Things Matter

Joshua Tree
woven photograph, Fernando Bengoechea
 

One Man's Treasure

 

If you believe that the things you surround yourself with, the things that fill your home and your life reflect and tell the story of your life, then you would agree that things matter.  This is the premise that inspires and defines interior designer Nate Berkus's approach to creating meaningful, beautiful, and functional spaces that are as unique as the individuals who reside in them. 

 

"I've always believed your home should tell your story," he writes in the opening line to his newest book, The Things That Matter.  Telling your story means bringing together and living with the items of your life in a purposeful way.  The start of a new year is the perfect time to look around and consider:  What do you really love?  What makes you smile?  What makes you reflect?  What connects you to others?  What brings meaning and joy to your life?  The things that do should be up front and centre, and if they are not, take the time to reorganise, rejig, and redesign.  (Everything else, if it doesn't have a value or place in your life, is clutter.)  Start small.  A shelf here, a desktop there.  Seek inspiration -- Berkus's book is a very good place to start.  He declares,

            "Each object tells a story and each story connects us to one another and to the world.
             The truth is, things matter. They have to. They're what we live with and touch each
             and every day. They represent what we've seen, who we've loved, and where we hope
             to go next."

So, identify, celebrate and enjoy the things you love.  Give them a place of honour in your home.  As for the clutter, move those pieces along.  Let them have the home they deserve; as you know, one man's trash is an other man's treasure.  
  

Things that Matter to...

These are a few of my favourite things

Nate Berkus include the top photograph by his late partner Fernando Bengoechea.  It is one of a pair that hang in his current living room.

For me, they are all things I loved on sight and things that connect me to a time and a place: a necklace of Russian amber I purchased while strolling through an old town in Europe with my cousin; a piece of coral being hawked by vendors outside a lighthouse that stands high on a cliff, at the edge of the ocean, on the most western point of the European continent -- the last stretch of land that marks the old world; an orphan dish with a delicate graphic depiction of the signs of the zodiac I found for a few dollars at a local flea market; and a few metres of fabric, whose gold and bronze threads create a striking Asian design of gnarled pine trees that remind me of those that run along the edge of our property. 

These are some of the things that matter to me.  What matters to you?

Top photo via Elle Decor; bottom photo D. Sleziak

View Finder

Liberty of London ceramic tile window display 

Imagine...

 

the prettiest scrap of antique Belgian lace from the collection of the Victoria and Albert museum morphing into a visually delicate yet graphically appealing window shade, or...   

 

a classic photographic series becoming the striking border for your deeply coloured, contemporary furnished dining space, or...

 

a text written by the Royal patron of Portuguese exploration, Henry the Navigator, becoming the paper that backs the bookcases in your nautically

theme library, or...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                             

a most beautifully painted Chinoiserie panel         

rendered as a black and white mural gracing

the cupboard in your sitting room...

 

 

 

 

Imagine this and so much more. And then, turn your vision into reality.

 

 

Discover...

A 19th Century Mary Hillier photograph canvas rests on a sideboard
 

Surface View, a British-based firm with an on-line playground that links collections with curators (their wording for you) and blows the possibilities wide open -- any image can be produced in any number of formats, from ceramic tiles and wall decals to mounted prints, epic posters, lampshades and wall murals. Your role is to bring the two together.

 

Explore...

 

and browse the collections of places like the National Portrait Gallery, the Ashmolean Museum, the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Maritime Museum plus other image repositories like the Getty Images Gallery as well as works by contemporary designers and artists.  Select your image and your product and voila, your classic car wall decal will be on its way in no time.  Employing a workshop of skilled craftsmen who digitally re-master images from original sources, they combine cutting-edge technology with old-world care and responsible environmental practises.  So, for that one-of-a-kind accent piece that will set your rooms off from all others, set Surface View within your sight.

 

All images via Surface View


Into the Blue



Cobalt Turquoise azure lapis  cerulean  teal  Ultramarine  indigo 

Robin's egg  Baby Blue  sky blue  aquamarine  Prussian periwinkle 

 

NAVY

 

Mark Rothko, Untitled

Modern Love

       

          Blue is the most popular favourite colour in the western world.

          Blue seems to be all around us -- in water, in sky -- but in nature it is elusive and ephemeral

               and few concrete examples exist: lapis lazuli is one that comes to mind; a robin's egg is

               another.

          Blue fills many roles.  It is calming, serene, refreshing, restful, soothing, nautical, rich,  

               sophisticated, and the darkest of blues, navy, is dramatic, timeless, and sexy.

          Blue walls -- dark ones -- have been making a statement in interior design the last couple of

               years; dark blue fabrics, upholstered pieces and accessories are slated to be popular next

               year.

          Blue, in fashion, is a seasonless colour, and after black, it is regarded as the most accepted

               sartorial choice.                                     

 

So, if you're feeling the love and in the mood for something blue (like me), here are some options...

 

 

In Your House

                                         

     

         Clockwise from upper left: Fabric from Lulu DK; Navy upholstered pieces with ikat cloth

         in foreground; Kelly Wearstler fabric -- Mineral in indigo; china by Jasper Conran                      

                                           

                                         

                                                                                      

 

 

On Your Walls 

 

                                                                   Clockwise from upper left: Wall colour Farrow & Ball's

                                                                            Lulworth Blue; Lacquered blue interior; Art for your walls

                                                                            by Mallory Page; Wallpaper by Eskayel

                                                                 

  

  

                            
      

On Your Back

                                                 

                                                  Clockwise from upper left: Classic chambray and denim;

                                                                 sophisticated suiting; natty handbag; sexy swimwear

                                                                                                

 

All images sourced from the World Wide Web.

 

Rise Up

Oprah advocates that our homes should rise up to meet us. What a compelling notion.

Fragmented hand-painted 18th-century Chinese wallpaper

Don't you agree that the best homes are the ones that reflect the owners and meet their needs?  Our homes are an intimate expression of who we are.  Yes, intimate.  Think about it.  When we leave our homes, countless strangers see how we present ourselves to the world, while only those few we invite into our homes, see us in that oh-so-personal environment which we create for ourselves and within which our daily lives unfold.  And, according to Oprah, this space should rise up: It is not just a repository for all of our "stuff," but a place -- one hopes -- of comfort, of joy, a refuge and a shelter; a space that celebrates our lives and who we are.  The means by which a home can accomplish this are as varied as the owners who reside within them.  For one, a tattered treasured find is pieced together like a collage to make the most of a beautiful old paper, and a bedroom is transformed.  How exquisite.

The beguiling beauty of the papered wall
as viewed from hall

For another, it might start with a prettily painted front door, the kind that evokes a sense of welcoming calm every time you see it.

Alternatively, you might prefer a door that radiates sunshine and makes you smile; once you open it, a tranquil oasis awaits you.

Perhaps you value a relaxed, comfortable environment with sink-into-me-and-stay seating that encourages prolonged conversation...

Or, you're a glitz-and-glamour guy or girl, who feels most at home in a light-filled, art-graced room of sophisticated elegance.

Whatever your style or taste, here are a few ideas on how your home might rise up to meet you.

For Your Consideration: Why don't you...

 

Only bring in things you really love or really need.  This doesn't mean your space needs to be bare-bones minimum.  Look at the kitchen below -- it's chocked full of china, but with the restrained palette and the beautiful presentation, it wows. 

Clear the clutter.  Closely linked to the philosophy above, and supported by sound organisation, when everything has a place, clutter can be kept at bay.

Add a dose of your favourite colour (if it isn't there already!) somewhere, anywhere.  It is guaranteed to bring you joy every time you see it, so indulge.

Give the things you love centre stage for easy access.  This homeowner ensures her favourite books are close at hand for daily perusing by making them the core of her coffee table display. 

Honour mementos.  Placing meaningful family photos in the space the family most often uses -- brilliant!

Skip the trends and embrace your personal style.  Not a touch of mid-century modern, industrial chic, or whatever the latest trend is, just simple, fresh beauty.

Finally, be inspired by interior designer, Michael Whaley who painted his front door his favourite colour: a deep but vivid purple.  "It makes me smile every time I come down the driveway," he states, "and I love how it complements the green glaze of my [garden] pots." (House Beautiful, Sept 2012)  Now that's a home that is certainly rising up.

Images via the following: Elle Decor, House Beautiful,

Martha Stewart, tumblr and Vogue