LIFE STYLING

i wonder how you read the title of this musing and what connotations each individual takes from the phrase 'life styling'? do we immediately associate it with 'lifestyle' which as defined by dictionary.com is: noun - the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc., that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group. Or have you tried to apply a reasoned meaning of the bringing together of the two separate words, life: noun - the animate existence or period of animate existence of an individual and styling: verb - to arrange in accordance with a given or new style, to bring into conformity with a specific style. Does the phrase connect on a personal level? When we think life we tend to think of our own 'animate existence', does 'styling' make you think 'stylin' and pull your jeans down a notch, pull up a leg and swagger round the kitchen, stylin!

all questions i put to myself when i typed this in and why i wonder what others read into a title. but i have the answer, for my purpose of this musing, and funnily enough it kinda takes influence from a little of all of the above.

the question i am really looking to answer is 'why use styling within the home?' and here is how i feel we can apply 'life styling' to our everyday interiors for the purpose of improving our daily... life.

part one of 'life styling' is de-cluttering. there is now a great selection of books available such as the japanese sensation 'The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Marie Kondo, that can get us on this path. there is no designer that i know of that does not adhere to a tidy house, as this is the only way one can clearly see the magic they apply.

but what happens after you have bagged, binned and donated your 'life'. apart from what the books promise of finally being able to tackle all your other issues with your new found confidence from a tidy home? my concern is i hope you are not just sitting in an empty room, staring at bare walls allowing all those demons to penetrate your now empty space...

part two of 'life styling' now comes into effect! Arranging your life around you to embrace who you are and what you love, technically your 'habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc.'

this is a way to animate our existence for ourselves and those we welcome into our homes. where we highlight adventures, through a photo gallery wall, transport ourselves back to favourite holidays with our collection of seashells and stones, remember a loved one by displaying the inherited chinese ginger jar collection, show off our indian wood block printing skills, exhibit our passion for circus costumes, empty our heads of dreams and display instead the ancient russian swords we used to hypothetically fight great battles in our brocade jacket! {did you see the BBC's War & Peace?}

but often we don't know how? so here are a few of my tips and pix on how you can 'life style' your home:

DE-CLUTTER important enough to mention twice

CURATE just like an art gallery curator make a considered decision about what you want to display at any one time. if you are an avid collector maybe choose a theme or change your displays with the seasons

GROUP gather together pieces or images that tell a story through their subject or their form. for example, pix from a memorable holiday/event or a collection of hand painted plates. think also about individual pieces and group with other unique items to create a story of their own, either via their texture, colour or form {technical term: vignette}

LOCATION identify where you would like to display your collection. think about unusual or 'dead' spaces that might be ideal for display, i.e. under an open stairwell, above doorways

LOGISTICS once you know where you want the collection to go think about how it will be displayed. will it be wall mounted? will it be on a shelf? does it need framing? will it be impractical or inconducive to daily living, cleaning etc.

PRIORITISE make sure you get it done! once in place you can reap all the happiness from seeing it daily and it will be one more thing off your mind

the added bonus is by thinking in this way you will also naturally be mindful of tidiness as everything you have out will have a place and a purpose

here is some inspiration to get you on your way divided into 'collection display' and 'vignettes'. if you are still struggling with the how i'm happy to help on a one to one basis, just contact me