Home Decorating

I lived in the same house from the time I was born until I went away to college, and my mother continued to live there for long years until she moved into a senior living apartment. She favored Early American style and had furnished the house in appropriate and comfortable furniture. She didn't ever re-decorate beyond removing the wall-paper, repainting, making new curtains, and once having the living room couch and chair re-covered. During my adult life until about 8 years ago I lived in furnished housing with no choice at all in furnishings and decor. Now, at 60, I've been in a home we've owned for several years. Honestly, I'm clueless about what it would mean to "decorate" it. I look at blogs and other sites and find a lot of what I see appealing, but I'm happy with what I've gradually accumulated through the years.

That said, I think some of what I see would be fun to have, keeping in mind that to buy large new furniture at this point in my life wouldn't be good stewardship. This idea of making your home look "well-traveled without ever booking a plane ticket" looks like fun. Their list:

1. Layer Up
2. Pseudo tiles
3. Eastern sculpture
4. Basket art
5. Floor cushions
6. If all else fails… Plants. Lots and lots of plants.

I'd interpret this differently and on a smaller scale, I think.

1. I already do the "layer up" suggestion with pillows and throws.

2. Tiles don't appeal to me.

3. My Eastern pieces (here are a sample)

and 4. my baskets

are smaller for the most part and the baskets are fewer than what they show. I tend to use the baskets individually for practical purposes, and ones I'm not using are stored.

5. Our place is so small there's no room for floor cushions, but

6. boy, oh boy, do I have the plants!

I have a few things that actually came from foreign lands, and I display them on shelves or tables

and walls

The brown wool braided rugs that we used in our little cabin in the woods back in the day don't contribute to the foreign travel look, though. But I like them. They make me think I'm on a woodland vacation with a trail to walk right outside my door. Who needs foreign travel! I took their quiz, and I got "Artful Bohemian" as my home decor personality. I can definitely live with that result.

What I need to do at this point is pare down and distill so that the treasures I have aren't drowned out by the clutter. And dust! I need to dust!