Taking your time
Letting your home evolve is my favorite interior design practice...
I want to start this post with a little confession- even though it has been my job for many years I have a deep love for homes and beautiful homes that feel lived in and unique are my favorite favorite type of home. That is my precursor to the fact that I am judgy about homes, I want everyone to create a space that they not only feel comfortable in but that reflects the things that interest them and that they love. This can be done on all types of budgets, it is completely possible and I also know it can be difficult to do if design or decorating is not your jam. So, that leads me into a little story time….
Just yesterday or maybe it was the day before, I came across an image someone had posted of a large group of women gathered for a holiday celebration and noticed that the home they were sitting in was, in the nicest way possible, sad beige (this a newer term to me- thanks to my kids for keeping me up on all the derogatory labels!) at any rate it consisted of a beige sofa, beige walls and not a piece of art or an accessory in sight. I love a good beige- I mean really the name of my company is greige, so beige in some way shape or form has been my thing for the last 16 years or so, but I think if you are going to go all in on this colorway layers and textures are your friend!
However, I digress, this whole image in my mind led me to thinking of the way a home comes together, and how it can be a wonderful reminder of the time you have been in the spaces, that make up this type of wonderful place. My last home developed over the span of 16 years, right around the time that I started my blog in fact, we moved in there as a young family with small kids and left after my oldest graduated from college and it was a true evolution of my design style and our family. Our new home is just that-new. Don’t get me wrong, I designed it to feel comfortable, to look like it has been here for a long while and I tried to correct any wrongs that I had made in my previous home, but there are bunches of projects yet to complete and I am perfectly happy with that, in fact I think that we need that in our homes so that they don’t get stuck in one spot on the design spectrum. I don’t want anyone to walk into my house and say- oh this was done in 2023, it’s so obvious because of the this, this and this - I want it to feel timeless and maybe it does embrace some of the biggest trends of 2023, but it also has a lot of my vintage things, travel purchases, etc. that I have drug with me from my other home and now it has some 2024 goodies in it too. So, I guess my point here is that I think it is perfectly okay to not make every change you want to in a home when you first buy or move into it, take your time, let your taste evolve and get to know your space and how you use it before making all the decisions. Your comfort will be greater and you will hopefully see the layering of your style and memories as time goes by.
To circle back to my initial “inspiration” on this stream of thought, beige isn’t bad, I mean if you look at the meaning of greige, it is just the beginning. greige- raw, unprocessed and unfinished woven fabric taken directly from a loom. So, start with a good base and don’t be afraid to add some color here and there along with things that make you happy.
xoxox
Christina




On so many levels, this is great advice.
Totally agree. Live. In. Your. Space. Take your time. Thanks for the reminder.