We're hoping to eventually embark on that renovation and it does force you to be realistic about your innate style and the way you live.
Not so long ago, my dream was 'minimalist'. Both the interior style and the concept of living with less, with everything in place and a place for everything. Something like this. Ahhh.... the serenity!
And then I woke up.
We don't live like that! We are messy people - all of us. And we love stuff. Not all crap, although there's certainly plenty of that. The books have filled the available bookshelves so we now have a few piles as well (yes, a home for them all is a priority for the reno). We have more art (and I use that term in its most eclectic definition) than wall space - and yes, of course there'll be less walls after the reno so not sure how that's going to work - we may need to be selective, god forbid! And Geoff's collection of music and movies (among the more significant of his 'collections') including hundreds of vinyls, CDs and DVDs, seems to be added to almost daily.
I confess I am a 'What if I throw out those pipe-cleaners and then next week, I need a pipe-cleaner?' kinda chick. And hard to believe, but I loathe contributing to landfill unnecessarily if I can avoid it. I know it would be better to throw out the pipe-cleaner and if we ever need some, buy them then - but I just can't.
In addition, we probably have too much furniture - gorgeous church pews, my grandfather's tool chest, Geoff's antique writing desk, my grandmother's pianola - that we feel some connection with, so that can't go either. Add a treadmill, too many cushions (what is it with cushions???) a penchant for 'objet d'art' and pieces collected from our regular travels - and you'll be getting the picture. Now just squish that all into a modest (some might say small) abode. Welcome to chaos and clutter!
As my sister-in-law would say, we've lost all hope and are now just praying for a fire!
So, how are things at your place? Are you sufficiently ruthless and detached to have exactly what you love - right now at this moment in history? Or like me, have you had to accept defeat because you love what you have?
Maybe, like most things in life, it's a spectrum and some of us, like me, are hanging in the extremes.
3 comments:
My father suggested a fire to the farmhouse when he and Mum died but no! My family and I carted much of that crap ( oops treasure ) to our houses. Acceptance of defeat with us along with 6 generations of books!!!!!!!!!
Yeah - pretty sure that's where I've landed JayBee - defeat and acceptance. xx
We are about to re-carpet and I do NOT want to be carting all the crap back into the rooms when we're done. So I am trying so hard to de-clutter. The children have been pretty good with their bedrooms but it is the books and "object d'art" bits that are our downfall. Every piece is something that means something, either it was a gift from a beloved or we acquired it on our travels. I have got particularly ruthless with gifts I don't actually like, regardless of who it is from, they get donated/regifted.
Good luck with your sorting, I'll just slink off to another cupboard and see what can go.........
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