As long as I can remember, I’ve been bucking the system and doing things my way. In my younger formative years, this often went against the grain of my contemporaries, and oftentimes I felt too this or too that, simply never quite fitting in with the crowd.
Well, my taste in decorating is consistent with my personal philosophy…it’s the way it is because I like it. It’s “my style,” which might not be your style, or the next person’s, but it’s mine and …well, I like it that way.
Don’t get me wrong, there have been times when I’ve veered even a little too far from “off the charts” and regretted a few bold choices. But, in general, I’m pleased with the way my home looks and feels. And it’s not necessarily because I follow all the trends (or that I buck them ALL either). I find respite in my casual, yet elegant, slightly-big-and-chunky, antiquey, West Indies sort of look.
My comfort comes in the way of small things that make me smile when my eye rests upon them, or the sense of family love that sometimes overcomes my heart when I notice an old heirloom – or more likely – a slightly beat up piece of décor that my mom or grandmother passed along to me.
Some of my most favorite pieces are an old family Bible, from the very early 1900’s. It’s leathered, weathered and worn; yet it is rich in family history and pride. It sits smack in the middle of my coffee table for all to see. From my grandmother, I have a little collection of demitasse cups, many of which are slightly chipped or cracked from too many moves and ungentle hands. The cups sit right next to the champagne flutes from Tiffany & Co. The flutes are there out of obligation to a business colleague; the cups are there out of love and fondness.
Across my dining table lays an old treasure, a hand-crocheted tablecloth. It reveals years of service through its handful of stains, readily visible to the naked eye. But I don’t see an old, soiled table linen, I see the hand-made gift that has been in my family for nearly a century, and I’m blessed to be the one who gets to enjoy it and choose the next lucky recipient.
When it came time for my parents to downsize their collection of Christmas tree ornaments, I was so tickled to receive some of the really old ones…even if they were a little scratched and didn’t match a color scheme. My sister boldly declared she wasn’t interested in “hand-me-downs” and wanted only new stuff. The memories that I relish from Christmases gone by are so much better than the sense of satisfaction I might derive from a handsomely decorated tree. Don’t get me wrong, I like handsome; I just prefer the emotional high that comes from nostalgia.
Most of my favorite treasures and accents don’t fit into a particular color scheme or decorative theme. And I’m okay with that. While I want my friends, extended family and occasional guests to enjoy time in my home, I’m most interested in creating cozy and peaceful places that nurture and speak love to my family.
