Lightly: How to Live a Simple, Serene, and Stress-Free Life by Francine Jay

Author:Francine Jay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: self help, mental health
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: 2019-02-26T05:00:00+00:00

décor

Decorative items aren’t our most practical possessions—they don’t keep us warm, make us dinner, or send our e-mails—but they fulfill a different and important need. They give us aesthetic pleasure, help us personalize our space, and remind us how lovely both nature and human creation can be.

The key to decorating lightly is white space—a generous amount of emptiness surrounding an object. If an item is worth keeping for beauty alone, give it the space it deserves. When you walk into a room with a dozen paintings, ceramics, or other objets d’art, you don’t know where to focus your attention. In a room with just a few pieces, you immediately know what’s special.

For this purpose, traditional Japanese homes have a small alcove called a tokonoma, used to display one or two decorative objects at a time. The chosen items reflect the season (like fall foliage or spring blossoms) and evoke an appreciation for both art and nature. Consider doing something similar. Designate a place to serve as your tokonoma—like a mantelpiece, console table, or small shelf—and choose its contents with similar care.

If you have more décor than can be displayed at once (and you don’t want to part with it), tuck away the excess and rotate it seasonally. You’ll always have a fresh look without acquiring anything more. If some items never make an appearance, put them in your Out Box and let them beautify someone else’s home.

A rough guideline for a simple yet charming space is three decorative items per room. In the living room, that might be a painting on the wall, a bouquet on the mantel, and an artisan bowl on the coffee table. In the kitchen, it might be a candle on the windowsill, a vintage enamel pitcher, and a hand-printed tea towel. If you’d like a little more, display small groupings (a cluster of photos, a few bud vases or ceramics) instead of single items.

Remember, decorative items need not come from a store. The lightest, most ephemeral way to adorn your space is with nature. Nothing celebrates the season better than its bounty, like flowers, leaves, pumpkins, pebbles, stones, shells, and bowls of fruit. Best of all, they eliminate the need for mass-manufactured holiday décor you bring out only once a year. Pinecones and holly branches are prettier than plastic Santas and don’t require any storage space because they can be composted when the season is over.

Finally, don’t pack your home with designer goods because a magazine editor or online influencer deemed them chic. Your décor should reflect your own taste and experiences, like souvenirs from your travels, a meaningful piece of art, or a handmade item from a friend. Choose pieces that warm your heart, and you won’t need many to make a beautiful home.

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