Why decorating?

The passions we have are a curious thing.

Some are innate, some are cultivated,

via Restoration Hardware

while others, still, seem to be a combination 


of both nurturing and natural ability.

In my own experience, the things I am drawn toward

are things I enjoyed as a child-- 


art-making, decorating, writing.

These were pursuits I followed from as young 


as age four.

While other children I knew played house to emulate the 


gender and familial roles

they were immersed in,

I played house so that I could decorate a space 


with things 


that I found to be pretty.

via Elle Decor France

Playing house, for me, required a physical space 


set apart from the rest of the world,

whether it was a tree house; 

via Still Here Waiting

or an outdoor room, enclosed by trees.

via Bohemia Designs

 I would bring my favorite objects into that space 


to make it my own.

So, this love for prettifying spaces has been with me 


a very long time!

via That's Chic

In my professional experience, I have come to note that

human beings have a need to create order out of chaos 

(although there are many people who have a need to also create chaos out of order.  


I avoid them in my personal life when at all possible).

I advise my clients of this need for order 


and point out ways in which it is met, 

even on a minute scale:

playing solitaire, putting together a jigsaw puzzle, 


organizing a drawer,

cleaning out a closet, washing dishes,  


doing soduku puzzles, 


putting dishes and clothing away.

via House Beautiful

These are all examples of situations 


where things are either a literal mess to be cleaned

 or where things are in a random arrangement.

It soothes the psyche to find ways to create order.

With order comes predictability.

We like to know what to expect.

And when life throws fast balls at us, 


if there are areas of our

lives which are already ordered, 


it will be easier to respond in ways

that lessen the damage that comes when we are hit.

My love of decorating serves the function 


of adding order to my life,

via Pottery Barn

tapping into a desire to express my creativity, 

allowing me to work with tangibles 


(when my profession deals with mostly 

intangible things).

What about you?  


Have you thought about why you are drawn to 


decorating/designing?

What functions does this passion serve?  


What needs does it satisfy?


Until next time.. 


Anne