Tea Stained

My boyfriend says I’m a nester. I make my home feel like a home the same way a three year old makes their fort feel like a secret clubhouse: I decorate with the often mismatched odds and ends that create a cozy space so, whatever forlorn little apartment I’m renting at the time can feel like my secret clubhouse. I design with this same mentality. Everything has meaning, has a story behind it, and reminds me of the good things in life. This varies from season to season and day to day, but it always draws on my own life and joy.

            Perhaps it is because of the weather and frequent rainy days that I’ve been drawn to warmth, comfort, cups of tea, and good books. I find myself dwelling on my couch wrapped in my favorite plaid wool blanket and working on writing or reading or painting far into the night. I always have a cinnamon candle burning which leaves a lingering scent throughout my home, and I keep a dim lamp on so the colors take on similar hues while the patterns and designs stand in contrast. These moments of comfort sit within me, and it’s those that I design for now. I want to take that comfort and put it in a modern space, with tall white walls and rooms full of sunshine. Take those rainy days and spread them throughout the stiff leather couches, wooden coffee tables, artsy vases with their fake flowers. These beautifully designed interiors need a touch of home.