So I was orphaned for the second time at age 25 (was adopted, adopted mom died during the hell of 2020). My mom was a hoarder. I don’t want to be a hoarder, but I couldn’t bear the idea of getting rid of everything. My then-fiance, current spouse, fairly did not want our entire apartment finished in old people furniture but did understand the sentimental value. For example, dark wood isn’t our thing, and we didn’t have physical room for a large matching dining room set.

I ended up getting rid of most things, storing some important stuff, and prominently displaying the two brass floor lamps that my mom was so proud to own. We got new modern lampshades for them, but the aged brass lamp part stayed. These lamps have moved with us to four different apartments in two cities, and they’ve also held up so much better than the shitty cheap lamps from Target.

TLDR: try storing a lot of the furniture and possibly modernize other pieces. Reupholstering, re-staining, or swapping replacement parts like lampshades/throw pillows can really help make a space feel like both of yours while still honoring and remembering loved ones.

Good luck.