ECLECTIC DESIGN THERAPY
Life in Frames
Inspiration for the 'constant decorator'...
I've discovered there's really no such thing as decorating. There's only creating the space you want to live in - with the people, things, and memories you hold dear. Of course, there are things you need and spaces dedicated to specific tasks. But, as far as decorating a room, your home, even an entertaining venue for that matter, it really is all about envisioning how you want your space to feel when you're in it.
As an event planner, I'd always start my consultations with 'Putting cost aside, tell me your vision, how you want to feel, how you want people to experience your special event'. It's an exciting discovery to realize that it's not about having a ton of money or strong decorating skills, so much as a clear destination vision. And like a journey, getting there is part of the fun.
That's how I designed my first overstuffed picture frame. I wanted something I couldn't find in the marketplace - something in a color scheme that felt like me, something comfortable enough to embrace, something that suited the picture I wanted to frame. For me, starting with fabric is amazing - you can experience color, pattern and texture all in one fell swoop, and then continue building your vision from there. Add a distinctive ruffle, button or bow - yes, like high fashion - introduce a complementing fabric and play with your design until it makes your experience all you hoped for. And these overstuffed fabric-wrapped frames have continued to add a little joy to my home, a sweet holder of my cherished memories and a constant reminder that you can have that vision you carry in your head. And like high fashion, how you want to experience your vision will change. At the end of the day, decorating and design become very personal journeys of self-discovery, places in time and stories we want to share and treasure.
Maybe that's what being a “constant decorator” really means. Our lives keep changing, so naturally our spaces do too. We move things around, discover a fabric we can't resist, frame a new memory, retire something that no longer feels like us, and begin again. There isn't a finish line. The joy is in creating a home that keeps telling the story of who we are - and who we're becoming.