We recently built a new home, and we wanted it to be open-concept (because we are original like that). We took it to the extreme, though, and ended up with one big area. One big, loud area. The bedrooms and bathrooms are closed off, but that’s about it. And noise bounces around that cavernous space like nobody’s business. My husband has a particular aversion to the echoing, and he finally asked me to decorate our new space in hopes of absorbing some of “that damn noise!” Um, yes. Challenge accepted.
I stocked up on pillows and rugs and table coverings. Then I turned to the walls. I tried to find mostly textiles or canvases, since I figured they would do a better job of cutting down on the echoing than glass or metal frames. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s coming together. And then, a few weeks ago, I was surveying our space and I realized that our new decor requires a heck of a lot of reading!
Now, as you may or may not know, I love to read. But I have imposed my affinity for words on everyone who enters our house, with signs proclaiming everything from “We Should Probably Cuddle” to “Be Nice or Leave.”
There are instructions to “Eat” and “Laugh.”
My favorite is “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called Life.” Or maybe it’s “Let’s stay in.” I don’t know. The point is, I can’t seem to buy any decorations for our walls unless they speak to me. Literally. With words.
So I made an attempt to diversify. I browsed my favorite stores, and I ended up buying a sign for the laundry room telling me to cherish my kids’ dirty socks. Gah!
In the end, though, I realized that it’s our house, and if people don’t want to read, well, then, maybe they should stay home.
By the way, I decided on my favorite sign – it’s “Not to spoil the ending, but everything is going to be okay”! 🙂
