Enslaved by Possessions

So who wants to be held hostage by your possessions?  I think no one!  No one enjoys worrying 24/7, whether the silk covered sofa will survive another day. 
What about the white carpeting? (I’m enough of a stress case, that would put me way over the edge!) 
The kids, the dog, the sun- oh my!

If you’re like me (I need to think someone is), you yell at your kids enough.  Some days more than enough.  Why add unnecessary things to yell about (silk sofa, for example).  We do have rules in our house, all food stays in the kitchen or dining room, no arts and crafts in the living room and NO SPORTS in the house. Other than that we are pretty lax (the house is drip dry)- my kids have lived with beautiful things all their lives and have a healthy respect for them (read: fear of me) as long as most of the stuff in our house is more carefree.

The things kids, dogs, and in my case messy husband, tend to stay clear of are: Window treatments, light fixtures, art, mirrors, accessories on mantles (occasionally on tables) and case goods (side tables,bookcases,secretary's,sideboards etc.).  These are areas where I can have my Interior Design fun and splurge.
With all this said, to keep stress to a minimum and not sacrifice style, here are some areas where you should consider going almost industrial: Coffee tables, carpets and upholstered furniture.

Coffee tables

These vital pieces should not be so precious that you can’t put your feet on them, my advise is to look for something upholstered (ottoman with tray), weathered, painted (you can always repaint), metal and defiantly distressed.  Wear and tear on distressed furniture only adds character but a scratch on a slick piano finish table – it’s ruined!  Don’t set yourself up for constant care and militant discipline of your family if you’re not that type of person. This is also a piece that does not need to “match” the other tables- it should be interesting- have fun with it.  Even if you already have polished wood just accept that you will have to refinish and let it go- Live!

Carpets

1. Sea grass- durable, chic, affordable and can be layered upon with other area rugs like zebra hides or orientals (certainly to hide stains if they occur, but no need admit to that motivation).  It also looks great and takes on character when worn. 
2.  Another work horse is hand-knotted, 100% wool carpets.  The more pattern the better, but stay away from adding silk to the pattern (cleaning nightmare).  These carpets have been getting the job done for hundreds, if not thousands of years.  Literally, you can’t kill-em. 
3.  My last suggestion is something for traditionally more casual spaces –  (However I used really fun ones in my formal foyer- LOVE THEM) they are Flor carpet tiles.  We live in New England so there’s always mud, snow, rain, etc. (plus I have two dogs in addition to my kids) and these carpet tiles kick serous New England Butt!  You can even pull one up and wash it in the sink- really!  I chose a great texture and colors and threw them under formal antiques and love the playfulness.

Upholstered furniture

The big one - sofas , chairs, ottomans etc.… these get major abuse!  Some hints to help are:
1) SLIPCOVERS that can be washed- ok really this one is huge and has saved my house.  Slipcovers are no longer big sloppy loose, baggy sacks over furniture, but tight beautifully made covers that fit like gloves.  You may not even be able to tell that something is slip covered anymore.  This may seem crazy but the real work-horse of slip cover fabric is pure white denim or linen.  It can not only be washed but bleached as well (think of the possibilities).  If you used yellow or green or blue you can wash but we all know some stains just don’t come out- UNLESS you can bleach it.  If you plan to wash your slipcovers please be sure to wash and dry the fabric prior to having them made in order to pre- shrink it.  There is nothing worse than slip covers not fitting after washing.

(country living)
2) Leather!  Leather is so great and if already slightly distressed it will only take on more character when used.  You can wipe offending spills and dirt right off and dog hair doesn't stick- hooray!

3)Other fabric options some more and/or less expensive and fab than others: wool mohair (you can find antique chairs with the original wool mohair still intact- seriously tough and deliciously fabulous stuff), Toray Ultra suede (the real ultra suede- not the cheap micro suede version) and finally some manufacturers are introducing indoor outdoor fabrics that are finally not like sand paper- these do the job incredibly well.

(Ryan Korban)
When I grew up my parents didn't decorate the way people do today and I dreamt of the beautiful house in which I would someday live.  I love beautiful things and need spaces that are visually appealing to mostly adults but not at the cost of my kids and dogs not sharing them with me.  Keep some things easy care and go fabulously nuts with the rest without the stress of being held hostage by your things.

Porch drapes

Of course as the weather improves here in New England my mind dreams of outside.  I am obsessing over porch drapes and trellises with climbing roses.  Truth be told I have not given much thought to porch drapes until now.  Sunbrella makes some absolutely fabulous outdoor fabrics that really hold up to color bleaching by the sun and mold.  In years past when the sun was too intense on my front porch I just repositioned.  But I just bought 18 yards of black and white awning stripe sunbrella fabric for a great price on eBay.  I have always loved how fabric softened interior architecture.  Now I am going to try exterior drapes, no longer will I have to move when the sun is too bright.  And honestly, the exterior of my house can use all the decoration it can get- we are talking ugly ugly ugly!!!

I think drapes do such a great job of softening and lending an elegance to the outdoor spaces.

When the weather cooperates the porch can be like a seasonal addition to your house.  We literally live on ours.  I am out there reading even when it’s slightly chilly- that's what throws are for.  I have to admit, I'm out there even in my pajamas (they are kinda cute- matching at least)

I would show you before and after of my porch decoration but as I’ve said in the past I don’t want to stain your brain with the current house ugliness, so these pictures can be place holders in your mind of what it will look like someday.

Piles of crap!

Ok, so after my last posts I've been asked what it takes to organize a house effectively.  My thoughts are that you must build upon a few foundations:
1) Everything must have a place.  If you have piles of ‘stuff’, sort them until it all has a ‘place’, then continue through the whole house.  Set goals: “I will attack two piles a day until my house is pile free.”
2) The ‘place’ needs to be located right where you will partake in the activity that requires that ‘stuff’.  If you trim your fingernails in the bathroom when you exit the shower, then don’t keep the clippers in the junk drawer in the kitchen- this makes more work for you.
3) It needs to be easy to put in away (or you’ll put off putting it away).  If the phone book goes under the cookbook, that goes under the newspaper recycling, then IT’S NOT EASY!  If it’s not easy, you will not do it, or at best you’ll just throw it in the cabinet somewhere.
Think about the processes of living your life- the little things you do everyday.  How are they done, where are they done, do you have the necessary components to complete the chore?  Are you searching for stuff- losing stuff, are people misplacing stuff?
For instance if you tend to think about what earrings you would wear while looking in the mirror to apply makeup, then locate earrings and makeup close to each other.

If you make your kid’s lunch for school everyday, then locate the sandwich bags, grab snacks, Tupperware, thermos’s and lunch boxes under a counter that you can assemble on.















If your Husband trims his fingernails after the shower in the bathroom, but you do more of a manicure process in front of the TV in the family room – then buy more than one clipper (think of the arguments saved, all for under $10.00!) and keep one in each place.
Do you and your daughter share the same hair brush (you know, the really good one…not the other sucky one)?  If so, I’m guessing it’s usually misplaced for at least one of you daily.  BUY A SECOND ONE!!!  Does she brush her hair by the front door under a thunder of threats by you before going to school? 

Well then, keep a second brush in a drawer in the front hall table.  Why send her back to her room to dilly-dally for twelve hours to brush her hair?
This train of thought is the basis for kitchen organization- activity centered storage areas and work spaces (and my husband insists I mention, the basis for Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing and Balanced Scorecard).  All baking supplies together, kids lunch stuff together, sink and dishwasher near the cabinet where the plates and cups are stored etc..

The more you break down all the tiny processes of your family's day and provide what is needed, where and when it is needed, life will be less stressful.  Even more important (???), your house will look better.  This is no easy task and takes a ton of time to complete, but is totally worth it.  Professional Organizer Dana Arkinzadeh cites a Newsweek magazine article that claims Americans spend an average of 55 minutes a day looking for something they know they own.  So keep in mind, organizing a house is more than just purging what’s no longer needed, being able to see everything and making all your drawers and cabinets look beautiful.  It’s about aligning your things so they match the life needs of your house’s occupants.
One last thought.  Once you go through this Herculean task, pull the family together and tell all of them where the ‘place’ is for all the ‘stuff’ in the house.  If you don’t do this and insist that everyone be responsible for keeping the ‘stuff’ in its ‘place’, the whole project will be undone in about 2 weeks.
Stay tuned for a future post on what really well designed organization looks and feels like.

I’ve Been Swamped!

I have not posted for a week or so - OK, so two weeks - we have been flooded.  We got water (a lot) in our basement -for the first time - during the huge rain storm a week ago.  The fire department came to pump us out and realized that there was nothing they could do until it stopped raining.  Instead they shut off the gas to the house (furnace floating was kind of bad), so we had no heat, no hot water, no way to cook.  The house was yucky and freezing.

(below, see my tres chic turquoise leather golf bag- FLOATING!!!)

As luck would have it, my dear friends Carol and Jerry were on vacation and their house was empty.  When they heard about our problem they offered their house.  Now that’s a good friend.  So my husband, two kids, two dogs and I moved into one of the most spectacular houses I have ever laid my eyes on (did I mention good friends!).  During the day we would go work non-stop on saving the basement at our house (so stressful and un-fabulous)  and by night we would enter this amazing house and the stress would just fall away- it was what saved us from losing our minds.

(Meg Braff)

It was so interesting to live at a friend’s house for a week.  You think you know someone- but when you live at their house you see details of them and how they live their lives that most are not privy to.  I will report that my friends are surprisingly normal!  What did hit me about how they live is the amount of organization in their house.  Built-ins everywhere, not just your average built-ins but the most well thought out, detailed and space saving built-ins I have ever seen.  I have always felt that instead of the bigger house, bigger rooms, bigger garage, bigger basement, etc., houses can be small, as long as things have been planned properly.  That upfront thinking means that everything has a place (and doors to close!) so you don’t look at the storage (clutter).  It can be so much more effective. 

Carol and Jerry had thought out their storage so beautifully they had quick access to everything they owned.  For example, if we want to go ice skating I have to unearth the ice skates in the basement, find warm sock in the bowels of someone’s dresser - god knows who's - and a bag to transport all this stuff from somewhere else.  Ultimately when we think to go ice skating- the process of finding the right stuff is so arduous that we nix the idea.

 

At Carol and Jerry’s house they want to go ice skating, they go to the cabinet, open the door and choose the bag from the shelf that contains each person’s ice skates, socks, ice skate guards, then below, they pick the hat, mittens and gloves need and they are off!  Wow, that is so awesome!  Think of the activities we could all effortlessly do on the fly if it were all that easy.

This weekend I am reorganizing for sure!

Museum Room

Did you grow up in a house with a museum room?

      

Any of these rooms look familiar to you
A room that no kid was allowed to visit unattended.  A room that your parents only used when company came.

Talk about useless real estate- seriously was your house so big that you could give up an entire room to guests you want to impress???  While we’re talking useless real estate then lets mention the McMansion.  If we had any intention to continue with the Mcmansion concept then we could also perpetuate the museum room, there is more than enough room and wasted space in the run of the mill McMansion’s to leave completely unused rooms for company. I’m not sure what’s more ridiculous - the McMansion or the museum room. Are we so insecure that we save a chunk of real estate in our houses for what others think- Really?
What would company think if there was a stain on the living room sofa from years of use or wear marks on the coffee table where our feet were- Oh god, they might think we put our feet on the furniture, how low class! Seriously speaking, what would happen- would the other mom’s at school talk behind your back, get kicked out of the country club, not get that promotion at work???  In this day in age- repeat after me- USE your house- every inch of it!!!  Really use it!!!  Let the kids live like you value them being part of the family more than what your company might think, drink red wine in every room, put your feet on whatever is going to make you most comfortable. What’s the worst thing that could happen- you spill (that’s what Oxyclean is for) or you wear a piece of furniture so much that eventually it needs reupholstering or refinishing? Seriously- who the F%$k cares at least you lived fully in YOUR house that YOU worked hard to pay for. Isn’t that what working like a dog to afford this house and it’s contents is all about- living!
Coming soon – a post on how to create a formal space that doesn’t make us slaves to our possessions.