How to Display an Urn in Your Home: 8 Ideas to Honor a Loved One

Many people ask, “Is it ok to keep an urn at home?” The short answer is yes. There is nothing bad about keeping your loved one’s ashes in your home. The only concern about keeping ashes is if you are part of a religion where cremation is forbidden. However, if this is not the case for you or your family, an urn set up at home is a wonderful and comforting way to memorialize your loved one. To make the decision of displaying an urn in your home easier, we have outlined all the important points you may want to consider in this article.

What Type of Urn Do You Need to Keep Ashes at Home?

Generally, a cremation urn is the most common type to keep at home. They come in all different shapes, sizes, and materials, and the choice is a very personal one. Generally, cremation urns displayed in the home are made from ceramic, marble, stone, or metal. We have broken down the different types of urns as well as their uses, advantages, and disadvantages.

1. Individual Urn

Individual urns are standard urns that hold the cremains of one person. You also get extra-large individual urns. These urns are made from a variety of materials. The benefits of individual urns are that they are affordable, portable, and environmentally friendly. There are not many disadvantages to an individual urn beside the fact that it looks obviously like an urn if the décor and aesthetics of your house are important to you.

2. Companion Urn

Companion urns hold the remains of two individuals, often in separate compartments. These urns are wonderful for couples if both people wish to be cremated. However, they are a lot bigger than an individual or keepsake urn and take up more space.

3. Keepsake Urn

Keepsake urns are much smaller than traditional urns and hold a small amount of the cremains. These are great if many family members would like to hold onto some of the ashes. Another benefit is that they don’t necessarily look like urns, so they can be displayed in your home without anyone knowing there are ashes inside. Keepsake urns are available in various materials and are generally more affordable, but if you are buying many of them, the cost can add up.

What About Urn Style?

Each type of urn serves a specific purpose, but if you’d like your urn to form part of your house’s overall look or you’d like a disguised urn, there are some different urn styles to consider.

1. If you’re after disguise, subtle urns will blend into your home. They can take the form of candle holders, wooden boxes, picture frames, hourglasses, or vases.
2. Bold urns are great if you want the urn to be noticeable or if you have specific decorating ideas. There are also different materials and colors and many ways to customize urns, so it’s completely possible to match them to the lovely shade of blue in your living room.
3. Private urns are a great idea if you want to combine the previous two styles. The urn is subtle because it will be kept in a private space away from general visitors, but you can still choose how you want to display it should you want it to match your décor or stand out on its own.

How Long Can Ashes Be Kept in An Urn?

When stored correctly, cremains last for a very long time. Ashes are a stable material and will remain intact for hundreds of years as long as they are kept dry.

Do Cremated Ashes Smell?

Most people report that cremated ashes in their homes have no odor. Some people say that ashes can have a very subtle metallic smell or a very slight scent of incense, but human ashes are odorless in most cases.

Different Ways to Display Ashes at Home

You may be wondering where to place or put an urn, but there are many great ideas out there. The first step is to choose a room; do you want to display your urn in the living room, hallway, bedroom, kitchen, or office? Once you’ve narrowed that down, you can choose a display option that resonates with you the most.

1. Floating shelf This option is for you if you are after a more subtle approach. The cremains are housed inside the shelf. That way, the urn is hidden, and you’ve got a new spot to display a photo of your loved one.
2. Display shelf You can place the urn on a current display shelf or purchase a new one to fill with the urn and photos or meaningful keepsake memories of your loved one.
3. Memorial table This is a good option if you’re not a fan of shelves. You can choose an entrance hall table, a hallway table, a dresser, or even a bedside table to display your urn.
4. Your loved one’s favorite space If your loved one had a favorite reading corner or sunny windowsill, that could be a great place to display their urn.
5. Vase Instead of a traditional style urn, a vase urn would be a lovely idea for your loved one’s ashes. This is a wonderful option for an urn that blends into your home. Vase urns have a compartment at the bottom for the cremains and then you can put a candle or flowers in the top compartment.
6. Display cabinet Similar to a display shelf, you can add the urn to your display cabinet along with all your children’s trophies, awards, and special keepsakes.
7. Bookshelf This is another way to display a subtle urn. You get wonderful keepsake memorial urns in the form of a book with a special compartment for the ashes.
8. Wall-mounted urn If a traditional urn display just isn’t for you, you can get a wall-mounted urn. They are generally typically three-dimensional wooden plaques, and they have a metal face that can be engraved.

In Summary: How to Display an Urn in Your Home

An urn is a wonderful way to remember your loved one, and there are many different options available so that you can display the urn in a way that best suits you and your family and honors your dearly departed.