| Decorating Family Style | Century Home - September, 2000 | |
Now every parent with offspring under the age of ten will immediately know what I’m referring to. But for those of you, who’ve never had the pleasure, let me explain. Creepy Crawlers™ are colorful little bits of plastic goop that, after been “baked” in a pint-size oven powered by a lightbulb, harden into bugs, monsters, dinosaurs and a multitude of other equally disgusting objects.
But while other homes may well boast of possessing hordes of these creatures, mine are definitely unique since they’ve each been specially created and colour co-ordinated to match the rooms they adorn. Witness the lovely blue and white fly in the master bath, the persimmon snake with black accents hanging from my office bulletin board, and oh yes, we mustn’t overlook the multi-hued scorpion perched atop my computer.
Frankly, I was rather surprised that my sons even noticed there was a color scheme going on here, and think they showed quite an artistic eye by commissioning these creatures. What good mother would refuse to display such works of art?
Actually these little plastic prizes do fit right in, since my home is decorated, not in French Provincial or English Country style, but rather in the “Young Family” look.
It’s a decorating style best described as eclectic.
Look closely and you’ll see that the bare bones of good interior design are here. It’s just that in amongst the deliberate decorating choices are sprinkled a few down-to-earth touches. When a house is filled with five people, three of whom are children, some things just sort of happen. Your home décor ideas tend to get sidetracked by work, swimming lessons, science projects and basketball practice.
The Young Family Style comes with it’s own unique accessories. Hockey equipment somehow finds its way into the family room. Little stacks of Lego sprout up in the weirdest places and piles of yet-to-be-folded laundry compete with humans for space on the rec room couch. While we really did begin with a decorating plan, somewhere along the way we seem to have veered off the envisioned path. The presence of young children tends to do that.
Don’t misunderstand, my kids do not run wild through our house. We have rules. We are a civilized bunch. It’s just that with children around, some decorating plans no matter how well intentioned, never quite evolve. While you may envision one thing for a room, often something completely different ends up happening, hence the Creepy Crawlers™.
This is a house where the flowers in a Majolica vase are just as likely to be a fistful of droopy dandelions as they are a fragrant bouquet from a florist’s shop. A house where rubber sharks and tiny scuba men share space in the bathroom with dainty embroidered guest towels. Our’s is a home where original water colours and Grade One art hang side by side.
But lest you picture a house where everything is childproof and scratch-resistant, let me reassure you that we do indeed own fine china, delicate crystal and dry-clean only fabrics. If pressed, I believe I could even scare up a few damask napkins. We certainly do appreciate these beautiful things, and even use them upon occasion. It’s just that in our dining room, you’re liable to spot a Winnie the Pooh glass sitting right alongside a Waterford goblet. No matter how you dress us up, the Family Style always comes through.
For example, there’s the Stickland-style bench downstairs in the rec room. A nice piece with its original finish, actually purchased at a reputable antique dealer’s shop. But here too my family has added its own touch. Open the bench lid and inside you’ll find a pile of long-forgotten toys, orphan mittens and other bits of unidentifiable junk. While I don’t know what should properly be stored in there, I know our cache certainly isn’t right.
Then there’s the antique cupboard in the familyroom. Formerly Great Grandpa’s and lovingly restored by yours truly, it’s a beautiful piece…if you don’t look too close. A discerning eye will notice a small spot on the side of the drawer. Yes I know, you’d never see such a blemish on anything in a designer home, but then again they don’t own a cantankerous cockatiel. It seems ours has developed a taste for antiques, thus the chew marks. True antique aficionados would be horrified. A more realistic Young Family decorator simply convinces herself it adds character to the piece.
Even the mahogany secretary’s desk that stands proudly in the master bedroom has not escaped “the touch”. The blue silk tassel that dangles from the skeleton key in its lock is the second one we’ve purchased. Tassel number one succumbed after small fingers caressed its silky strands one too many times.
And while in many homes such desks stand open with trinkets artistically arranged in every cubbyhole, ours remains firmly closed, both against inquisitive hands and to hide the clutter within. Though it may one day display cherished bits of memorabilia, right now it houses things important to running a busy household, things not meant for display.
But I think one small shelf in particular serves as the best example of the hold this Young Family Style has on our home. The shelf is actually an old drawer from a printer’s chest complete with stamped cast iron handle. It came straight from a printer’s shop and now hangs in the upstairs hall. At this moment, its many small compartments hold more child-made treasures than expensive store-bought ones.
Some day I’m sure it will hold precious objects d’art and remembrances of foreign travel. But right now, those bits of cardboard and glue made by my children are exactly right, for they are the souvenirs of this stage of my family’s life. As far as accessories go, they suit us perfectly. The few antiques and other nice things that we do already own, offer a hint of the people we’ll be, and the house we’ll have, after we’re through with tricycles, Barbies and building castles out of couch cushions.
I’m certain there’ll come a time when I feel comfortable, both financially and esthetically, buying elegant furniture in butter-soft leathers and luxurious silks. But even then, I suspect that some of the Family Style will remain. I’m betting you can never totally shake the influence of the Young Family.
Nor would you ever want to.