Visiting at a friend's house for dinner six of us got caught up in a small design project. The participants were the couple whose home we were in, the 92 year old mother-in-law, two other friends and myself. The discussion centered on a small wall in the dining area where we were sitting. The discussion was What should go there? One of the owners was wanting a low cabinet on the wall, the other was wanting a tall plant and a picture. The first would mean there would be three walls with low cabinets, not good. The latter would be a repetition of the corner across on the diagonal. Not good either. One owner remembered a small inherited Victorian table, very open in a deep brown wood. Sounded good to me.
We retrieved the table and placed it on the wall. It looked great. Now, we needed wall treatment above. A picture was the first suggestion. Certainly a possibility. A tall accessory? I felt it would make the table top heavy. One owner remembered their modern metal sculpture consisting of many small and varied sized sqaure and rectangular pieces. "Get it," I said. It looked fabulous for it enhanced the curves of the table and was vertical, aligning well with the shape of the wall.
We were having fun and it was looking great. So now what should go on the table top?" This was very tricky because we had two very strong statements in the table and the sculpture. I said that I'd like a small soft green plant that was a vine. One was retrieved and what a success! The plant lived in a rectangular brass box. It was so right on!
We all loved and were so proud of our accomplishment. Finished, we went on to other topics. All except our elderly guest who remained with the new visual. She loved it. Somehow the plant added exactly what she wanted and just pleased her aesthetic sense. She just stared and stared. Her comments kept bringing us back to the vignette. Her shoulders would go up and she'd comment how it just was so nice! I was as entertained by her joy of the visual as I was by our successful creation. It reminded me deeply how much creativity can please our hearts, and how, if it really reaches us personally, it continues to bless our delight no matter who we are or what our stage in life. Truly design and beauty hold extreme importance to our Souls.
Never forget!
Love, Denny
Last evening I had dinner with dear friends of mine who have created a life that is eight months in Mexico, four months in Tinicum, PA. When they are in Tinicum they are living in a very tiny cottage whcih they are renovating as they go along. I was there a week ago and they had part of a kitchen up, some furniture in place, and a lot of potential for more! This week I was blown away by the transformation. Oh, they hadn't finished the kitchen, they hadn't finished the floor, the closet wasn't in along the back wall, part of the electricity was still out, but because of their ability to bring out and arrange lovely objects and place them so artfully the space was charming, comfortable, and inviting. There was a gorgeous and brilliant gaphic that was a cotton fabric tacked at the front door, there were some treasured pictures placed very carefully on the walls, there were nests for conversation, there was an eating area nested in another corner with a brilliant fabric tablecloth, on and on and on. The dinner was delicious, dessert baked in another cottage's oven, pasta with pesto all prepared on hot plates, salmon done on an outside grill, ....these people are artists in the moment. The cottage does not have to be done perfectly in order to be attractive, in fact stunning, for they are so good at making what is in the moment beautiful. It also, does not have to be finished to entertain! The lesson was that for me. I wait for something to get to a certain point before I make it beautiful when it could be beautiful in all stages. I wait for the "done stage" to have people over. Instead all I have to do is accept everything exactly as it is, bring forward my creativity, and what I have in the moment and use my designer's eye (we all have one, you know) to make it happen. This way every moment is beautiful and full of life. Great learning!
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