** Hi Design Thoughts readers!! As my family and I TRY to get back to normal after a week of no work, no gas, but thank GOD electricity due to hurricane Sandy, and continue to sort out this mess(our house) and continue packing for Nashville, I need a week. A week of not worrying(obsessing) about Design Thoughts. So for the next 7 days, I am going to be re-posting a few of my fav’s from the Archives! This will probably be the most consistent posting you will see for a while because I am scheduling them lol!!
I hope all of you on the East coast are starting to get back to normal too!! enjoy these oldies!!
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“Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest”
~ Robert Montgomery
I have spent the last 7 yrs ( yes, 7 can you believe it!!) in New York. For the better part of those seven yrs, (at least 4) I spent my days in our rented Duplex/Apartment, longing for the home we OWN, in Michigan. I never wanted to put money into the interior of this duplex, almost as to stick my tongue out at it and say, “you are NOT my home, you are just a house I live in…for now!” ….and then something began to change almost 3 yrs ago …the lines turned pink, and I WANTED more than anything, to make a home for this new baby that was about to come into our life. I was still resistant to spending a lot of money, (and trust me, certainly had the days that I said to myself…screw making this place a HOME, we will just move BACK!) but slowly, we began painting, and adding things that meant something to us. Yes, we still have a few bare walls that cry desperately for artwork, we still have windows that are in MAJOR need of treatments, and we still have a front porch that has nothing but a grill and a sand table on it, yearning for a sweet little patio set and brightly colored flowers..but I finally feel like this is our home. I know we will not be here for ever, and I am still excited about that( I miss my family!!) but New York will ALWAYS hold a special untouchable place in my heart…and this home, where we brought our first baby, will be part of it!! By the way…my answer to the question “Do you feel pressure to have an awesome house because you are an Interior Designer?”NO, I don’t…Interior design is a process, and I would much rather take time and buy nice pieces that I can afford, then to go in debt for my home to look completely designed…even with a crap load of money, I feel like no ones home is ever finished..How can it be when you change everyday?
Anyway..as I was sitting in the spot of our home that I feel most at peace ( more on that later) I began to think about other people, and I was so curious, what and where people find solice in and around their homes,??? What a gift, right? that we can sit in our favorite chair, or look at our favorite nightstand, or Quote, or have a night time party with our kids, our dogs and all 5 lovies, and feel what it really means to “BE HOME” a gift that I certainly spent years taking for granted. SO ,thank you to all of you, for letting me in to your sweet spots, and allowing me to share them with my readers!! Please, take a minute, or five, and read which space brings joy to everyone else!! ps..I had so many people respond that I had make this into to a 2 part series 😉
Carey S ~ Brooklyn, NY
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| Aaron, Carey and baby zoe |
My favorite place in my home is, very specifically, the corner of my L shaped couch. Aaron and I bought this couch with our wedding money- our first nice piece of furniture that we bought together. We wanted a place where we could both lay cozily– a big, comfy place to stretch out but still hang out together. Since having Zoe, we put a blanket in the corner area and it has become her resting spot because from day one she loved staring at the light coming through the fire escape bars at the window. We learned that the soft light makes for great pictures, and could create a little series of couch pictures from the past three and half months. It is now where I sit with her for the little stretch of time I share in the morning before going to work. With Zoe learning how to roll over this week, we are going to have to make some new adjustments, but the corner of my couch remains my favorite part of my house!
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Jodi H.~ Phoenix, AZ
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| Brooklyn, Jodi, Caleb and Jason |
My favorite spot in our house is my son’s bed. And here is why. One time months & months ago, our whole family was in his bedroom getting ready to tuck him in. He has a queen size bed (our old guest bed) under a castle loft that my dad built for him (though that does not play into the reason). We were all laying in his bed…Mom, Dad, Sister & Brother and then the two dogs came wandering into his room and so we made them jump up onto the bed as well. I then said to them, you know if we were to float away on this bed right now…we have everything we need. Our family is all here (& each of the kids had their lovies) so anything else we could buy again if we ever had to. These things (our family, dogs, & lovies) are the things we can not replace.
You can not mess with the delicate balance of what belongs on that boat. 4 people, 2 dogs, & 5 lovies. Must have all pieces or the night is ruined
Its quite a sight!
Its quite a sight!
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Erin H. ~ Ann Arbor, MI
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| Charlie |
Flowers beginning to bloom, warmth and sunshine- perfect for drinking coffee and playing ball with Charlie.
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Jamie D.~ MI
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| Alivia and Jamie |
“This is currently my favorite place in the house. We recently had no choice but to replace our tub, so we turned it into a good thing by springing for a deeper tub with jets. It is worth every penny. I can comfortably take baths with Alivia now, and for some reason, she’s braver in the deeper tub, and even likes to “float” around (in just two inches :)). For me, it’s the best relaxer after a day of being everything that we have to, and choose to be. The guy said we probably wouldn’t end up using it, that you think you will, but you don’t. I make myself, and I enjoy every minute of it. As for decor, you can see we’re still working on that. :)”
If I have to pick the things and/or place in our home that actually relax and calm me, they are in my office. And that’s by design. Work can be stressful and frustrating sometimes. I like being able to look up and see something that will make me smile. And I have a window that brightens the room and allows me to see the Colorado blue sky EVERY day. I have not been anywhere else in the world where the sky is so deep blue on sunny days. My desk faces the fireplace with bookshelves to the right. On those shelves. I have a picture of my parents, me and Chris, my McFarlane Dairy bottles, and my absolute favorite books facing in a way that I can see them.
When I walk into my office, I see my original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs drawings from a cartoonist who worked on the original movie, and the cutest picture of my Grandpa Jack (Benford) from when he was a boy. All these things make me happy. But what makes me happiest is in the attached picture.
On the mantle above the fireplace sit two Marionette puppets, handmade by my Grandpa Jack, atop two books my family was mentioned in. Just to the left of my two friends is the picture my Mom gave me two Christmases ago. I have always loved Winnie the Pool and Christopher Robin, but this piece holds the most special place in my heart. I get to think of my Mom every time I see it. And when I read it, DAILY, I know exactly how my Mom feels about me. Thankfully I still have her with me, but there will be a day when she is no longer here, but I will always have this to remind me.
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Rebecca S ~ Lake Isabella, MI
My dining Room is my favorite spot because it is around THIS table every night, that my family and I share our meal, our days, our memories.
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THANK YOU to everyone who shared their special places with me! Stay tuned for post number 2 later this week. I have at least 7 more spaces to share, and I cant wait to show you.
If you didn’t send in a pic and story ( that’s ok ;)) but just think about where your spot is and why? or maybe you don’t have one special spot….if not, maybe you can create one. What brings you joy? what brings you strength??
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