Maybe it's because I'm home more than I've ever been -thus making my surrounds feel stale-, or it could just be the hereditary chameleon-like gene in me passed down from my Mom, who would re-arrange all the items in our house growing up on what felt to be, a weekly basis. But (yes I started a sentence with BUT) I'm itching to gut and re-do some areas of my house. OK, my whole house. For most of us though it's not that simple. Unfortunately. Budgets, time, confusion on what to do....all these things get in our way and make us retreat back to stale-hood. Don't they?
You should have seen the look on my husbands face this Saturday as I darted around the house removing all artwork from the walls. "Uh.....what are you doing?" he asked. "I can't handle it anymore!! I need to see bare walls, this stuff is blocking my creativity!" I semi yelled back. Even I was surprised by my dramatic response but truth is, that's how I felt. We don't realize it sometimes but our stuff, bought to make us feel happy, limits us and can tend to make us feel closed in after a while. It's like we forget it can be removed, re done, given away, or moved to a different spot. Working on the Visual Team for Anthropologie for nearly two years taught me this. That company is amazing how it takes ordinary objects or materials and turns it into something unique and well.....quite clever really. When we would re-do the store, the formula was always to clear out the area FIRST. Otherwise, if you layer in new things onto the old (which most of us tend to do) you end up with a cluttered, Hodge Podge and not quite "fresh", "new feeling" space.
Well DUH, why don't I do that at home? So yesterday my husband Tim came home from work and I was vacuuming under the sofa. Again, i got the same "Uh, what are you doing" response. Only this time it was a look, not actual verbiage. You see, that's part of it too. Cleaning the space will also help inspire you. I know I know, it's no fun but I PROMISE once you start, you will be addicted to the possibilities you'll see.
My final advice, PLEASE donate what you aren't in love with anymore. YES, there MAY be a need for it at some point down the road but chances are there WONT. And if you don't love it now, you most likely won't in a year from now. It's just stuff, and its very freeing to get rid of it. Imagine your world with fewer, more PERFECT items in it.
Here are a few things that I've seen around that make me happy. It won't take much, just a few new tweaks here and there will do the trick!
Artwork can be daunting! First of all, it's expensive if you are the average Joe retailing it out at some home design store and it can also be hard to visualize what you really want. Can I just say for the record that 90% of people hang their artwork TOO high (it should be at your eye level, not Andre The Giants eye level) and also people tend to buy artwork that is too small for the space. Here is a girl I found on Etsy.com who will do custom art. I'm all about custom art. You can pick the perfect size and colors to fit your style and space. Plus how cool that it's one of a kind and not the typical that most people have hanging in their homes? I'm all about supporting creative independent people too. This is cool because it's a flower print backed onto vintage french linen and then is stitched with thread on top.
Try finding that at Pottery Barn!
Khaki Queen Ann Lace Stitched Linen Canvas (say that fast 5 times) www.etsy.com
$65
You should have seen the look on my husbands face this Saturday as I darted around the house removing all artwork from the walls. "Uh.....what are you doing?" he asked. "I can't handle it anymore!! I need to see bare walls, this stuff is blocking my creativity!" I semi yelled back. Even I was surprised by my dramatic response but truth is, that's how I felt. We don't realize it sometimes but our stuff, bought to make us feel happy, limits us and can tend to make us feel closed in after a while. It's like we forget it can be removed, re done, given away, or moved to a different spot. Working on the Visual Team for Anthropologie for nearly two years taught me this. That company is amazing how it takes ordinary objects or materials and turns it into something unique and well.....quite clever really. When we would re-do the store, the formula was always to clear out the area FIRST. Otherwise, if you layer in new things onto the old (which most of us tend to do) you end up with a cluttered, Hodge Podge and not quite "fresh", "new feeling" space.
Well DUH, why don't I do that at home? So yesterday my husband Tim came home from work and I was vacuuming under the sofa. Again, i got the same "Uh, what are you doing" response. Only this time it was a look, not actual verbiage. You see, that's part of it too. Cleaning the space will also help inspire you. I know I know, it's no fun but I PROMISE once you start, you will be addicted to the possibilities you'll see.
My final advice, PLEASE donate what you aren't in love with anymore. YES, there MAY be a need for it at some point down the road but chances are there WONT. And if you don't love it now, you most likely won't in a year from now. It's just stuff, and its very freeing to get rid of it. Imagine your world with fewer, more PERFECT items in it.
Here are a few things that I've seen around that make me happy. It won't take much, just a few new tweaks here and there will do the trick!
Artwork can be daunting! First of all, it's expensive if you are the average Joe retailing it out at some home design store and it can also be hard to visualize what you really want. Can I just say for the record that 90% of people hang their artwork TOO high (it should be at your eye level, not Andre The Giants eye level) and also people tend to buy artwork that is too small for the space. Here is a girl I found on Etsy.com who will do custom art. I'm all about custom art. You can pick the perfect size and colors to fit your style and space. Plus how cool that it's one of a kind and not the typical that most people have hanging in their homes? I'm all about supporting creative independent people too. This is cool because it's a flower print backed onto vintage french linen and then is stitched with thread on top.
Try finding that at Pottery Barn!
Khaki Queen Ann Lace Stitched Linen Canvas (say that fast 5 times) www.etsy.com
$65
Think of a small wall or space like a bathroom in your home. Something like this wallpaper would revolutionize that area. You wouldn't need much else (in other words i would NOT hang complicated art on top of this for the risk of having you eyeballs bug out of your head). In a year, if you hate it REMOVE it or paint over it. No biggie. But how fun to do something completely different for now.
Skottie Wall Paper (cranberry) Urban Outfitters
$19 for 56sq. feet!
Lastly, something I have at home and like is this storage box. It also comes in a bigger size. It's doesn't look like much here on web paper :) but spray painted a fun color and filled with all your nick nac crap it's pretty awesome. Put it in a bathroom with a terry cloth cushion on it, or maybe perfect for a kids room with toys inside? Hol Side Table Ikea $30
Happy Situating!~Bec and Call
So talented Becs.. SO talented!!
ReplyDeleteThank You so much Tony for becoming a "follower" and for the sweet comment!! Means a lot. Really this was started just for fun, but now i'm realizing how much i DO love to write and contribute :) glad you enjoy. Hope to see you guys soon.
ReplyDeleteyou are gifted Becca...keep us posted!!
ReplyDeleteBut what if I live with Andre the Giant? Do I hang artwork at his eye level? (yeah - I started a sentence with BUT too...)
ReplyDeleteHaha Arian cracking me up!
ReplyDelete