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}
I'm throwing out 50 things - join me!
