Wouldn’t it be easy to design a home, or even just a room, if we chose a favorite style and copied the way people did things at that period in time? Straight from a history book. We would end up with a “perfect” look and our home would turn out to look just like a museum’s vignette – just like the historical homes we all enjoy visiting when on vacation (my family excluded!). And if we were really unlucky it would end up looking just like our next neighbor’s home.
Reason #1: A home should reflect its occupants’ personality.
That’s how history happened. People mixed items from now and then and adapted things for everyday use. Items were mixed from people moving and travelling across the land and the sea. New styles were created. We should to the same instead of trying to repeat the past.
Reason #2: Homes were meant to be lived in.
How unhappy would we all be if when we got to our beautiful looking home we were afraid to use it, put our feet on the furniture? New materials are available today that hold up to heavy use – even a bunch of teenagers playing beer-pong in mom’s formal dining room! (not my children, of course…)
Reason #3: You should never have to start from scratch.
The “things” we collect make us who we are. We should not throw everything away and start all over again to achieve that fabulous home – and yes, I am saying pitch the old college futon!!! But, there are a lot of “valuable” items we all have that should be incorporated into our new design – they are our history.
Reason #4: Creativity Rules!
Think of how cool it will be to combine that Victorian chest from our grandparents’ house with the state-of-the-art flat screen TV, with the oil painting purchased at your last Arizona vacation? And, yes, they can all work together – all they need are a few transitioning elements.
Reason #5: Because I said so!
Trust me — I’ve seen both sides, and people are so much happier when they can be themselves in their homes, their castles.
