Monday, January 19, 2009

A Time for Renewal

Are you excited? Oh my gosh--I am giddy. I'm watching the Inauguration Celebration--U2 is currently performing. How appropriate . . . In the Name of Love. I think the most astounding part of this is the enthusiam of our Nation. When is the last time we saw our President on a t-shirt worn by teenagers? How lucky are we to see this? To be part of this? Ooh, hold on, he's going to speak . . . the man can give a speech!


Okay--you don't tune in to hear/read me wax poetic (I flatter myself--poetry?) about our President Elect.

Have you guys confronted the emptiness of your house with all of the Holiday decorations put away? It's nice, isn't it? Do you enjoy the peaceful clarity of windows unobstructed by wreaths? Of mantels cleared of stockings and pine boughs? Of . . . oh me either. I miss the decorations. I miss the way my house feels when it's adorned with trees, garlands, and ornaments. I miss the cozy feeling I have when the Christmas tree provides most of the light we'll need all evening.


So, I drag it out. I put away the trees first, but I do keep up the mantel decorations and the stairwell decor for a while longer. If we had more outlets in this house, I'd leave up strings of lights all of the time. As it is, however, they're a tripping hazard and, quite likely, a fire hazard--strung through several extension cords as they are.


Yet, there is something to be said of a clutter-free, simplicity. I've recently come across some blogs that share my same propensity for furnishings that show wear and tear, but they have blended it seamlessly with such a calm color palette that it speaks of serenity and peace in a way that I'm sure I could never achieve. Here's a link to one of the sites. You'll see what I mean.


Do you decorate like Lotten (of the above-referenced blog) or do you have a little more stuff going on? What do you think about this style? Do you want to try it in your house? I think I'd like to try one room. I think, actually, if memory serves--I have tried it, but I just can't keep the color out.

Remember when "Shabby Chic" hit the scene. Rachel Ashwell's style was--still is--all the rage. I still enjoy reading her books; I reference them frequently for her guidance, but I just can't stay within that pale, pastel palette she avows. I love it--I find it very attractive and appealing, but I always end-up with more color. I believe she's expanded her perspective of late (at least in her retail line), but I'm not sure if she's mixing-it-up herself.


So, back to you. What's your style? What's your favorite color to use in your house? Do you yearn for a simple, organized decor, yet find yourself in a chaos of colors? Or do you enjoy being surrounded by your things, patterns and colors?

Or are you simply happy to not have to pull that tree skirt out of the vacuum cleaner?

Thanks for your indulgence.

Paige

3 comments:

Kendall Welsh said...

Well - I have to start with commenting about Obama! I laughed and cried and smiled HUGE all morning, and well into the afternoon watching this celebration of our new president. Not happy that my kid didn't watch it at school today. Apparently, other grades did, but first grade didn't. Good thing I recorded it at home.

Anyway, favorite color to paint in is browns. Light browns, tans, khakis, etc. Or the foresty greens, sage greens or minty greens.

My decorating style varies based on what I find! My favorite room right now is my bedroom where I have the beat to heck out of headboard that I got at the flea market. And the chifarobe and painted dresser. THe living room will always be a work in progress, as is the rest of my house. One small step at a time....oh well, it will happen one day!

Anonymous said...

Yes, a wonderful day! Go America!

Oh, Paige. I was just wishing today that I could hire you or someone with your talents to revamp my entire house. (This is not a fish for compliments. I really dislike my surroundings.) That's terrible I know. I need some organizational help, and some new furniture help. I live inside a toy box. :~)

But that's off the subject. I love color and lots of it. Reds, Robin Egg blues, whites, greens, oranges, pinks, you name it. I want color everywhere. It cheers me up! And I am really starting to love patterns and texture. Florals too.

Okay, so are the men in white coats coming for me yet?

I love Anna Maria Horner's bold color sense. I love Cath Kidston's and Tanya Whelan's florals. I love Amy butler's patterns and colors. I love Alicia Paulson's everything.

Unknown said...

I really got into the monochromatic colors of white. I found that in order to stimulate interest you have to have a lot of texture. I really enjoyed the palette and found that I could slap a shade of white on anything and it would match. Then I had three boys! Needless to say, I couldn't keep up or I was going to end up in a padded room with all white. Hmmm, so now I feel like adding more color is more of a challenge. How was I going to make it all flow because I do love so many different things. I decided to only purchase home items that I LOVE. So far it has worked. I find myself currently loving aqua, turquoise, and robin egg blue. Bought a floral arrangment in a burnt mustard tone a couple of months ago and love how it compliments but contrasts the blues. I have come to learn that I love the way my home looks now. I want people to feel like they can come in, sit down and feel cozy. After reading your blog I might do my bedroom in the whites again, because it is calm and tranquile. On a side note, white furniture doesn't show dust as much. ;)

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