Recently, I went to the annual East Hampton House & Garden Tour. I have to say I love house tours. In an afternoon, you get the chance to see behind the “hedges” at not only how people decorate but how they live. Of course, in a house tour, the committee is trying to show you the best of the best in design but, digging a little deeper, they reveal so much about the homeowners. You can see how they like to entertain, do they like art, are they neat and are their homes comfortable or so incredibly stylish that you would be uncomfortable having a cocktail there let alone living there. In my case, since I love a stylish home, I would love to visit all that beautiful, thoughtful curation. Touring the East Hampton homes made me think about the different types of homes people live in that I have encountered in my work as an interior designer.
Some homes are carefully curated and designed in a particular period with colors never deviating from a certain palette. There is not one stray object from another time period or sentimental past journey ”” just sheer, beautiful perfection. Other homes have the worn edges of times past, sometimes a little too worn, but there is a feeling of families having grown up there, furniture in need of repair, gardens in slight disarray. Artwork and objects are displayed in a haphazard way and not really thought through. You can feel children having played on the lawn and then racing to the playground on their bicycles, coming home with muddy feet and dragging wet sneakers through the house.
Other homes are so spare and devoid of personality that you cannot feel who, if anyone, lives there. There are no pictures gracing the walls, no rugs with patterns, no color. These homes interest me the least. To me they are more of a set or hotel room, with no permanence or feeling of anyone creating a history there.
Then there are the houses where the minute you walk through the door, you instantly feel at home. Those feelings are different for everyone. For me it”™s being in a home built in the 1920”™s with a mix of furniture from different periods and color. Although primary colors are not my thing, I do love color. I love mixing colors with neutrals to give your mind a visual break. I love the feeling of permanence in an older home, where a little ding in the molding or floor adds character. Still, keeping a home up to date is important so that it doesn”™t feel like a museum or so dated that the last time it saw an overhaul was 30 years ago. I do like some family pictures out and the occasional leftover party hat from someone in our families”™ recent birthday. We love artwork, and our collection is not of a singular type or period. It”™s a mix of paintings, prints, photographs and sculpture, all of which have meaning to us.
My advice to both my clients and homeowners is to use your home. Enjoy decorating it and making memories there. When your design and furniture need a refresher, then update them. Some clients live with their furnishings until they are ready to do them over completely and others tweak their interiors all the time. Either way works, just don”™t wait 30 years. Otherwise, you will find yourself living in the past since colors, fabrics and designs are constantly evolving and reinventing themselves.
Never live in a bland home. Don”™t be afraid to use things and colors you love in your home. It”™s your personal space and you really just have to please yourself and your family. Enjoy the holidays and maybe at the start of the new year, take the time to look around and see what could use a thoughtful update. Make a list of what you would like to change in your home and figure out the amount of time and resources you can give to your projects. Get estimates before embarking on any changes and, depending on the project, consider there will be changes or surprises that have to be accounted for. Bring in professionals to help you. They may seem to be expensive at the start of the project, but they can save you both time and money to help achieve your goals.
For more on Cami Weinstein Designs LLC, call 914-447-6904 or visit camidesigns.com.
