Day Birger et Mikkelsen
Day Birger et Mikkelsen 
Coastal Living
Stephen Gambrel When decorating I always love to scour my clients homes to find old treasured things which they have thrown into the back of a cupboard or drawer. I like to pull them out and place them in a collection on a piece of furniture like a coffee table, side table, sideboard or sofa table. And if a client doesn't have some goodies stowed away I often take them shopping to create their very own collection of things. A person's home should be a reflection of them not a reflection of me so even though I design their rooms and homes I do like to add a touch of them whether it's some old shells they collected years ago or old family photographs reframed, old books or even an old chair recovered - a piece of my client's life is always an important element of my design.
15 comments:
Yes! I also do that in my kitchens, searching to personalize the kitchen, to move it out of utilitarian territory. You show beautiful things on your pages. Very soulful.
A house is not a home until the owner's soul is out on view. Sounds cliched but true. Probably why I could never be a minimalist however ever much I want to be one. Beautiful images Anna.
Thank you Susan for such kind words!
XO
Anna
Jo - I know what you mean! I have tried to scale things down in the past but do you know what - I just can't do it! I LOVE THINGS and I'm proud of it! That's my new motto!
XO
Anna
I've always loved that Gambrel image :)
Anna, no one is better at bringing the world-wide design stage to the blogesphere! Your choices are stunningly beautiful.
Oh I love the way you work, you are such a good decorater!
Well, then I'm going to feel ok about it, too (liking "things".) Anna, what you say here has really resonated with me. I love how you help me with design but never EVER take away the core of my home. It's very apparent when you walk into a perfectly designed home and the designer really did it, separate to the client, or they chose page 47 from Pottery Barn and ordered every last thing from the mag. YUCK. Maybe because it's on the other side of the world, but I bet it would be the same if I were in Brisbane. Thanks, Anna!
I am so with you on this. It's so important that someone's home reflects their character. Beautiful collections
I have a habit of collecting stones and shells and such. It's not good when you have to move around a lot. When people come to help in the move I try to keep it a secret that they are actually carrying stones.
I also gather all kinds of tin cans. They are so pretty and you can store anything in them.
I love your blog by the way!
I feel better too about my things. I collect things. Things that were either passed down, or to take home a memory, or add to my cultural heritage collection of things, any number of things. I mostly mix them up.
This is actually very timely as just today I got word from my husband's wife that she gave away many of my father's things (he was a big, creative, collector), who just died about 2 weeks ago. She refused to give me the name of the person she gave it to, a reseller, as she wants to "end that chapter of her life." When I was there 2 weeks ago, I saw so much from my childhood that I expressed I'd like/would even pay for, whatever was unwanted. No, truly, there is nothing left out of the story.
So, things....things are good, they are beauty, and connect to the soul. It is a loss that I can't get these things, but when I think of the physical and mental health of my immediate family in the here and now, I know the things are secondary. Yet, I mourn what I could have had. They had very little value too.
Please use your judgment if you want to add this. I was planning a post in my blog about collections, really separate pieces, but bringing things you love, in the kitchen. I'll do that soon. I just took a picture this morning of my windowsill. :-)
I just visited my brother's brand new house yesterday. It's soooo impersonal - no collections (wife doesn't collect) and the paintings/decorations are straight from a catalogue. The only room in the entire huge house with any shred of personality is his study, which is far from the heart of his house... It's sad, really. All the time, effort and money (and i mean BIG money) they put in the house and it looks like a model from a development. It just left me cold!
My house has little collections that reflect the way I live and travel... not so for theirs.
Oh my goodness, I meant to say my FATHER'S wife, not my husband (who is a prince!) Yikes!! :-)
I like the pics no. 2 and 3 for coastal living. I have lots of shells to display...Thank you Anna.
my home is full of collections. Some on shelves, some just bunched together, hubby calls them 'junk collection'
I will be posting some photos later this week at www.rachaelqualley.com. They are all items that are associated with a particular memory, person, place or event.
Post a Comment