Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue.
One of the first things that I have clients do when we first start evaluating their space, is to inventory the current items that exist in it. These items can include rugs, furniture, decor, paint color, floor medium and ceiling texture. What purpose have/will these items serve in the past, present and future? How do you feel about these items? Do you need them, want them or even like them? You will be amazed how many of these items we keep throughout the years out of obligation. Whether that obligation is due to the price that was paid for it, who gave it to us, or the time frame that it is from that emotionally is significant to us. While all of these are valid feelings and very real, it does not justify why the items must be showcased in that specific space. I am a firm believer that everything and everyone has their place in our existence and environment. The big challenge is finding out where that place is.
I had the amazing opportunity to spend the last few weekends with my grandfather and celebrate his 85th birthday with him and my family. This is my last living grandparent and someone who I have spent many summers and memories with as a child and adult. The adventures and life experiences that were provided to me by my grandfather are ones that I strive to give to my own children. We lost my grandmother a short time ago, and it is always hard to create new memories without her. After my grandmother’s passing, my grandfather sold their home and moved across the state to start this new chapter of his life.
When I walked into my grandfather’s house this past week, I was greeted with an overwhelming sense of my grandmother’s presence. All of the items from their previous home together had made the move with my grandfather and carried with them the scent of my grandmother. The joys, tears and memories of my childhood and everything that I remember about being in that space all those years was still very much alive. With my five senses on overload, I started thinking about the comfort and sense of security I felt in this new, yet seemingly familiar, space. How odd it was that a new environment that my grandmother had never physically set foot in, was dancing with her energy and being! I remember for years I would walk into their house and wonder why she had kept and collected some of the items that at the time I would classify as ‘junk’ and outdated. Now, in her earthly absence, I find comfort and joy in those same items.
As we work through creating a space for you and the people that you choose to spend your everyday life with, we don’t want to discredit the items like the ones mentioned above. I think that anything within moderation is appropriate. For my clients that have a really hard time letting these items take a backseat in their space, we look at the options to re-purpose or re-home those pieces. One of the common reasons we feel the need to change our environment and update our world is because we are forever changing as people and so is the energy that we put out and take in. Whether this is a life-long change, temporary change or situational change, it’s change!
My approach when it comes to achieving the balance of the items we keep, versus the items we purge or replace, is using the well-known wedding verse: “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue.” Please keep in mind that “Blue” simply refers to adding a splash of color or pattern like a plant or couch pillow, but also can refer to toning down and neutralizing for some clients that have too many colors going on. By having clients repeat this saying while physically selecting items for their space and making piles, it never ceases to amaze me that their “old” and “borrowed” items (‘borrowed’ refers to family heirlooms and things passed down) seem to become less and less as they are only able to bring in more new items by eliminating some of the items they initially thought they wanted in their new space. By sticking to a system like the one above, it helps prevent clutter and putting too much back into the new space that has been cleared as a blank slate. This in turn also helps prevent over spending and staying within our budget when it comes to the ‘new’ and ‘blue’ items.
Too many times we get overtaken by excitement and the ‘newness’ that comes with designing a new space. Let’s not forget the importance of having items that are also familiar and tell our complete-story included in this new space too. Changing your space does not change your situation or who you are. It does however, showcase and support these things. What message or emotion are you wanting to send to others that come into your space? What emotion do you want to evoke from yourself in that space? For my home, I want to showcase the lived-in-and-loved feeling and provide a definite presence of security for my family. But at the same time, I want to show my feminine side and be relevant as well. This is hard to do as I am the only female in a house full of four boys (counting my Hubby!)
The take-away from this post is to not be so quick to eliminate all that we “were” when we are creating our new space. There are other people that occupy that space and also pull energy from it to better understand where their place is and how they belong in it. It is definitely a fine balance, but a feasible balance that we achieve for our clients every day. Design for life, not for trend. Where you are going is just as important as where you were.
