Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Challenge, Day 27: Flashing Back

Today I parted the curtains at my employer's house (I nanny, in case you missed the memo :-) and got a look straight across into the neighbor's window. Well OK, I just got to see about 6 inches into the room through the window. I saw what looked like an antique wood table, an antique lamp, and an antique wood chair against a darkened room. The lamp was ugly. The whole window view seemed somber, cold, uninviting, dusty, boring, and lifeless. I looked at another window in the house and saw some unattractive curtains barring the room, which cemented my opinion that the neighbors need a home design makeover. The antiqueish room flashed me back to when I was ten and traipsed through dusty, musty, disorganized rooms of antique stores with relatives. In truth those "stores" were basically an old house or series of rooms filled with old things. Some of which was interesting, some of which was downright boring and dusty and just EVERYWHERE. Those places were so full of STUFF it was almost claustrophobic-feeling. The strange thing is, I don't remember feeling a strong dislike for the stores when I was in them, yet the trigger to the memory (the room through the next-door window) put a bad taste in my mouth. I don't think I could abide living there. I'd have to change it. Partly it's because I despise living spaces that show no evidence of being lived in. And partly it's because certain styles of decorating just bug me, whether subtly or overtly. Some styles I don't care for but can live with, some styles irritate me at the very sight. This is one of those styles. Don't ask me why because I don't know. Do you ever feel that way? And it's not like I hate antiques or a decorating style that keeps with a bygone time. I've seen very well done decorating which keeps with the age of a house and incorporates antiques and a particular period's look (case in point: my employer's home), but it does so without feeling stuffy, uninviting, or un-lived in. I know: "let it go Beck, just let it go..." *Deep breath*. OK I think I can move on now. ;-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know this is random and pretty much useless information. But I'm privileged: this is my blog and I get to write what I want! :-) Happy Tuesday!

2 comments:

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Becky -

An overly-cluttered decor makes me feel claustrophobic. (I'm still working on de-cluttering my space.)

While I love antiques and country, too many collections send me over the edge.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Becky Lange said...

It's strange, I have both cluttered and neat tendencies - though lately the neat tendency has started to dominate. I still create messes, but it's aggravating to me until I tidy up! About decor - I think that anything over-decorated becomes unattractive and hard to live in, don't you?

Have a great day!