Nest
As the weather gets increasing colder and the predictions of snow loom, I find myself wanting to stay in. To relax on the couch with a cup of tea, a good book and and a soft blanket (much like Conor in the photo above).
To me a house should feel like home. It shouldn’t be too delicate or too pretty. It shouldn’t be a museum. It should be a place where everyone feels welcome and comfortable. That is my goal with my home anyway.
I just read Undecorate by Christiane Lemieux, founder of Dwell Studios, and was so inspired. The pages are filled with beautiful, glossy images of real life homes. Homes that have been decorated by the people who live in them and not decorators. In the book she writes, “Modern life can be messy. Those of us who don’t live in mansions with around-the-clock staff have to master the art of juggling, house work, careers, responsibilities and relaxation. Add into it the mix of kids, and the dream of a picture-perfect home seems remote indeed. But perfection is over-rated.”
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| Our boots by the back door. |
I agree that perfection is over-rated. I am much more inspired and happy with the imperfect. The quirky mug that doesn’t match the rest (because the others have been broken by my kids). The mixed breed dog that doesn’t have the pedigree of a pure breed, but has a gigantic heart filled with love for the family that rescued her. I love my 5-year-old’s hair that is thick and dark and usually sticks up due to all his cowlicks it the morning. I love the worn knees and mud splattered trousers of my sons because they play so very hard and are real boys.
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| A hand-painted shell |
This hand-painted shell sits quietly on our console/wine table. It was painted by my mother probably 40-something years ago. She loved to collect clam shells on the beach and paint them. It almost looks like it could be the two of us on the beach (but when she painted it, I wasn’t born yet).
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| Warm wooden cabinet |
This warm wood antique cabinet adds a rustic look to our kitchen with its original hardware and wood grain. The planks of wood on the top are warped which adds to our imperfect home.
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| Persian rugs |
These persian rugs were a gift from my mom. I love all the colors in them – the blues, greens, pale pink and cream – all the great sea glass colors. The edges are slightly worn and add to the aged patina of our home.
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| My bedside table |
My bedside table is a favorite. I can’t take credit for the distressed paint job (though I wish I could). I love it. I love the white and pale green with the chippy edges. The Ikea alarm clock (a $5 find) that helps me see if it is time to get up the morning, the driftwood frame with two of my loves and, of course, my kindle and many books and scrapbooks.
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| a dark wood mirror |
A dark, antique mirror reflects light in our bedroom. We have a few mirrors in there because the room is not very big and I wanted it to appear bigger. The blown glass ornament reminds me of the old glass buoys that used to float in harbors. I love this color blue; it is so restful and relaxing.
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| Nonni’s rocking chair and my bunny |
My children love to read books in a little nook in the living room. They love to rock on Nonni’s childhood rocking chair. Perched on this chair is Peter, my childhood bunny. One time I brought hime to school for show & tell because I thought he could talk. I was mortified when he didn’t infront of class.
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| John in and Conor crawling into the fort on John’s bed. |
