Enjoying Home

I love being in our home.  I love having other people in our home.  I love making a home ascetically pleasant, invitingly comfortable and visually balanced.  When I have been away for days or only a few hours, there is nothing I like more than coming home - opening the door and immediately feeling its call to settle in and settle down. 

Here is a photo of one of our living room sofas as it looked months ago.  Masculine design dominates in color and form. 

 

It felt a bit unbalanced to me so I added something old, something new, something girly, something blue.

 
Now the wall above our sofa displays items of meaning that have been with us since we began building a home and forming traditions.  A few new additions complete the grouping. 

 A large oval mirror resides in the center, referencing the new as well as the old.  It catches the day's sunlight, anew every morning, encircled by an old thrift store frame. 

 The two square frames on the upper left hold pictures of special meaning.  One is a linoleum ink stamping that our oldest daughter gave us for Christmas when we first began the tradition of exchanging home-made gifts.  The other is a pencil drawing of my brother who is no longer living.  It is the only piece of his art that I have and it is a constant reminder to me of the humble talent he possessed.


The two large frames I bought at Hobby Lobby on the 80% off aisle.  Love those sales!!  The large frame on the left holds a penciled portrait of our oldest grand daughter who lives in Wyoming and whom I see only a few times a year.  I think the artist captured her shy, yet engaging essence and I love looking up to find Anna in our living room.

The large frame on the right will house an original piece of art as soon as I complete it. 







The long thin frame in the middle is also a thrift store purchase and will carry within it's boarders one of my favorite photos of dogs or grandchildren.  I haven't decided which yet.  Maybe I'll do a combination of the two.  It will be fun to experiment and come up with something you-nique and special to me.


The smaller frame in the center is a picture my daughter gave me a couple of years back.  It is special to me because it hung in her house and also because it is a symbol of her strong faith and the way she stands firm while holding her arms wide open.




Design is not something copied directly from a magazine page.  It is a creation of what makes your heart sing - of those things you want to share with anyone who comes into your home - those things that hold memories, or make you feel safe and balanced.

Design should not be as Lady Yaya does it (unless in my home), but as you do it with a few basic fundamentals: scale, placement, light, texture and color. 

I think that pleasing design is always a combination of many things: old and new - items that have meaning, that have been gathered over time and items that are fresh and contemporary - items that are masculine, bold lines and strong form and items that soften the edges, add a curve and are light and airy. Contrast makes for drama.  Monochromatic is more relaxing.  Neither is right or wrong and both belong. 

In design so as in life: opposites woven together in harmony make everything much more interesting.