Hello there! I hope you are doing well – do you have a few moments to sit and relax with me over a nice cup of tea? I am sipping jasmine green right now, and it is lovely. My Mom left last night after a wonderful visit. We went to WaterFire in downtown Providence on Saturday night, apple picking in an orchard on Sunday, walked around Newport on Monday gazing at the mansions, and spent hours discussing decorating ideas and selecting paint colors yesterday. Below, you will find a collection of images that are greatly inspiring me lately (all come from the Swedish real estate website Alvhem Mäklare & Interiör), along with a few musings about our relationship with the stuff of our lives. I would love to have you chime in on the conversation, too!
One of the things I have been giving a great deal of thought to, both because of my design classes and because I am putting together my first house, is our relationship with stuff. It is normal today to gradually accumulate more and more stuff as we move out of our parents homes and out on our own, moving from place to place, and possibly buying property or starting a family (which comes with its own bundle of stuff!) – yet it did not used to be that way! Did you know that as late as the Middle Ages, a Lord and Lady would often sleep on straw on the floor of the “great hall” along with servants, relatives, animals, and visitors who were just popping by? Oh, yes! Humans really did not begin owning many personal belongings and furnishings until very recently – but my how we have taken to it!
Unfortunately, this abundance of stuff does not necessarily mean that our living spaces are warm, peaceful, welcoming oases. On the contrary, many people these days seem to feel their homes are out of control with clutter – honestly, how many “clutter busting” type books do you think there are out there? Hold on… Okay, I just searched Amazon for books on “Clutter” and it gave me 83,788 results!! Oh my.
Each of us are unique in the way we relate to the things in our life – are you a pack-rat or obsessively neat? Do you prefer spare spaces or to be surrounded with a happy abundance of things? These days, with so many resources at our fingertips, I really do believe it is possible to create a welcoming, beautiful, and healthy home no matter your budget or style. We just need to be a bit more mindful about what we are bringing into our homes.
I chose to use these photographs of Swedish interiors because the Swedes seem to know a thing or two about creating clean, inviting spaces that are designed for comfort yet are not overstuffed with things. There is breathing space. There is room to let the light in. There is a respect for quality and good design, but not an obsession with trends or looks that only suit a specific moment in time. I could see myself leaping into any of these images and living happily ever after!
So here is a little wish for you and me today: let’s look at the things in our homes with fresh eyes. Let’s let go of those things that are weighing us down and care for the things that we love.
Oh yes, and I would absolutely adore to hear your thoughts! Let me know what is on your mind – it is very zzzzz to sit here talking to myself!
{images: Alvhem Mäklare & Interiör}
Interested? 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Agree completely! And these images are beautiful. I could live here in an instant too.
.-= kellie´s last blog ..my creative space =-.
This is such a great post. I am overcome with “stuff” and it’s a big frustration. Especially right now, when I’m temporarily living in a space to small for me, my dog, my new husband and his 3 dogs and a cat. We’re moving in January and I really want to create a cleaner looking space. Thanks for this inspiration to look at things I’ll be moving and ask how additive they are to my life.
.-= middle-aged-diva´s last blog ..The why of it all =-.
Ah yes, moving can be the perfect time to pare down and reassess your belongings! It’s amazing how much stuff we think we “need” when really it’s just getting in our way!
We are six in the family with our various degrees of clutter. But what I noticed in these Swedish rooms is the lack of clour which at once makes the room seems more open and airy. In a ‘normal’ home, things are acquired gradually and don’t necessarily coordinate with the rest, hence creating a cluttered look!
.-= Scintilla´s last blog ..Think Pink! =-.
Scintilla, I know what you mean – Swedish rooms do tend to have a lot more “white space” than many of us are used to. I constantly struggle with keeping within a specific color palette for each room – but when you can do it, the effect is so much more restful and put-together!
oh gosh I definitely have pack rat tendencies, but am always working towards a more spare look like the lovely homes above. Really a happy medium between the two would probably fit me best– clean, airy and organized, but with some well loved accents. And speaking of the millions of books on the subject, I’ve been reading Organizing for the Creative Person…
.-= gaia• Other Such Things´s last blog ..Ezra Jack Keats Tribute in NYC =-.
I am so with you Laura….these are beautiful images. I guess I fall somewhere in between….I definitely love having lovely and warm things around me to make my house a home, but, I do try to be conscious of having only the things that really make my heart sing. I am kind of ruthless about getting rid of things and am big on everything having it’s place. This inspires me though to have even less but, to make the things you do have….truly special. Thanks for this hun!
xo
Melis
ps I am drinking earl grey :)
.-= Melissa de la Fuente´s last blog ..Melissa loves: lifelovepaper =-.
Scandinavian interiors get me every time. I think they keep everything light and bright since it’s so dark there so much of the year. I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of clutter but I really enjoy well placed layers.
.-= Erin´s last blog ..A Night On the Town =-.