DESIGN (DE)LIBERATIONS

Creating your design manifesto- investing in your environment brings clarity and calm.

I grew up in a big brick colonial with white pillars and a gently curving path to the front door.
It had a brightly lit sunroom off the living room - 3 of the 4 walls were lined with windows - where my sister and I would watch tv after school.
Our living room had a baby grand piano and an ornate white sofa and every Christmas my parents would rope some friend or relative into dressing as Santa. He’d sit in front of the fireplace and take gifts out of his velvet bag for every child that came for Christmas Eve dinner.
I remember running from my bedroom to my parent’s room, jumping on the bed and watching my mom go into her walk in closet from the bathroom to get ready in the morning. I loved that closet. Even as a child I thought, “I want a closet like that when I’m older.”

The memories I have of that time, in that place, are joyous ones.
It’s also where my parents told us they were separating and soon after, we had to move.

But even still, I loved that house.

So when I had the chance to walk through it again, you can imagine my excitement.
But also…
Nervousness?
Were there memories I had been suppressing? Unhappy moments that I had chosen to forget?

Upon entering, I was immediately underwhelmed.
I can’t say the feelings were bad, or good, but I can’t say I was indifferent either.
I can only describe it as detached. Analytical.

Because the way the current owners decorated the house was so vastly different than what I grew up in that I questioned if I even grew up there.
Clutter. Chochkis. Things upon things upon things.
The living room that was once so elegantly styled by Mom is now painted with butter yellow walls and contains 3 sofas, 5 chairs, a leopard print ottoman with pintucks and ruffles so large I think 3 grown adults could comfortably sit on it.
Ornate gold mirrors here.
Bird printed upholstery there.
A room with salmon pink walls. A parrot adorned chandelier in a bedroom. Mustard, blue and red plaid drapery.

It got me thinking about how important it is to style, furnish, decorate, layer with intention.
To be as deliberate as possible.