This week for me (like many of you, I’m sure) has been a busy one. Work has been all consuming and I have had little head space to think about anything else but work; the things I haven’t done, the things I need to do and the things I can’t imagine how I’ll ever have time to do. However, Friday is here, and the prospect of 2 full days without the responsibilities of the week are tantalizingly close. When work is so hectic and keeps me away from doing all the other things which are so important to me, time at home becomes increasingly important.
“An Englishman’s home is his castle” is probably an over used and sometimes inappropriately used phrase, but there is a certain truth in it. Home is the place we call our own, the place we escape to at the end day, and the place where we should feel safe and protected, a place we want to be, and where we can choose to allow in (or keep out) who we choose.
I love my home. Although I love going out and about and seeking adventure, sometimes home is the place I want to be. I like to fill it with things that make me smile and give me pleasure. I am always reminded of the William Morris quote “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”. I know that I have lots of things in my home which are probably not overly useful, but I do try to fill it with things which I at least find mainly beautiful.
A couple of weeks ago I went to hear the fabulous Orla Kiely speak about her career, and the importance of good design. She was a warm and friendly interviewee and spoke passionately about the Orla Kiely brand and how importance good design is to her. I was first introduced to ‘Orla’ around 15 years ago when I bought a matching red and cream stem print bag and purse from a stock sale in, I think Chelsea Town Hall. Since then I have had and still have a number of Orla bags and many other things as her product range has extended in to homewares.
There were two things she said which I have thought about since and in relation to how I make my house a home. Firstly, challenge yourself with colour and be brave with print. I think I do both of these, I love colour and if it weren’t for my husbands gently restraining influence I suspect my home would be awash with it. In days gone by I have had pink walls, now my walls are much less bold and I keep the colour for furnishing and fabric. I am the proud owner of a bubble gum pink arm chair and deep blue velvet sofas.
Secondly, assess the things you have, do they stand alone, and work well together? I love to mix vintage with contemporary particularly with crockery, and I have a dresser full of antique shop finds along side pieces I have picked up in Habitat or Anthropologie. All of these make me smile.
All of this is a rather long preamble to these homely weekend suggestions,
WATCH the Orla Kiely Autumn 2017 Collection film. Its only a minute long but its full of nostalgia and vintage and beautiful things.
READ, or reread The Pursuite of Love by Nancy Mitford. It is warm and funny and a little bit sad and if you have read it before comforting and reassuring.
PERUSE Dotcomgiftshop, for ideas for pretty and reasonably priced things to make you house smile.
Have a lovely weekend.