ApartmentTherapy asked us, in January, to consider ten questions to gain greater insight into the design and decor in our homes, and our interaction with them. I thought I'd take a moment to answer them here (since I have nothing else to write about at the moment, lol):
Do I wake up in the morning feeling rested?
You know what? NO. I love my bed that I built, and my bedroom decor - it's restful to the eye and to my spirit, but my cheap, 4-year-old Ikea mattress has already gone to the dogs (erm...literally, since it's recently come to my attention that a certain black canine who shall remain nameless has been sleeping on the bed while I'm at work. Good thing I keep it covered during the day!)
Can I play music in my home, including in the bedroom and bath?
I love that this question made ApartmentTherapy's list: music is as important to me as breathing, and sound is just as important in the feel of a space as smell or color or texture. So, yes! I have a stereo or at least a CD player in nearly every area of the house, and my living room and guest room are full of musical instruments. There's almost always music playing somewhere, whether people are visiting or not; and I always load up my big stereo with at least 6 hours of music to play in the background when I have a party.
Do I have a comfortable spot in my home to read, nap, etc. that's NOT the bed?
Eh...I'm gonna have to go with "no" on that one. The couch would be a great spot, but I can't seem to find a way of sitting on it that's really comfy for long periods of time, myself (although Kress sleeps on it all the time, so it must just be me). My little meditation corner could be, but it doesn't yet have nearly enough cushioning for my creaky butt. I'd really love to have a big, floppy, overstuffed chair somewhere in the living room, but I don't really have any place to put one.
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| Om and stuff. |
Can I walk around barefoot in my house?
I do, actually - my home is pretty much a barefoot one. I have a "landing area" near the front door for purses and keys that is also a shelf for putting shoes into. That said, with three dogs and a backyard with weak grass that can't stand up to their play, my hard floors get gross in a HURRY. Especially when it rains! I don't have rugs for allergy reasons; it feels sometimes like I never do anything but vacuum and mop. But it's worth it to have floors I'm not embarrassed to have people put their feet on.
Does my home smell nice?
I hope so. I have *eight* pets, so I worry about that issue a lot. I open the windows as often as possible (allergies, argh), wash all the curtains and pillows and throw rugs every week (more allergy issues!) and keep incense and candles going about 70% of the time that I'm home. So I hope it smells good...and not doggy or litterbox-y.
Is there a convenient spot for a guest to put down a coat or hang a bag?
See above re: landing area + shoe shelf. Oddly enough, though, when I have a party, more often than not people carry that stuff into the living room and drop it on the floor next to the computer desk, instead of putting it on the shelf provided. I have NO idea why that is!
How about a spot in which to entertain guests?
I have tons of room for tons of people; and I don't
quite have enough room for all of them to sit - but when is
everyone sitting at the same time? I'm not a dinner-party type of gal, you know? People mill. People dance. They go out into the backyard to hang out on the patio. Mostly they stand around in the kitchen, which used to bug me, but really, I don't care, as long as everyone's having fun. :)
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| maybe it's the magnets |
Can I vary the mood in my home with lighting to serve that room's functions?
You know, I tend to ignore lighting, aside from just ...having some, which I understand is a common "mistake" (it's not 100% my fault, you know. Lamps are expensive). I'd like to have more focused lighting in the living room - a few lamps is much cozier than a blaring overhead light - but at the moment, I have NO clue how to do that without having cords scattered all around. It's something I'm thinking about.
I recently took a short trip out of town, and I put my bedside lamp on a timer to make it look like there was activity in the house. I left it that way when I got back for a while, I really loved the way the lighting just kinda took care of itself; and I think when I get around to doing lamps in the living room I'll probably do the same thing.
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| Bwahaha! |
How organized is my home?
That depends on who you ask. Other people say it's organized. *I* feel like my house has been hit by a tornado most of the time. Mileage varies.
And, most importantly, do I feel happy walking into my home? Am I proud of it?
Most of the time: yes, and yes. Sometimes I hate it and I want to take off and nuke the site from orbit and start all over at a new house, LOL. I imagine everyone feels like that, tho.
Just like everyone who blogs periodically just gets sick of the whole process and doesn't feel like blogging anymore...and I think I've hit my first one of those. Sorry for the erratic posting lately, but, thanks for playing, all the same. I'll come back around. :)
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