(Mis)Adventures in Home Furnishing: Where to Start
We crossed the grim 100,000 milestone this week. And while the economy crashes and burns, and Missouri water parks baptize the latest in the cult of Trump, while we adherents of science all hold our breath for the second wave — even now when the future seems so bleak, I decided to plow ahead and blog about… home decorating. Yep. Because some things have to continue. Because this won’t last forever. Because people are appreciating their homes in a whole new way. Because the beauty of everyday things will return and the magic of the ordinary with it.
So, to hell with COVID-19 and on to more enjoyable topics…
It sounds like a dream come true, and in many ways it is. You buy a home, a beautiful blank slate and now comes the fun part… you get to furnish it. You get to right all those wrongs you made when you didn’t have the budget, the experience or the time to make informed, considered choices. This time you will bring to bear all that you have learned after a dozen moves and a hundred bad decisions.
As a career homemaker, our new (to us!) house in Charleston was my capstone project. The culmination of 30 years of deciding between this and that. The chance to realize at least some of the hopes/dreams/wishes I’ve been cataloging over the years.
Once the stable to the ‘big’ house
Last year we bought a charming antique home in downtown Charleston, a warm weather port for my husband to ‘warm his bones’. The previous owners did a big renovation 10 years ago, and modernized the floor plan, systems, kitchen and bathrooms. Their design choices were sound and not too anything, so easy to work with — that blank slate I was referring to.
Of course the historical integrity of the house needed to be respected. I wasn’t going to fill a house built in 1850 with danish modern furniture, even if I did love it. Although I am all about mixing styles and embracing eclecticism, I wanted to be a good and faithful steward of this house and celebrate its age, not mask it.
So what follows are some tips I’ve learned along the way, I hope they help. I’ve learned a lot over the last year so I’ll break it down into installments. Before I get started, a few things to get out of the way:
As a self-diagnosed sentimental fool, who is continually astonished by my children and their accomplishments and our shared history as a family — our living spaces have always felt a little bit like an archived, casually curated display which could be titled, The Zulkoskis — All Through the Years. Not in the ‘Don’t Touch’ museum sort of way, more like an exhibit in a questionable roadside attraction. This includes:
Every type of photograph everywhere including snap shots (out-of-focus not necessarily a disqualifier); formal portraits, recent and ancient; outtakes from school portraits; landscapes. Anything goes.
Lumpy and award winning 3-D art projects, framed artwork and notes in grade-school scrawl;
Favorite books of every genre.
Also cow bells, rusty nails, Lake Champlain buttons, ancient barn boards — all sorts of artifacts and family lore.
Our history on display. This was not an intentional decision, this is just the style of decorating, literally home making which came about organically out of a thousand little decisions over dozens of years.
This is my guiding principle: When my kids come home and bring their friends, I want them to feel loved and celebrated; that their contribution to our home is not only valued, but cherished.
Their contributions don’t just ‘sit on top’ of our decor, it is the foundation, the support on which decisions get made.. It’s a fine line between shrine and ‘questionable roadside attraction,’ I’ll admit. But I’m up to the task. So with that fundamental principle in my back pocket, the work could begin. And work it is. Enjoyable, sometimes fun and satisfying, often frustrating and misguided — but definitely work. Interior decorators earn every penny they make. And if you are wondering why I didn’t use a decorator, especially since I had to do this all long distance? Because a) I’m cheap b) I really felt like I could do it myself c) I didn’t want this house to look too ‘done’ d) I am very opinionated and like what I like and don’t want to be convinced and e) I really am that cheap.
Step One: Decide What of Your Existing Items You Are Keeping and/or Moving to Your New Place
The beginning of the ‘what to bring’ pile
This was very easy for us since we had so much from Southeast Asia that looked ridiculous in our professionally and overly-decorated French Provincial home in Vermont (we bought it that way and although lovely, it always felt like we were staying in the home of an elderly and very fussy great Aunt). We decided to move everything Asian (with a few exceptions) to Charleston and make the house there, if not the Chinoiserie Jewel Box I long coveted, then at least a better reflection of our taste and history.
Chinoiserie: the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and East Asian artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, literature, theatre, and music. (Wikipedia)
‘Europe meets Asia’ in the most fanciful, whimsical way. I adore Chinoiserie for its idealized toiles, its fancy florals and for its inherent femininity. And while Chinoiserie is definitely having a moment, it is also timeless. Since it came about when travel to the East established predictable trade routes with Europe in the 17th century, Chinoiserie has insinuated itself in every decade. Here are just a few examples.
Chinoiserie is very broad and can incorporate so much, from fine export China to rustic mid-century rattan. There are a few motifs which pop up over and over: nature (specifically birds and all manner of flora), dragons, pagodas, lots more. Chinoiserie also plays very nicely with other aesthetic movements and decorative designs:
Greek lock looks great with Chinoiserie
Campaign furniture, with its brass fittings and solid square forms juxtaposes beautifully
19th Century European movements as well, particularly Georgian and Louis XVI
British Colonial
Art Nouveau
Chinese Chippendale
Hollywood regency
Faux bamboo
So, tune in later for more tips and resources. Not more lessons on Chinoiserie, I promise, but practical information that may help anyone who is redecorating. A room, a house, a nook — no matter the scope of your project, I hope it’s helpful.
