14. Dream Space

This summer in New Jersey has generally been pretty wet and gloomy. I love the rain but too many days in a row of darkness and anyone could start to feel a bit down. Instead of dwelling on the murkiness of it all, I decided to start day dreaming about the home I know is going to be in my future very soon. It wasn't until after I moved out of the house I shared with my ex that I realized it didn't represent me at all. The furniture and the colors and the design--none of it was really who I think I am. Certainly not who I think I am now. And so I decided to create an illustrated book of my dream space. Something to look forward to and a place where I can work out what my own style actually is.

I love going through magazines and websites to find design inspiration and I usually clip and save pictures that make me feel happy. Over the course of the last few months, I've realized that my style is light and bright and white. I love comfy couches that you can sink into and fresh flowers.

 

I fell in love with the set design for the movie "Something's Gotta Give." Most of the action takes place at a Hampton's beach house decorated much like all of the photos in this post. Comfy, loungy, beachy but sophisticated. I realized that this is my style. But for years, I had been living in the exact opposite type of space. I love being surrounded by books--this image from SGG's set is the perfect corner nook for me. Two chairs, a good reading lamp, a table to put my tea on and shelves lined with books.

I love the idea of an all-white kitchen. It's so clean and fresh and bright. It makes me happy just looking at it. And those floors. Gorgeous.

My favorite color is blue--sea glass, hydrangeas, the sky, deep water, nautical stripes. And so I like the idea of a lot of white punctuated by blue accents like the pillows and flowers here. 

The nautical inspiration here is really nice and I love the woodwork on the foreground chair.

As a writer, I really appreciated the study space of Diane Keaton's character, Erica Barry. The windows look out on the ocean. A fresh breeze, french music playing, lots of light and very comfortable. A close-up view of her old, antique, wooden desk--piled with research papers and manuscripts, flowers and fun objects. And the view of the dune grass and the ocean beyond. The perfect work space. 

The beautiful light shining through the windows here is perfect. I also think artwork can make a room and this painting of a house on the shore is simple but powerful with its color palette. The painting below is also from the film "Something's Gotta Give." It's by an amazing artist names Kenton Nelson who paints with a very vintage feel.

So these are just a few of the many images that I've collected in my search for my own dream space style. I think it's coming together. But I'd like you to ask yourself if you're living in your dream space or just a space. If you think you've lost a sense of what your own style really is, start looking through magazines for inspiration and clip what looks good. Keep a file or glue the images into a blank book and see if any patterns start to emerge. 

Charlotte Perkins Gilman said, "The home is the centre and circumference, the start and the finish, of most of our lives." Remember that your home should embrace you when you come into it. It should make you feel warm and relaxed and inspired. But your house can't do it alone. You need to know yourself and the things that make you happy in order to incorporate them into your surroundings. Take some time to illustrate your space.