THE HOUSE DOCTOR FINDING YOUR HOME'S PERSONALITY AS AN EXPRESSION OF ART

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Art is expression, and your home can be your canvas.  Mr. Arnold Bennett once said:  "Nobody has the right to be bored in a half-made home.  A home which is not a fair expression of us at our best, a home which lacks what it might have, a home which is in any part more ugly or in any part more uncomfortable than it absolutely need be." 

So, taking his words seriously, I have approached my home as a hobby, not a chore.  It is also a luxury, not a necessity.  I could make a good home anywhere, so I'm not idolizing this particular place; it is simply the place where God has chosen to put me right now.  I have a feeling I could carry on the same hobby if I lived in an alley in the street.  My part of the alley would take on a certain charm of its own, I'm sure!  Perhaps you can identify with these feelings.  I hope so.  

I've seen many living examples of this illustration and they never cease to take my breath away.  Some people have an art form within their soul that just spews and doles out beauty where ever they exist.  I pray for increase of this quality in my life! 

It isn't about collecting things and spending money, but it is about recognizing the souls and spirits of those who live in a space and perform the daily act of coming and going there.  

Like many who love sharing their homes I find myself with this  desire for pure unadulterated hospitality, such as Abraham showed the Holy Trinity when he was first visited at his tent.  Mind you, he was living in a TENT, but Abraham brought forth his best, even when it was inconvenient and unexpected.  He was always prepared to do so, at any moment, at the drop of hat.  I just feel my home must be that way too.

So many of us approach repairing, remodeling and dressing up our homes as a feat that requires too much physical labor, psychological exercise, and financial resources.  I try to reverse that thought.  Instead of making this a chore, I think of my home as a work of art that is continually being pursued from many different angles with a variety of mediums.  

It is a hobby, not a chore.  It is organic and evolving.  Progress is never overnight, and I expect that things will never be finished and tied up like a pretty little package with a bow on top.  A home is a life-long, ever changing project that never ends.  It is a life-process and not something that has to happen all at once or in one day.  It is more like a metamorphosis than a planned event.

The art of making a home is simply a way to enjoy the abundance that God grants to us for the taking.  This abundance is free.  It isn't something that you go out and buy, it is a way for your mind to think about change.  You can resist it, or you can relish the beauty and refreshment of it. This is not about spending money, but this is about having quality.  It is all about caring for what you have been blessed to have.  You can chose to take the easy road and be materialistic in this venture.  You are almost guaranteed in this case to eventually get bored with your choices; or you can chose to be gently caring for your home, and always feel refreshed about the constant process of moving forward.  

For years now I have been cleaning out a building full of accumulated junk.  Just things that have piled up over time, but this building, once empty will help me to keep my house fresh and alive.  

That may sound strange at first, but I must share with you the concept that I've been slowly building over the years.  I have collected decorative items that express the seasons, spring with all it's holiness and bright colors, then the red white and blues of Memorial Day that lead into Pentecost and Independence Day, then summers with patio fun in the sun and times at the beach, then fall with those lovely colors of the changing leaves and expressions of thanksgiving.  Last, but not least the lights of Chanukah, and the splendor of a traditional Christmas that celebrates the conception of Christ and The Incarnation.  I love all of these seasonal expressions of beauty.  

Now, I've finally put each season's expressions into labeled boxes to be stored in their own section of that storage building until it is time to bring them out each year in their own season. This is my main decorating technique, the rest is very basic and simple.  These items rotated every season keep my house fresh, interesting and new feeling year after year, no matter what stage of life we find ourselves living out.  It is that simple.  More than that, I've got those memories from seasons where I have used these things with my family and friends etched over my heart and photographed in all the family scrapbooks.  It is definitely not the things that matter, but it is the excuse that the things present to enjoy time with others and the reasons to develop relationships through times spent together in every season of life.  

If you don't see this, try a little experiment.  Invite some friends over for just an ordinary day.  How many people felt it was really important to show up when you asked?  Now, tell them you are having a seasonal party, spring fling, summer beach party, fall harvest party, and watch their enthusiasm and reactions change.  They will not want to miss it!  When you decorate seasonally and live your life around those seasons, life becomes more of an adventure.

For example, think about winter in this respect.  It is not at all about hoarding or storing like a squirrel getting ready for winter; it IS all about sharing and loving the moments that life presents in winter.  Center your decor around a blazing fireplace and invite friends over for hot chocolate and carol singing.  They will love it and admire your home to boot. 

People gather and gravitate towards order and beauty.  The order of the seasons and the beauty of your decorations of the season will make them feel harmony and love.  Is this an illusion?  Not if your heart makes it true.  People will see your heart every time they look around your home.  They will respect this and respond to it in beautiful ways.  Both you and they will be blessed.

I tucked this plan into the back of my mind years ago when I chose the main furnishings for our house, I've kept the colors neutral, creamy white sofas, beige rugs, simple straight lines, wooden floors, white walls with traditional art for the main spaces that do not change.  All of this blends with everything else I chose to add each season.  I've used solid bedspreads, loving and making full use of the effects of the freshness of whites.  Solid black in some furnishings and tabletops make a great backdrop for showing off pops of color.  Grays and beiges make decorating easy and natural.  All of these neutrals make a perfect backdrop for any season.  

So every season I pack up the things from the past season, label appropriately, and store until the next season comes along.  I do this year after year.  It is not a hard thing to do.  I take it in stages to make it easier.  We might have a weekend here and there of transition where the house is partially decorated for one season and partially decorated for the past season.  I don't stress or try to aim for perfection in just one day.  

Each new season I pull out the next season's things and enjoy them for the next several weeks, until the clock of life says "it is time for a change."   It works beautifully.  I feel like I get a whole new house every season. Each time I pull out the seasonal decorations I feel like I'm greeting old friends I haven't talked to for awhile.  When I find some very special new treasure, I introduce it to my old friends.  

For many people all of this packing up and pulling out feels like a dreaded chore and seems to be a lot of extra work.  For me though, it is like Christmas all year round.  The pulling out of new and boxing out of the previous season occurs gradually, a little at a time the old season dissolves away, and the new season appears and we follow the paths of our lives.  The idea is to LIVE in each season and to appreciate it's own unique beauty.  

It really doesn't take a lot of effort when you live through it this way.   I don't have to run to the store every time I want to be seasonal or festive, I simply reuse the same items over and over each year.   The familiarity only makes them become more special.

 Some nails in the wall are good for switching items each season.  My door wreaths and welcome signs in the foyer change with the seasons.  Some tabletops are good for changing decor when the dates change.  Some dishes are perfect for a time, then seasons change too.  (This makes cooking the same old recipes over and over a lot more fun and inspirational.)  Of course, I have my own created cookbook too that (you guessed it) has recipes for each season. of the year.  If you are interested in purchasing one of these, send me a message and I will try to accommodate you.    

Everything always feels fresh and new, and if you follow this process over the years just adding a piece at a time here and there, it is very cost effective.  

You could also have a variation on this idea if you just don't want to be seasonal.  It isn't about copying my ideas, but thinking up your own ideas.  What do you have in your life that would lend to making your home more interesting?  Grab that theme and go with it.  Mine started with observing God's Holy days.  My life was and is constantly evolving around these days.  

You may be a sports fan or an athlete, with your life evolving around whatever sport is happening; go with it!  You may be an outdoors person who is fond of  enjoying all of the natural beauty of nature that God gives to us.  Bring it into your home!  Let your home express your personality.  Give it a reflection of you. 

Maybe instead of going with a typical seasonal decor, you could pick your favorite hobby (horses, art, cooking, gardening) and decorate for the season with those types of items, only change and rotate them every two or three months.  Show how these things evolve in your life.  

Take these ideas any where you want, the jest of it all is to be creative with your home's interior and exterior in a way that keeps it interesting and expresses more of your personal lifestyle.  Find a way to show that you live in and love your home, and let your home say to others that you are not just existing there while you are not at work.  

I know a couple that decorates their home with classic car ideas.  You never know what they will have next, it is likely to be something they found at a recent event and just had to display in their home.  Be creative and reflect the things you enjoy!

And so it goes with this hobby of mine for always finding inexpensive and creative ways to make a house a home.  I never run out of ideas, and I hope to share some of them with you, step by step and season by season in this blog.

Keep reading "The Home Doctor" section titles of my blog if you are interested and hooked on this hobby as much as I am.  

I'll be posting new ideas about seasonal decorating and articles about ideas and themes that could make a home unique.  It is so much fun!   

I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions too!  I hope to receive many comments with these articles and think it would be wonderful for all of us to share our ideas for making a house a home.