVE how hats look displayed on either side. I guess that would require lots of individual hooks, though.

  16. Marlene Stephenson says

    I saw your hat rack and thought I use to have one of these, what happened to it,and I have no idea. I bought it at Pier One about 40 yrs. ago. I love your hats and the picture with you on a camel with your hat hat on very impressive.

  17. Sherry Stuifbergen says

    I bought your hat when you showed us before going to Morocco. I will wear it this summer in the yard. I hope I like it as much as you liked it. Hats, to me, get hot and plaster my hair. Hope this one doesn’t.

    • I didn’t have any issues with this one doing that, but the weather was extremely hot, just very sunny. Hope you like it, Sherry. I’ve really enjoyed mine and plan to wear it this summer whenever I’m out for any period of time.

  18. I have a lot of hats. I live at the beach and vacation there as well, so I am always looking to cover up. What I do not have is a rack! My pretty hats are all squished up in closet and that is bad. Great idea!

    • That sounds like mine. I had them on a top shelf where I could never reach them and they were often getting squished by other things I tossed up on the shelf. So this is definitely an improvement on my old storage method. lol

  19. I’m curious to know if the wind ever took it off??

  20. I was curious to know if the wind ever took your hat off, or do you bobby pin it??

    • No, there was only a couple of times during the trip that it tried to blow off. You can tell when that’s about to happen so I just tightened it down using the little ribbon inside that’s built into the hat for that purpose. Any time you’re in really windy conditions, if your hat has a wide brim for sun protection, you’ll want to adjust the fit to help it stay on. You can see how to tighten up the hat I wore on this trip in the photo below.

      null

  21. Susan,
    I love the hat! I’m thinking of getting one if it would fit my miniscule head. I have another great (?) idea. Sponsor a trip to France through a travel group and we can all go with you! I’m serious.

  22. Thanks for responding

  23. I love hats too – but I always forget to bring them on vacation. Your office is so lovely – I could get so much work done in that space!

  24. I have a larger than average head – some might say a “big” head for a woman even though I am only 5’2″. Most women’s hats are “one size”. What the heck? Therefore, the most chic hats don’t fit my head – I have several feminine baseball caps that I wear and I am frequently adjusting the velcro. The very first sun hat I purchased was a desert camo men’s hat from Brigade Quartermaster! The hat worked very well for our vacations in Central Florida.

    • Mem, I’ve noticed that some of the Tilley hats come in various sizes (S, M, L and XL) so you may want to look at those. I had purchased this one a while back: http://amzn.to/2oEWSen . You can see how it looks with a different colored ribbon in this previous post: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/great-travel-hats-and-decorating-with-hats/
      I liked that hat but unfortunately, I left it on a plane in Paris,when I was traveling to Kenya.
      I purchased it again right before the Morocco trip, but ended up returning it since I loved the two sunhats I purchased around that time, even more. I was afraid I would never get around to wearing it.
      I do like how you can change out the ribbon/band on it, though…so I may end up purchasing it again sometime.

      • Thanks for the link. That’s a lot more than I can pay for a hat but it sounds like its worth every penny if its in the budget- as long as one doesn’t leave it on a plane in Paris! 😉

        • One of my favorite features of that hat was the little hidden pocket in the top of the hat where you could stash away a few $$$ in case you needed it. Wish all hats were designed that way. Yes, definitely helps to not leave it someplace. lol I now pack my hats so I can’t forget them. 🙂

  25. Laura T. says

    I was just wondering if you have been watching April the giraffe? I know you enjoyed your stay at Giraffe Manor & figured you might have been checking in on April and her baby to be! I’ve been enjoying watching them for some time now! I won’t say exactly how long but my husband would probably say, too long! :0)

    • I had checked on her a while back, but not lately. So exciting that it’s almost time for the baby! I don’t blame you for watching…so exciting!

  26. Renee Cook says

    That was fun! I enjoyed your stories with the memories of each hat. I especially love the picture of you on the camel. The scenes of Italy were spectacular. I think hats are adorable, but never think to wear them. With summer coming, I need to work on that!

    • Renee, they are addictive. I found myself wanting to wear mine all the time on the Morocco trip. I felt kinda naked without it, like something was missing. lol

  27. Your office and reading nook are beautiful and inviting. Also inspiring! I agree with everyone else, the photo of you on the camel is award-winning. The hat rack and hats are perfectly done and I am thinking about getting that great hat for the summer. Thanks for your advice and ideas!

  28. MaryBeth Czarnecki says

    Hi Susan, Do you recall were you got the end table next to the chair with the bee pillow. It’s just what I’am looking for. Love your blog.
    MB

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