Dear readers, today I direct your attention to a a recent post on Apartment Therapy which I think is worthy of our time. I love Apartment Therapy (though, is it just me or are a lot of the commenters snipey assholes?) and I love home decor and nesting and other husfrau-y things. I even like cooking sometimes. My mother would be so happy if she could read that! And here is me hoping that she doesn't read this blog.
Anyway.
So this AT post centers around the concept of "the home within us", indicating that the home we live in will ideally be the home that we envision in our heads as what home SHOULD BE. The author and presumably many other people had a different conception of home when they were growing up than what they were actually living in--I suppose most children do; likely it involves a house made of cupcakes or a castle. I love the house that I grew up in (and I will never, EVER forgive my mother and stepfather for selling it when I was 17, so if you are reading this, Mom, YOU ARE UNFORGIVEN LIKE A CLINT EASTWOOD FILM) and there were many fine, homey qualities about it, but the apartment I live in currently is far closer to my inner vision than my childhood home. However, the apartment is still a long way off from what is inside my heart. Behold, three lists!
Future Dream Home of Outstanding Awesomeness: Things That Must Be
+bookshelves. LOTS of bookshelves. A room full of nothing but books, if possible
+media of other kinds--music, movies
+no bare wood except perhaps for the floors; painted wood furniture is all right
+preferably tile floors
+small house, big yard; lots of trees and houseplants; a real garden--lanterns of all kinds, weird statuary, paths that go nowhere (or do they?), stone benches
+a king-size bed and a clawfoot bathtub
+fun art from all over; travel souvenirs and things; postcards
+windows, windows, windows
+bright colors and interesting furniture
Childhood Home: Things That Jibe, Things That Don't
+dark wood, Louis XIV (or whatever) chairs, embroidered seat cushions=yuck
+tile floors=awesome!
+big yard with a great garden=awesome!
+round kitchen table=yuck (I prefer corners. Not sure why)
+"Diana, get out of the shower!"=yuck (Sorry utilities bill, I love long showers)
+always, ALWAYS clean=awesome! and I don't know how she did it
+homemade food at all times=see previous
+a reasonable amount of books, mostly living in my room=awesome!
Current Apartment: Things That Jibe, Things That Don't
+bright colors all over and interesting furniture...well, we're on our way
+no bare wood...again, getting there; the table and chair set will be painted soon enough, as will one of my bookcases
+lots of books, but THERE CAN ALWAYS BE MORE. Same with media in general
+interesting furniture-->well, we do have a bright red armchair and a great eclectic porch set
+houseplants, if I don't manage to kill them o.O
+fun art. I feel like I have a good handle on this--we have a pair of molas, two Haida prints, a screenprint of a photo my uncle took in the 70s with his surfboard, tons of awesome superhero art, interesting mirrors...but again, there can always be more. I love art and will someday have a wall full of framed art.
+queen-size bed. Almost there!
+no yard, obviously, but we have plants and our porch is reasonably green
Our current apartment is very satisfactory. And I like living in apartments generally. But there is always that vision of the home within, something to work toward, something to dream about. What does your home-within look like?
No comments:
Post a Comment