So, when Alex and Ann and I were having lunch on Saturday, they were complimenting my house for looking so good. And I’m not saying this to brag, but it’s something that often comes up when I’m out with friends and some of them have been to my home while others have not. ‘Anna’s house is so cute!’ I love hearing that, of course; I definitely won’t deny it. I take a lot of pride in how I keep my house, and I also just enjoy the process of decorating. But at the same time, I can’t help thinking, ‘What’s the big deal?’
I took the picture above when I was at my parents’ this afternoon/evening for the Vikings game (sad face). I think this might explain my confusion at the fuss people make — if you have a home, of course you decorate it. My parents’ style (I would say my mom’s, as I feel like she makes most of the executive decorating decisions, but I know my dad has opinions, too) isn’t terribly similar to my own, but I still appreciate the put-togetherness of it. And I see things like the stack of books on the coffee table, and I only have to move my eyeballs to see the same thing in my own living room. (Somebody needs to organize those bookcases by color, though!)
Decorating is definitely a first-world concern, but I don’t think it’s only for people with huge disposable incomes. I bought most of my furniture shortly after moving in, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to afford to do so now, but the bulk of the changes I’ve made in the look of my house over the past couple of years have been pretty cheap — nothing much more expensive than a gallon of paint, say. I don’t buy designer anything; I buy what I can afford and like, and then I work with it.
I feel like people who drool while reading design blogs while making no attempt to work with what they’ve got (or what they could get for cheap at the thrift store) are a lot like people who wish they could cook but never bother spending time in the kitchen. You have to learn what you like by trying things out, and I guess my point is that I had a leg-up in the whole process by growing up in houses where aesthetics were a consideration. Putting effort into having a nice home is just something I take for granted. How about you?
For me it’s a matter of priorities. While I’m sure I could build a beautiful home, it’s farther down on my list than the 87 other fun and creative projects I want to pursue in my spare time.
It may also have to do with the sort of environment in which one has grown up, but I believe that it’s totally possible learn how to design well (or cook, or code in PHP, or whatever). You just need to be able — and want — to spend the time searching out what you like, DIYing what you can’t afford, messing up and fixing mistakes, finding tips and tricks and inspiration wherever you can. (Even if you grew up in a home more cobbled- than put-together.)
Also, it doesn’t help to live with someone who prefers the less-than-attractive recliner to the lovely mid-century modern side chair, or with whom one must battle to get rid of the black hole-marred card table in the kitchen, which is technically still usable, I GUESS…
So true, Ann — all of it. Good luck with that card table!
What you say is true and the house is so beautiful!
I go through phases of nesting and then getting overwhelmed by the amount of testosterone fuelled living my poor house has to cope with and giving up a little bit.
Our house scrubs up fairly well, but is often found in rather less than perfect condition. And I guess the other factor, is the constant need to compromise with the other householders about what looks best. Because my eldest is convinced thay my hall is at it’s best with his school stuff dropped in the middle of it and car books on all flat surfaces.
I think that having grown up in a house where putting effort into making a comfortable, attractive home definitely primes a person to put that same effort into their own home. My tiny apartment is furnished in a mish-mash of hand-me-down furniture, Ikea buys and thrift/secondhand-store finds, but it works, because I’ve put some thought into what furniture I wanted, and what I wanted my space to look like. And, like you, I can look at my home and see echoes of the house where I grew up.
But I think it’s also a matter of interest and inclination. I’m a homebody, and because I like to stay at home, I want it to be nice. Making things for my home is also a good outlet for my crafty energy. I don’t mind putting the work in, and I get to enjoy the rewards.
I think that some other people are just wired differently. For example, I recently went over to visit one of my friends in her new house. She’d lived there for 6 weeks by that point, but there was no furniture in the living room and there were still half-full boxes in every room, even the kitchen. She’d just rather go skiing than unpack…(and it would no more occur to her to persuse Apt. Therapy than it would to buy a cookbook). To each her own, I guess.
All that said, you *do* have a sweet little house! It’s definitely something to be proud of.
I don’t think it matters how poor you are, or where you’re born – you want to have a nice place to live and happy things around you. Decorating your person, and your dwelling space, is a universal human concern. You will find curtains and wall art even in the poorest 3rd world ramshackley shacks
I agree. Good design is not about money- its about trying things out- making yourself happy. Yes it helps to look at design magazines for ideas about color, but those magazines are so put-together and unlivable. My friends say similar things about my apartment, yet I make the least out of all of them.