cross-stitch from the shop: chez sucre chez
i like creative clutter. i do. it’s my thing. i have tried the whole, i’m-living-in-a-design-within-reach-catalogue-because-i-work-in-the-arts-and-this-is-how-i-should-be, design approach. it didn’t last long. i missed my knickknacks (my objets), clashing patterns, my grandmother’s dishes and great-grandmother’s quilts, and my collection of vases that never (or even could if i wanted them to) hold real flowers. i just love the idea of a home with character. with charm. and most importantly: a home that expresses the personality of its inhabitants, or in most cases, the personality of the person in charge of nesting.
there really is a difference between clutter and creative clutter. the former being collections of less-than-aesthetically-pleasing-objects that are in the way of your everyday life – like piles of papers, boxes, and “to-do” items in the hallway. creative clutter is simply collections of objets that mean something to you, that make you smile every time you sit down with your tea and look over at your occasional table that holds that collection of non-flower-holding vases. creative clutter is like a well-seasoned molcajete. layers of stories, personality, and just gets better over time.
the owner of chez sucre chez said it best in one of her (surprise) decorative cross-stiches: “creative clutter is better than idle neatness.”
for someone who believes strongly in her grandmother’s adage: “everything has a place, and everything in its place” and not to mention for a blogger that is all about the pleasures of living simply, you’d think i was a walking hypocrite. but hear me out. a lot of things in my apartment have been acquired over time, either passed down, given to me outright by friends and family, or purchased at thrift and craft sales. other, newer, items are simply complimentary to my penchant for this kind of “eclectic chic” approach. so what part of having objets is living simply? the very act of not worrying about fitting into a certain style is letting go of the pressure and embracing your own taste, your own impulses. that, is living simply.
so when it comes time for holiday decorating every year, i find myself enjoying the chance to use my everyday objets in new ways.
see how i decorated this year on dwell.
my hallway table and mirror dressed for the holidays. instead of buying another wreath, simply drape garland around a mirror. add a string of lights and some paper snowflakes for extra warmth and coziness.
moderncity {everyday holiday} 