Remember the old woman who lived in a shoe? I'm a lot like her, with a husband and varying numbers of children in our 100-year-old farmhouse. This blog is about our lives.
I think your conclusion is absolutely right--trust your instincts. I taught a Home Environment class at our church high school 2 years ago, and, after that, felt free for the first time in my life to put things into my home that showed what I was fond of. I have rooster cookie jars, chicken wire backing on shelves, sow and piglet letter holders, earthy-looking pottery, flowers, ocean decor, Japanese touches--you get the picture--and I love it. All of them put a smile on my face and make my home feel welcoming to me. My boys derisively call it "Arkansas Hick Chicken Style" but the girls in their class love it. What a relief to discover that "French Country" has many of the decorative elements I like. Now I know where to look for examples of things that stoke my homefires.
Yesssssss, that is precisely right. Who, after all, will live in your house after all the fads and whims of decorating leave? All the home decorators in the world can't make your home YOU! I like something that is ME and that will last no matter what the style is. Hmmm! I wonder what Jerry's quiz would tell me about my tastes? :)
Oh, Dorcas...If someone could just decorate my little house, then I'd just move in! Right now my decorating theme is 'paisley'.
I don't have teens doing their thing, but I do have grands climbing and jumping on my sofa which came straight from 'God's Way to Recovery' (a thrift store). So I don't need to faint, or get uptight about stuff.
In its day, I think this sofa was quite elegant... has pale country pinks and blues(I think that's what you'd say) which now blends easily with dirt. I have a rocker that my mom had which is bright orange, yellows and greens. Then there is a goose-neck rocker which is a solid dark green. The carpeting is a blue which is badly in need of a good shampoo.
Some day I really, really hope to have things a bit more 'together', but if I die or the Lord returns before this happens, it won't matter.
I've been in homes where everything is so nicely coordinated. It is so soul-refreshing to me. I love it. BUT, it's the friendship that counts to me.
Loved your column. I've been tossing around ideas and magazines to figure out how to redecorate my unique 100+ yr. old house. You precisely described my frustration, and bless Emily, inspired me to just do it my way. Thank you for liberation!! -geneva
I think your conclusion is absolutely right--trust your instincts. I taught a Home Environment class at our church high school 2 years ago, and, after that, felt free for the first time in my life to put things into my home that showed what I was fond of. I have rooster cookie jars, chicken wire backing on shelves, sow and piglet letter holders, earthy-looking pottery, flowers, ocean decor, Japanese touches--you get the picture--and I love it. All of them put a smile on my face and make my home feel welcoming to me. My boys derisively call it "Arkansas Hick Chicken Style" but the girls in their class love it. What a relief to discover that "French Country" has many of the decorative elements I like. Now I know where to look for examples of things that stoke my homefires.
ReplyDeleteYesssssss, that is precisely right. Who, after all, will live in your house after all the fads and whims of decorating leave? All the home decorators in the world can't make your home YOU! I like something that is ME and that will last no matter what the style is. Hmmm! I wonder what Jerry's quiz would tell me about my tastes? :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Dorcas...If someone could just decorate my little house, then I'd just move in! Right now my decorating theme is 'paisley'.
ReplyDeleteI don't have teens doing their thing, but I do have grands climbing and jumping on my sofa which came straight from 'God's Way to Recovery' (a thrift store). So I don't need to faint, or get uptight about stuff.
In its day, I think this sofa was quite elegant... has pale country pinks and blues(I think that's what you'd say) which now blends easily with dirt. I have a rocker that my mom had which is bright orange, yellows and greens. Then there is a goose-neck rocker which is a solid dark green. The carpeting is a blue which is badly in need of a good shampoo.
Some day I really, really hope to have things a bit more 'together', but if I die or the Lord returns before this happens, it won't matter.
I've been in homes where everything is so nicely coordinated. It is so soul-refreshing to me. I love it. BUT, it's the friendship that counts to me.
Loved your column. I've been tossing around ideas and magazines to figure out how to redecorate my unique 100+ yr. old house. You precisely described my frustration, and bless Emily, inspired me to just do it my way.
ReplyDeleteThank you for liberation!!
-geneva