I love writing about aesthetic inspiration but the motivation to do so typically draws from my creative side, not necessity. I love the leisurely aspects of mulling over home décor and design and the ability to play with color and texture, all while mixing in elements of family history.
Lately…as a result of on-going remodeling fun, I’m finding my “workspace” shifts from day to day, depending upon the task at hand and my design head’s been challenged. This week? My office is directly above ground zero for construction because new venting needs to pass through…from the kitchen, through a wall in my office in order to exit at the roofline. We love our construction friends and they’re pleasant and accommodating, but noise is an issue for this woman (moi!) whose business is all about connections….wifi and human…and listening, listening…listening.
As I’m staking out safe terrain for today’s workday, I realized our teensy under-utilized living room is a good place to roost. We’re grateful for the extra space, mainly to house our darling daughter (DD’s) piano until she’s got a suitable place for it. As I cruised through this morning, I’d forgotten how it felt to sit in the space. It feels good.
On the wall above the piano are two portraits – of the hubster and his sister – artwork their mother commissioned from a well-known local artist decades ago. I wrote about these sweet pieces last year when my sister-in-law died unexpectedly. The portraits had been separated for forty years and it felt right to bring the pair together in a place of honor after she passed. Their new home? Our living room with a big blank wall, yearning for something special. As I sit here typing, I’m looking at their faces…and I smile. The hubster? When he rolls through the room, I see him slow down to smile at his sister’s portrait. She’s gone, but he pauses every day to say hello. Remembering matters.
To the right? When we had no money as newlyweds, we made irrational (yet pleasing!) decisions to buy art instead of eating well. We survived…but some weeks we ate crusty Italian bread with leftover gravy/sauce because it sufficed as ‘dinner’. The painting is a windswept autumn scene. Sweet. Small and lovingly framed. (I confessed to the hubs when we bought it that I loved the framing almost as much as the painting. Still true.)
On the table? Over the years I’ve rounded up vintage silhouettes of family members. Included in the display are images of my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and one of our little family – the hubster, DD and myself when DD was five years old. I love seeing these displayed together.
The lamp? A five-dollar garage sale find…what a deal for both the lampshade and the base! I carried that treasure home on a bicycle many years ago and it’s traveled all over the house, but I like where it sits now the best.
It’s hard to see the chair next to the table…but it’s an overstuffed ‘club’ style chair with a teensy embroidered pattern. Whenever the hubster sits in it, I scowl and ask him to take his big hands off the armrests. 😉 I love the chair but it’s so delicate…it needs those darn antimacassars thingy-s that my mother-in-law always had on hand. The chair’s traveled all over the house, too, and despite my chiding of the hubs, it’s well used despite being 20+ years old. And I love it.
Last? The rug…the blessed rug. Although we said goodbye to our sweet pup Sadie nine weeks ago, even the rug holds memories. Our little monster adored this carpet. It’s woven with a tiny bit of silk, and it stays cool year-round. When she was a brand-new pup, she “christened” the rug repeatedly and if you look closely, you can see the wear and tear from cleaning up her marking behavior and from the natural fading from the sun. In the summer, she loved sneaking in to lie on “her rug” – not because it’s cush – but because it no doubt smelled like her and the coolness, especially on humid days, made it an excellent spot for napping.
Wait – what’s that? The noise is dying down and I might be able to reclaim my office? Nah. I think I’m okay right here. My ‘room with a view’.
Vicki 🥰
Victoria Ponders 
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