Friday, June 06, 2008
With Style? Who, me?
When Harper Collins sent me this book for review a year or so ago, I just stuck it on my shelf. To be honest, the peaceful haven of a home represented on the front cover felt out of reach and impossible. Now maybe that's because currently I'm living with half my stuff in storage in my in-laws' home while they serve a mission. I have put some of my own touches on things, but it doesn't really feel like my space. In my last home, I used my own ideas of functionality and style, and didn't even think of consulting interior design books for help.
Boy do I feel stupid.
So we bought a house last week... WaHOO, and we're getting ready for a move, and lo and behold, I have this lovely book on my shelf, designed for people who are moving to a smaller space, to help them to use the space they have to full advantage, and to not feel cluttered or cramped in their space. It also recommends they start early, and get the things they want exactly as they want them before the move. Suddenly, this book was for me.
Our new home is smaller than the condo we owned before this move, but it's in a perfect neighborhood for us, in walking distance of good schools, family members, three grocery stores, three department stores, and parks and recreational locations. It also has a fenced back yard, room for a garden and fruit trees and grape vines, a nice shed, and it was also within our price range. A miracle.
Anyway, while we're not downsizing much from the place we lived before, it is a substantial downsize from where we currently live. We only have three of us, and we really don't need more space than this, but let's just say that I am something of a pack rat. Not to mention that I have a year's supply of food and water to put somewhere. Oh, and I have a piano. And I'm a photographer, needing a home office and a place to shoot studio portraits when clients come knocking.
And I own musical instruments. And I sew, and knit and crochet, with all the attendant supplies. And my husband and I love board games, which come in large boxes, and of which we probably have 20-30. And I'm storing all my baby stuff in hopes that one day there will be another one of those lovely darlings for us. And I love to cook, and have quite a contingent of kitchen appliances. And I can fruits and vegetables every fall, and I have all my canning supplies for the 100+ quarts that I preserve each year.... and a juicer for juicing the concord grapes we're going to plant... and, and, and.
My mind begins to swim with how much stuff I have, and need, and think I need to have.
So I'm doing two fun things right now. And I mean it... they are FUN.
ONE: I'm getting rid of things. We have a whole storage room in the basement right now filled with things that we think we're taking with us to our new home. Think is the key word, because I'm on a donating rampage. I've been going through everything putting it in bags and stacks to be taken to the local thrift-store.
I reduced five rubber-maid tubs to three tubs this week. I'm paring down and cleaning up. Life is too short to carry along all this stuff. What I'm also doing is reading the fun fun book pictured at the top of this post.
Lauri Ward, the author of Use What You Have Decorating has piles of ideas to help you use what you already have to create a more stylish, more restful, more uncluttered, more peaceful home. I love her ideas for using dead space, for re-purposing your possessions, for de-cluttering, for using one room or piece of furniture for multiple uses, for living simply. It gets me excited all over.
She recommends that you start out by making a plan of your home, and measuring everything, and then making a formal plan. She stresses carrying your plans with you everywhere as you shop and run errands, or go to yard sales, or shop on craigslist.com. That way, you wait and find the exact things you are looking for, and can maximize storage, and de-clutter your space, and your life.
So here's the house plan that I made on this awesome site I found: You can get a free account.
It may not look like much, but it is the result of hours of crazy work. I didn't have the layout or the original floorplan of my home to start with, so it began with hours of measurements and then hours and hours of experimentation and playing around to get the whole drawing to scale. But you know what's fun. The red objects in the plan are the ones that I don't own yet, but plan to purchase -- almost exclusively second-hand for a fraction of the price of new items, but since I now know my space, and what it holds for me, I can shop carefully to get exactly what I'm looking for. The rest of the furnishings pictured in the plan are for the most part to perfect scale. So fun, huh?
Also, my version of the floorplan is interactive, so if you click on an item, you can change its dimensions, placement, and rotation, or just see what dimensions you initially entered. So fun.
Anyway... how's that for a review of the book. This woman has got me so excited about organizing the space of my new home that I read--nay, devoured--her home decor book in two days, reading late into the night. Now, once I design this palace of peaceful living, if I can only summon the chutzpah to keep it clean while I live there. :)
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I didn't know you had bought a home! We are also moving--next Sat. I love your floorplan and all your grand plans--you are so awesome! I want to come see the "completed project"!
Awesome! Congratulations on the new home, sounds fantastic!
No WAY! Where is it? When are you moving? Are you going to need help? I'm so excited for you and I WISH WISH WISH I had done what you're doing. Eric and I feel constantly overpowered by clutter and we just can't seem to get enough time to do what we need to (of course, I'm posting a comment on a blog instead of grocery shopping so perhaps this shouldn't be such a surprise). Anyway, we really miss you and are so excited for you guys. What great news. Please send me all the details. I can't wait to hear.
OOh YAY! Congrats on the purchase!! And I LOVE the way you are planning it all out - it's so much nicer when you don't have to leave things to chance - "oh, I THINK this will fit!" :)
You go, girl!
That is so cool. I'm really happy for you. Isn't it kind of liberating to get rid of stuff? Bring on the space for living!
I find it fabulous that you have black keys and white keys on your piano ... but no dining room chairs. :) :) :)
Hi Heather! Congratulations on your new home-that is SO exciting. I love organizing and throwing away stuff. I think your mom really turned me on to it! :)
I'm going to check out this book since EVENTUALLY we will own a home!
You bought a house?!? Woohoo! Congratulations!
Heather!! Yea! I'm so excited you got a house! That's so fun.