The Group Chat: Not your dad's man cave

How can you include (and celebrate) the sporty items in your home while staying chic and comfortable? Sipkins has some pointers:

• 🤌 Curate it. “A lot of sports fans are collectors, and they have so much stuff. …Pick a few things at a time to have out — not everything needs to be displayed at once. Then you’ll keep it fresh and avoid clutter.” Less really is more.

• 🖼️ Frame it. “For anything from a poster to a jersey, use frames. If you have the budget to do it professionally, I would. But if not, at least get a frame with a mat so it feels like you had it done professionally. It highlights the thing without it feeling like the poster pinned to the wall of a frat house.”

• 🏆 Honor it. “If something’s three-dimensional, like a home run ball or a bobblehead, make these things feel intentional. Maybe put a bell jar over it, or put it on a stack of books or a riser. Give it a home and anchor it in space. …It’s not just about how much you’ve collected, but why it’s special.” Your stuff deserves the spotlight.

If you’re on the hunt for new decor, Sipkins recommends going vintage. Think pennants, signs, and jerseys: “Back in yesteryear, things were a little bit more muted, less poppy, more intentional…mixing that kind of stuff in with the unavoidable modern-day pops of color will give your eyes a break.”

• She also suggests vintage photos of the team or the stadium, like these ones of her hometown NFL team, the Chicago Bears. “That’s a great conversation starter. Maybe it’s a black-and-white photo, so it has the story and not necessarily the orange” that the Bears are known for.

• “You can get [vintage items] on eBay and add them in, so that it’s a little less, ahem, overbearing.”

And if you’re still stumped, why not enlist an expert? “We’re there to be your type A hero,” Sipkins says. “My joy [in my work] comes from getting all of those puzzle pieces together.”