“I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”
― L.M. Montgomery
I’ve been cleaning our bedroom for three days straight. I’m not even kidding and it has been wonderful. I guess I just kind of reached a breaking point and decided to make it my mission to declutter, dust, and dream up new ideas about how to finish off the space. I’ve been stuck on it for a while (appreciating too many different new design trends on Instagram, I think) but like I mentioned in a previous post, I’m motivated as ever to re-focus on my roots: traditional country/cottage style.
And speaking of inspiration on Instagram, I recently discovered several European accounts that have really resonated with me. Their pictures have a pulse…they feel alive because of the way they capture the shadows and light. They portray *experience*…not just “place”. I don’t just look at them, I get lost in them. I don’t find myself scanning their captions to find out which store something came from, or how much something cost, or what paint color is on the wall…I just want to be there.
(photo: @NordinGarden)
(photo: @Nina.Elisabet)
(photo: @meretewest)
(photo: @KatarinasOldHouse)
(photo: @fjordfiskerehjem)
(photo: @Torpet125)
(photo: @JettySveta)
(photo: @cat_in_france)
(photo: @cat_in_france)
See what I mean? It’s not about the design decisions, or the palette, or the “stuff” in the pictures…it’s about the stillness, and life, and warmth. It’s about what they say through your senses. They invite you to wonder what something tastes like, what something smells like, what it sounds like.
Anywho…off to finish cleaning my bedroom and closet. It really has been a calming and restorative process. Simple little tasks, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.
Layla
The funny thing is that these houses are really homes. They are lived in and full of old things. They don’t have designer drapes and perfect tile or floors. But the attraction is just the warmth and a feeling of being loved there. The joy of home.
I so agree Christy Keyton! When I look at them think of my Grandmother’s house. Old and nothing like homes today, but lived in and loved. With squeaky floor boards that move a little as you walk down the hall and rooms that just seem to hug you as you enter. Thanks for sharing Layla! Here’s hoping your cleaning goes quickly so you have more time to spend doing the things that you love!
I was thinking the same thing when I scrolled through these–the charm is in the time-worn and yet timeless appeal of these homes. You can just hear the owner saying “Oh yes, grandma embroidered this tablecloth”. I’ve always been and always will be drawn to homey. Thanks for sharing, Layla.
I agree. This is what inspires me the most when it comes to the farmhouse style. I’m not talking new things I’m talking about handed down items that show love and you just want to sit down and soak up all the peace and love that is there.
I so enjoyed reading this! Beautifully written and gorgeous pictures that really do make you want to be there. It’s great that you are sticking to your roots of the style YOU love.
Love cat_in_france. She also has an on-line store from her Rabbit Hill farm. Ah, to live in France. This is the next best thing.
I love all of those so much! How did you discover those blogs?
OH yes thanks to Instagram I have discovered some of these. Thank you for sharing too. I think that they show a simplicity, even with “stuff.” but it’s not a contrived, competitive look in many of the ones I’ve seen. Of course I’ve followed the Lettered Cottage for years and always think that if I had a daughter, I would hope she would be like Layla (who has the same name as my favorite song!
Thanks Layla……..I enjoyed this (-;
I found myself feeling pulled into the pictures and then I went back and read your post. I think you captured the sentiment exactly.
I find these photographs are filled with a sense of nostalgia rather than another sterile designer home filled with brand name objects.
I look at those type of photos and I want my home to feel like the feeling you get when you look at the photo. I want my home to feel warm and inviting, homey and yet have just the right kind of lighting that is welcoming not harsh and cold. So I find myself asking what is it about them that give you that feeling and how do I achieve that in my home. I am not looking for the right decor or stuff. I have enough of that already. ok I am not sure I am explaining myself very well and maybe I am the only one who wonders about stuff like this. Any ideas or thoughts would be helpful. Oh I have thought that maybe being content in Christ and secure in who I am in God’s eyes is the place to start.
Layla,
Where did you get the “be kind, work hard” sign featured in this post?
Thank you!
Wow Layla, I think you tapped into something that a lot of us having been missing. I know because I spent more time scrolling through these pictures than I have scrolling through others n a long time. I realize it is so easy to get caught up in the ig world of everyone “doing” farmhouse/country decor without “living” in it. Thanks for the post, it caused me to pause, explore and think about what I want and miss in my home.
Love that quote. Nice pictures too. They go with the world of that quote just perfectly. The stories could be set in any of these houses. You’re right that there is a special feeling when you look at them.
I do love when a house feels like a home. These are all so beautiful with well loved decor. Enjoy the satisfaction from finally cleaning your room…ha! I can so relate to putting off getting rid of things.
I couldn’t agree more! There are so many things I do like, but may not be true to me. I have found that is a difficult thing to figure out! Thanks you for this post!
I too agree, nothing contrived there, just a sense of being present and somehow our soul settles in.
Thank you for sharing what most of us are yearning for after all the years of wanting it to fit together just so.
I cannot stop looking at these beautiful photos. They take me back in time and give me such a warm feeling. I’ve never had the time or felt it necessary to have plants in my home, but I recently added a philodendron and what a difference it makes! It is the warmest/calmest thing in the room and reminds me of my mother, who always had plants in her home.
Honestly, lately I’ve been feeling like I’m losing ‘myself’ in the sea of Instagram/Pinterest pretties. All of the different styles are pretty, and they look great, and achievable, but at the end of the day, they aren’t really ‘me’. I’ve never been a trend follower, but I do sometimes get caught up in changing the house a bit, just to test the waters. Sometimes it works, but most often it doesn’t, and I end up wasting time/money. Not that it isn’t fun to try new things, but I need to get back to my own roots, my own style, and what makes ME comfortable.
I don’t want my house to be a version of someone else, but to reflect me and my husband.
With all of the social media frenzy it’s extremely easy to get caught up.
I have been following several European post on Instagram. Do you notice the hearts the hang in their homes? I seem to always see a heart hanging near a mantel or a heart in the kitchen. I love this. Reminds me the Home is where the heart is.