In the past few weeks, as Lumberjack and I have talked about some of our intentions for our relationship and life in the next year, I've been coming up with some ideas to make our home a more welcoming place to be.
It's important to me that form and function exist together in equal amounts. A beautiful space that feels stiff, or has no storage space, just doesn't work with our lifestyle - but at the same time, I am super aesthetically needy, and a space that is functional but ugly makes me feel uninspired and sad.
Especially with the short, dark days of winter taken hold, I really gravitate towards bright, colorful decor. As much as I appreciate a clean, neutral palette, I find it too limiting and impractical for our daily life - I love color, and I can't imagine living in a house without it! So instead of going for a straight-up minimalist look, I've been thinking a lot about working with a more eclectic, bright aesthetic that still relies on white space and functional, high-quality and/or handmade items.
With that in mind, I've been combing thrift and consignment shops - Ballard Consignment is a favorite! - for colorful vintage and contemporary art, accessories, and furniture. It's important to me that this process is slow and thoughtful, and relies on reusing and reimagining old things as much as possible. I have a lot of issues with the high-volume, low-quality manufacturing and consumption patterns that have become so prevalent in this country, and because of that, I'd like to put our money towards local and sustainable goods as much as we can.
(At the same time, we need to be mindful of our budget, and sometimes that means compromising on some aspect of that philosophy on certain items, especially big-ticket furniture like tables and couches. Which can be frustrating, sure, but it's also the reality.)
So a few weekends ago, I found this little corner shelf, which is the perfect size and shape to take advantage of the landing of our second-floor staircase. It now houses not just cute things - Lego figures, a little collection of silk flowers - but also high-usage items like mailboxes, card & photo storage, pens & pencils, and coins.
That, combined with these amazing framed vintage Vogue covers - which will eventually be hung on the wall! - have turned what was a dark, empty corner in our house into a bright, functional space. It makes me smile every time I look at it - and that's exactly what I wanted.
Other thoughts on creating space:
Part I: Minimalism, Stuff, and Reclaiming Space
Part 2: Studio!
Part 3: Bookshelves for the Aesthetically Needy
Happy Monday!
<3
Cory
Especially with the short, dark days of winter taken hold, I really gravitate towards bright, colorful decor. As much as I appreciate a clean, neutral palette, I find it too limiting and impractical for our daily life - I love color, and I can't imagine living in a house without it! So instead of going for a straight-up minimalist look, I've been thinking a lot about working with a more eclectic, bright aesthetic that still relies on white space and functional, high-quality and/or handmade items.
With that in mind, I've been combing thrift and consignment shops - Ballard Consignment is a favorite! - for colorful vintage and contemporary art, accessories, and furniture. It's important to me that this process is slow and thoughtful, and relies on reusing and reimagining old things as much as possible. I have a lot of issues with the high-volume, low-quality manufacturing and consumption patterns that have become so prevalent in this country, and because of that, I'd like to put our money towards local and sustainable goods as much as we can.
(At the same time, we need to be mindful of our budget, and sometimes that means compromising on some aspect of that philosophy on certain items, especially big-ticket furniture like tables and couches. Which can be frustrating, sure, but it's also the reality.)
So a few weekends ago, I found this little corner shelf, which is the perfect size and shape to take advantage of the landing of our second-floor staircase. It now houses not just cute things - Lego figures, a little collection of silk flowers - but also high-usage items like mailboxes, card & photo storage, pens & pencils, and coins.
That, combined with these amazing framed vintage Vogue covers - which will eventually be hung on the wall! - have turned what was a dark, empty corner in our house into a bright, functional space. It makes me smile every time I look at it - and that's exactly what I wanted.
Other thoughts on creating space:
Part I: Minimalism, Stuff, and Reclaiming Space
Part 2: Studio!
Part 3: Bookshelves for the Aesthetically Needy
Happy Monday!
<3
Cory
1 comment:
I love the things you've found for that little nook-it really brightens that space. I have strong feelings about sustainability and responsible consumption, and I love it when people find beautiful things in thrift stores and can extend their usefulness.
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