Losing someone you deeply care for and love is one of, if not the hardest experience anyone can go through.
However, we try our best to honor those that we have loved and lost in ways that help to keep their memories alive.
For those who have opted for cremation, it’s important to designate an area to keep the urn so that it stands out and stays undisturbed while doing your loved one’s memories justice.
This is why we’ve come up with a couple of simple but satisfying altar design ideas.
The Altar and Urn Should Complement Each Other
The first thing you want to think about as you come up with the perfect design for your loved one’s ashes, is that you want it to look perfectly unified.
This could mean different things for different people, and as you look through a variety of urns for your loved ones, you want to ensure that it is an extension of their personality.
Once you’ve picked out the perfect urn, you want to make sure that the platform for the altar goes with it perfectly. Either get a shelf that comes out of the wall in order to save up on space, or get a corner table so that you can take up a corner spot to set up the altar.
Either way, the surface should go well with the urn itself so that the look flows and it looks complete, like an extension of your home.
Place Memorabilia and Pictures
To really give the altar a special feel, you should think about personal items or images that are special to your connection with this person. Find photos that are dear to your heart and bring up wonderful memories, see if you can find personal items of theirs that were special to them- anything that evokes good feelings is a must.
This is because you want the alter to be designed in a way that brings joy to all those that lay eyes on it, and along with making an addition to your home aesthetically, this is special because it houses the remains and memories of your loved one, and so the design should only reflect positive and heartfelt emotions.
Have Lighting Put in Strategically
You’ll find that in order to bring together any kind of design within your home, the lighting is key and really, is that amazing final touch that will give the altar all the dimensions it needs. First of all, if you can manage it, you need to find a way to play the altar in a spot where during the day, the natural light hits it directly.
This will give it an almost heavenly feel and there’s nothing quite like natural light to illuminate any spot that you’d like to have stand out.
Think about placing a mirror somewhere where the natural light can reflect onto the altar. In the evening, have soft spotlights placed above and even underneath the altar to really bring it all together. Lastly, don’t forget the ethereal effect that candles have.
Surround the Altar With a Beautiful Scent
We’ve already spoken about the ethereal effect that the lighting of a candle has, but along with that, we want to try to have an effect on all of the senses when designing an altar. This is why it’s a great idea to either have scented candles or incense.
There are even electric diffusers that let out beautiful scents and are much safer that burning actual incense, if you’re concerned about that.
The combination of a beautiful scent paired along with the light smoke lifting up into the air has always had a spiritual feel and meaning to it, and it would be a great addition to your altar design.
Keep It Simple and Safe
You can’t really go wrong when it comes to designing an altar to place the ashes of your loved ones and to honor their existence- everyone has their own interpretation of what and how this person is and can be represented.
The key is to keep it simple so that it doesn’t get overcrowded and therefore, overwhelming on sight.
You want the image to bring up good memories and a sense of spirituality at times. It’s also important that you keep it safe for pets and children if you have any- so make sure that the altar is placed high up or perhaps placed behind a glass surface to prevent any accidents.
It’s the most we can do after we lose someone we love dearly- we have to honor their lives after their death.
In the event that you have their ashes, then follow the tips provided here so that you’re really able to do the most in having the best representation of your loved one so that their memories live on forever in your home and in your hearts.