I admit it up-front: I don't have a sense for decorating. I would like a prettier house, but I don't want it enough to figure out what to do and then make it happen.
So on a slow day at work I was flipping through Midwest Living. I was amazed by some of the nifty, cool, stylish, up-to-date ideas for decorating. My jaw actually dropped. And I still can't figure it out.
So it's stylish to have a beat-up old table? People spend lots of money buying furniture and decorative items that are "distressed." There are methods to paint a decent piece of furniture to make it appear "distressed." Why can this look fabulous in somebody else's house? If I had something like that in my house, it would not tout STYLE. It would look unkempt.
For a delectably romantic table setting, one suggestion was to use a length of burlap as a tablecloth. Burlap. As in, the burlap that we used in the 60's to make banners for church. Or the burlap we would use for sack-races in grade school.
One magazine article will tell you how a house needs COLOR . White or eggshell walls? Out out out. And yet, another article will extol the virtues of various whites all throughout the house.
One photo display showed an old wooden ladder propped up in a dining room, the rungs serving as a way to display the woman's collection of antique dish towels. And I'm thinking, "Oh, that I had enough space in the house to even understand how it's possible to have a display like that!"
These homes are put together intentionally and carefully. People shop and shop and shop for Just The Right Item to fit the theme of the house.
Me?
I have books.
And piles of Stuff We're In The Middle Of.
And kiddos' drawings on the refrigerator.
And evidence of projects: a bag of grass seed to plant, a blender and a toaster and a mixer on the counter at all times instead of in an "appliance garage," newspaper on the table, schoolbooks on the coffee table, a sewing project scattered across the basement, etc.
Maybe we could pretend my house was decorated with a theme of Practicality and Self Reliance? Sure. That's it. Totally. It was all planned!
Friday, June 28, 2013
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When I see those photos and ideas, I wonder who actually lives there and how many kiddos under 10 are there?
ReplyDeleteLived in. . .there's your theme, Susan. At least--that's my decorating "style"!
ReplyDeleteWe have what would be a nice, if somewhat narrow, living room. Trouble is, it's the only place to put our table too. It's also the best room for reading aloud etc with the kids. Except for the crucifix and a few family pictures on the wall, there is no room for decor!