HYD Blog
thoughts on dwelling
Morning routines have become our mantra to start the day; whether it's getting some extra zZz's or waking up to workout, we all have our own routines and ways to jump start our days. There is so much out of our control in each day, but we can control how we begin each day. If you are looking for a new way to start your day, we've rounded up a few easy to maintain ideas to get you started!
As we begin a new year, we want to encourage you to reflect on a few questions we often explore with our clients. The hands on “organizing” and “packing/unpacking” work we do is important, however the deeper work we do often has more meaningful implications than we can express through before & after images.
Take some time to consider these questions:
What do you love about your home?
What are a few of your favorite memories or meaningful moments that have taken place in your home?
What do you hope others feel when they spend time in your home?
Does your home decor and style consist of your own selections? Or is it a combination of gifts from loved ones and passed down pieces from family members?
Where do you find inspiration for your home?
Who do you trust to help you make decisions about your home?
Where do you go in your home to find rest?
What are values that you’d like your home to reflect?
What do you wish you could change in your home?
Are there areas in your home that cause you to feel overwhelmed?
What is one improvement you could make to your space that would increase your enjoyment?
Photo by Texture Photo.
Before we begin any home organizing project, we create space to listen first. This allows us to gain a more full understanding of why a client reached out to us and what hurdle they are hoping to overcome. Life is messy, complicated, and unpredictable - and our homes are often affected by the events and seasons of our lives. We remind our clients that feeling shame around the current status of their home is not helpful, beneficial, or necessary. Rather, we encourage them to dream again of what their space could look/feel/be like. We remind our clients that their home is never too far gone & there is always somewhere to start.
Do you have an area of your home you’re ready to reclaim? Our team is ready to help.
Sidenote: Just as we are continually encouraged and inspired by our clients stories, our team is made up of strong, resilient, and talented organizers who each bring a unique set of life experiences that enable us to serve clients facing all kinds of challenges. Read more about them here.
No one was prepared for what 2020 delivered. So much challenge mixed in with joy, loss, and longing. In reflection, we want to take a look back at the blessings. If you know us, you know the stories and people behind these numbers are way more important than the actual numbers, but we wanted to share a few stats to give you a glimpse into our year as a small business.
We live in the age of smart phones, which puts an incredibly powerful camera in our hands at any moment. This allows us to snap a photo or video at any time. This is wonderful because we are capturing memories with such ease. You may be the type to forget to take photos or you may have a zillion photos and videos hogging the storage on your phone. Wherever you are on the photo taking spectrum, we’ve got some ideas on how to use better enjoy those photos…
Our hope today is to remind of the tools you already have to make decisions. We want to encourage you to move towards simplicity instead of complexity. This isn’t always easy (especially when the decisions we’re facing have such great implications), but we’re going to humbly attempt to come alongside and empower you to reclaim some inner space and confidence to lighten the load of decision fatigue.
Entry way by Meegan Buschor of Mia Interiors
When March rolls in, we move out… outside! It’s that time of year to transition our lives from cozy and cuddled to playing and planting. Spring is just around the corner and we want to come alongside you to help transition your home and life for the changing days ahead. Each week this month we will bring you helpful insights, inspirations, and steps for you to get a kickstart on spring organizing.
Let’s begin with the places in our homes we use every single day! Do you think much about your entry ways? We’re talking about any space that welcomes you and your people into your home. This could be your front hallway, garage entry way or mud room. Whatever you call your “drop your things and kick off your shoes” space… we’ve got some tips for you to get you ready for a new season.
Inspiration from @industrieelchique
PURGE
Begin with a fresh start! As you look at your entry way, consider what clothing, jackets, or shoes may be piling up that you may not need anymore. Perhaps kids have outgrown shoes. Start by pulling everything out and organize them in piles with like objects. Sort through each pile determining what to keep and what could be dropped it off at your local KARM store.
Tessa Hop’s natural tones brings simplicity to this clean entry way.
ORGANIZE
Put away your winter coats (when its finally warm enough!) and your heavy boots in their off season home. Pull out that rain jacket and gardening shoes to replace your winter gear! As you enjoy the simplicity that comes as bulky clothes leave, leave only what you need in this area as it can become cluttered easily. Start with assigning a hook, cabinet, or cubby to each person in your home.
Consider decorative bins or a shoe rack or tray for your remaining shoes to stay tidy. Tyne Martinez of Atlanta, in an article on The Scout Guide recommends “choosing a material that adds interest without detracting from the house’s aesthetic, and opting for a style that reflects the formality of the abode.”
Here are a few links for items much like you see in Tessa’s simple and stylish entry.
Juniper Home’s recent mud room reveal has us drooling!
DECORATE
As always, we want to walk into a beautiful home as well as a functional one… but keep it simple! A small antique table for your keys can add some charm to a small entry way. A welcoming bench brings a warm space for taking off muddy spring boots. Save a hook to show off your favorite hat or basket full of spring flowers! Transition a favorite piece of art or collectible to display in this area to bring some life and warmth.
Unsure where to start when considering donating unused items from your home? Read these past HYD blog posts on donations:
We recently took a road trip to Nashville for the annual Antique & Garden Show, this year being it’s 30th Anniversary. This spectacular event provides spaces for high quality antiques and a platform for experts in the fields of antiques, landscape gardens, and horticulture. Additionally, it is a charitable event in which proceeds go to Cheekwood Mansion and ECON Chartities in Nashville.
We walked through a sea of gorgeous furniture, art, and decor in thoughtful display and heard educational lectures from the top of each field, including our very own East Tennesseans Kreis & Mary Celeste Beall of Blackberry Farms. This show is top notch to say the least. Above all, we were struck by the beauty of intentionality.
Antiques set before us a reminder that our things tell a story. Each hand crafted piece brings us to imagine the hands that shaped it and the beauty and comfort it brought to the space in which it sat. Gorgeous furniture, like the vintage furnishings from Eneby Home, remind us of how the past, present, and future all intersect before us everyday. Our homes, like our things, mirror the stories of our lives.
Are we living with intention within the spaces we dwell?
Living with Intention to Create a Lasting Legacy
A highlight of the show was attending the lecture in which Kreis Beall & Mary Celeste Beall shared their insights on home, family, and making it all beautiful. Kreis and Sandy are the founders of Blackberry Farms while their daughter-in-law Mary Celeste is the proprietor. The incredible experience that Blackberry Farm has become seems so difficult to wrap ones mind around until you hear these two women speak of their inspiration from their own family history and each other.
“...she wanted the place “to look like Mom’s and smell like Mammy’s” paying homage to the two women who had helped shape her.”
The respect and love that is shared between this mother and daughter-in-law duo speaks to the power of family in creating home. Both spoke with such vulnerability, humor, and wisdom on how their separate journeys have led them to today. Kreis shared that in the early days of Blackberry Farm, she wanted the place "to look like Mom's and smell like Mammy's" paying homage to the two women who had helped shape her. She also encouraged us business owners to dream big and "start at the top" like the time she called Julia Child to ask if she would lead Blackberry Farm's first cooking class.
Mary Celeste spoke on the importance of creating a home that works for one's own personal living style. As she and Sam designed their forever home at Blackberry, they were very intentional to include the parts that were important to them, not what was trending at the time. They planned their home to grow with their growing family (they have 5 children), and the home centers around the table, the most important place for them.
The thread of sadness of Sam's passing almost 4 years ago is palpable and real as one listens to this journey, but his inspiration and commitment to creating a place to gather with the highest quality food, drink, and venue is very much alive.
What a gift it was to hear this story in person! If you'd like to hear more about Kreis's journey, her new book, "The Great Blue Hills of God" is now available and it's wonderful!
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So, as we think about the impact of our stories…. How can you live with intention in your home?
Consider the Past.
Our “stuff” have a story. The floorboards we walk on everyday. The trim around the doors we swing countlessly open. The hearth we face every night after a long day. And that favorite chair we curl up in as we welcome a new day. Every thing has tells the story of the past. We were struck by the knowledge expert antique collectors and sellers brought to us at the Show. Consider seeking out experts on the pieces you already own or before you pursue something new to learn how you can be more intentional with your spaces.
Pay Attention to the Present.
How are you wanting to live? Like Mary Celeste, can your spaces reflect how you want to live, not just what is in style? Consider your current dreams and intentions (maybe whip out those new years resolutions you drew up just over a month ago!) and how your home can be a sanctuary for those dreams. Who are the people most important to you, and how can your home and things provide pathways for those people?
Leave a legacy for the Future.
Lastly, we want to encourage you to consider the things you currently own or the ones you intend to welcome into your home with intentionality toward the future. Of course, there is always a time and place for mass made products that we can pick up on the fly! But as you move through your own home, consider how you fill it. Consider what you are leaving to the ones you love. A thoughtful look at the past and present can inform a beautiful future.
As you can hear, this show renewed our love of antiques and their place within the spaces we dwell! In our work with HYD, we love seeing how YOU intentionally craft your spaces. Comment one way that you are living with intention.
I often find that when my birthday, Christmas, or Mother’s Day comes around, I have such a hard time thinking of things that I would like to receive as a gift. I’m not alone when it comes to having a hard time thinking of gift ideas on the spot— enter the ongoing wish list. Whether you create a Pinterest board, a registry, or simply a list on your phone, having a specific place to keep track of items that you would like at a variety of price ranges can come in super handy. In the same spirit—- we’ve found that keeping a running list of things to gift to others makes birthdays and holidays much easier. If you hear a loved one mention off hand that they would love to have something or if you have an idea for someone when it’s not close to a gift giving time, jot it down in a note so that you have quick ideas when the time comes. Pay attention when you are out with friends and family and notice what they consider buying or linger over in various stores. Keeping these ongoing lists will reduce the stress and scramble when you remember 3 days before a birthday that you need to get a present for someone you love.
What about you? Do you keep an ongoing wish list? Here are a few things on ours if you want to see…
These Linen and Cotton Bowl covers from Food 52. Double win— they are beautiful and help reduce single use plastic at the same time!
2. These awesome one of a kind wind chimes <3<3<3
3. Personalized address labels
5. These lovely watering cans from Terrain.
Q. Do you take away donations?
A. Absolutely!