For many years a favorite subject of my daydreams was the name of my hypothetical design business. The first name I came up with was Honor Thy House. I think its funny, but I'm also dead serious. While my philosophy revolves around the people living in the house and creating a home that meets their lifestyle, honoring the house itself is also really important. Was it built in the 30's with thick molding? Highlight that. Are the original parquet floors in good condition? Keep them! Is a wall screaming for wallpaper? Do it. As much as we would sometimes like to walk in and superimpose our style, we have to take cues from the house. I'm not saying that you can't mix styles and work outside the box, but there are certain parameters that each house has that we have to work within.
For example, I live in a mid-century modern house and I have a mix of furniture including Victorian, international and mid-century modern. This is totally ok in the right ratio. What I pulled back on was using a lot of saturated color and wallpaper. I love these two things, but it doesn't feel right to use it in a large dose in this house. It's important to consider the best parts of each room and make sure to highlight those traits. It's only fair the the house.
Now that I've convinced you and me that Honor Thy House is the best name ever, I'll tell you that the reason I changed it is because the last time I checked a couple years ago the Instagram account that I created got erased. Although, I looked it up just now as I'm writing this and there it is still active. Interesting. And tempting.
But too late, I've gone all-in with Happy Eyes. Here's the story about it.
In 2018 I went on a work trip to Mozambique. Besides the food (oh, and work), my other top priority is hitting the artisan markets during international trips. So, my colleague very kindly took me around on a Saturday to the various places to see the local textiles and crafts. There was a main square near the office that had large market with two sides; one side was a plant market and the other side was the artisan market. Well the plant market sucked me in like some sort of vortex. Take a look at these fine specimens below. How could I resist?
I am sitting there among the plants feeling totally relaxed and at ease. My colleague walks up and I say to her, "I don't know why I am here in the plant market if I can't take any of these home."
"Because it makes your eyes happy," she replied without any hesitation.
And that's when I realized that is the whole point. Immersing ourselves in the pleasure of the experience. Surrounding ourselves with things we find beautiful just because it makes us feel good. Interior design isn't about keeping up with trends or looking good for company. The point is creating a home that feels good to be in. Somewhere you can unwind and feel at ease. That means different things to different people. There isn't a one-size-fits-all formula. Ever since she said that to me, I always ask myself when I am looking at something if it makes my eyes happy. My eyes have the final say.
Needless to say, I love plants and incorporate them a lot in my home. It can be overwhelming to redo an entire house and its better to take your time anyway, but you can at least start with the room where you spend most of your time and make it a place you feel good in - even if the changes are small. Happy eyes is the end goal.
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