…..When my oldest son was just 12 he became extremely interested in movies. When we watched movies at home he would explain the individual shots….the angles, the lighting. I loved opening scenes where the camera would pan across a table of photos and you could hear an amazing clock ticking in the background. It evoked a feeling in me that I wanted to duplicate. Your rooms aren’t just for furniture, they are a place to feed your soul.
The concept is the same–just like our lives are a series of moments, your home can be a series of pretty moments that you create for yourself. Fresh flowers on the table. Lighting that enhances as well as providing reading light. Houseplants that not only bring beauty and life to your rooms but also clean your inside air. Seating that considers every angle and view. A clock that marks the minutes by ticking…….and the hours with a delicate chime. It isn’t just a utilitarian space. it is where you live a lot of your life!
It is the place to create ambiance that makes you feel unique. Special.
I love so many styles. My homes have been my laboratories for what works for me and what doesn’t. After many iterations, I gravitate towards neutral backgrounds. Antiques with a good dose of modern. Honoring history while injecting it with freshness. Evolving classic. Letting the color come from the accessories and outside views. For me, the green in landscape and the blue of the sky are perfect!
My son has a book called “Shot by Shot” about making movies. It has two hands with thumbs touching — in effect creating a rectangular frame (kind of like happy heart hands, but straight and open at the top). It was before the convenience of having an iPhone camera or iPad, and I began to use it with my own hands as I created my own spaces. When you consider what is within the frame, more care is given to what is within its own borders as well as how it integrates with all of its adjoining frames. Every angle needs to be evaluated.
Just like everyone has their own threshold for sound, everyone has their own feel good spot for color, pattern and ambiance. It is unique, and no style is better than another. Your style is yours. Embrace it. Let your home help to tell your own story.
My cottage has so many classic features. It was built in 1929 and I am fortunate to have classic white tile floors with green diamond insets in my bathroom. That look is always of the moment. It is vintage yet modern. Unfortunately, the walls are the same peachy tan shade as the other rooms used to be. I needed a fix.
Enter my new favorite decorating lifesaver, particularly if you are a renter. Drum roll please! Peel-and-stick wallpaper. It is awesome! My inspiration was a beautiful black floral fabric that was elegant, dramatic, yet approachable. I had done another bathroom in a different location with classic white and black floors in a beautiful black wallpaper with peacocks. The look was wonderful and every time I used that bathroom, I felt special.
I knew I would need to make my cottage bathroom beautiful, because let’s face it, when you’re belting out “I Gotta Be Me” with Sammy Davis Jr. , you certainly don’t want to do it with walls that make you feel anything but special! My bathroom in the cottage is much smaller, but I knew that it too could be much more dramatic and inviting than what it was a year ago.
As you can see, the floor is fun. It has vintage tile and that is special. The walls–not so much. I decided a wallpaper with a black backround would add a touch of drama even in a tiny cottage loo. Some green and white would be a bonus to bring out the tile floor.
After an intensive search online, I found a wonderful and affordable peel-and-stick with lily pads in green and white lotus flowers. It has wonderful movement and it makes me feel very special. Just waiting for it to arrive had me giddy in anticipation!
My Dad always used to say, “anticipation is greater than the realization” and I realize now what he meant.
When we make plans, no matter how small, when we look forward to them, we are appreciating them before they even arrive. I don’t know about you, but that is how I want to live my life. In a state of appreciation. For all of the little things. Because, let’s face it, they are the BIG things. So when my lily pad peel-and-stick wallpaper finally arrived, I had its installation to look forward to. It was challenging. But now, when I belt out “I Gotta Be Me” with Sammy Davis, Jr., I definitely feel special. Check it out.
I love the drama of the black even in the daylight 
The green lily pads bring out the green tile floor
My little bathroom is uplifted and special with the addition of a lovely peel-and-stick wallpaper. Little details make all of the difference. They make the moments in our everyday lives special. When I’m singing with Sammy and checking out my reflection, I do feel like I am living in my own movie. It’s the little things, moment by moment.
I hope you embrace your environment like you are living on a beautiful set. This is YOUR movie. I hope you have elements that make you feel really special….curated treasures that tell your story. Make the effort to elevate your daily moments. Each one is small, but all together they are like frames of the movie of your life. Shot by shot, let the frames integrate together to create a lovely flow.
Till next time,
Be good to yourself,
Eileen