Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
is your home “you”?
We had a great spring break. I took my kids to Charlottesville, Virginia, to stay with a good family friend and to see Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. When I was a child, we used to travel and stay in people’s houses a lot, and there is an art to it both for the guests and the hosts. I wanted my kids to have that experience.
Our host, I’ll call her M., is the best; I don’t think she would mind my saying that she is in her eighth decade, and she is living proof that 80 is the new 50. Her house is wonderful, she has lived there for 52 years and it is perfect: comfortable, practical and charming. I could find the coffee without asking, because it was exactly where you would think it would be. One thing that surprised me was that though she had a lot of stuff-antiques and quilts and paintings-the house didn’t feel overfull or cluttered. In fact, I was amazed at the available space on the bookshelves. Then my daughter said, “Every time I say I like something, M. gives it to me!” That is one way of making sure the clutter doesn’t accumulate! Give stuff away!
I really loved how M’s home reflected her values. She is a student of history and most of her furniture is antique. There were real handmade quilts on the beds and the powder room was decorated with a collection of samplers, some of which were made by her mother and grandmother. Clearly she has spent her money on travel and learning, rather than on stuff and more stuff. Many of the paintings that lined the walls were done by people she had met and followed over the years. On the other hand, no fancy kitchen renovations for her: her wonderful kitchen is not remodeled or redone, and I am pretty sure the Revere Ware she uses every day was a wedding present 50-some years ago.
Take a look around your house. Does it reflect who you are? What your values are? I remember so clearly the words of the reading specialist at my older son’s school: “Have books around, and magazines, and newspapers: Make your home messy with words.” That was so profound for me. Yes, I like neat, I respect modern, but I love reading, I am passionate about literature, I truly value books and my house reflects that.
Nowadays, with West Elm and Ikea, it’s too easy to adopt a style without committing to it: “Let’s be Midcentury Mod this year.” Part of “less but better” is slowing down your acquisition. Instead of rushing to Ikea to “finish,” wait; search for the right piece to make its appearance and know that once it does, it will be with you forever.