My Interior Decorator
I am so fortunate that my interior decorator lives with me. It wasn’t always this way. For years, my husband and I bickered about the placement of his items. I was in a constant state of annoyance with my beloved.
It was the water bottle left on the coffee table by my husband. I moved it to the kitchen sink, emptied the contents, and placed it upside down on the counter to dry. No amount of pleading, cajoling, or nagging motivated him to move that water bottle to the sink. His logic was sound. Why make your bed in the morning when you plan to get back into it that night? Moving the water bottle to the sink follows the same thinking.
Consider my husband’s compression socks. Sitting down at night, he slowly peeled them off. Once off, they remained there on the ottoman. He applied his familiar logic here. Why move them tonight when you put them right back on in the morning? It was the empty ice cube tray left on the counter. The used-up toilet paper roll, the empty Kleenex box, and the bare paper towel roll are glorious examples of what my husband left behind. It all but drove me insane.
All this changed the day I scrolled by Colleen Landry @colleenlandrycomedy on Instagram and altered my outlook. A unique perspective was all I needed. I suspect Colleen also lived with a husband whose habits drove her crazy. Colleen now extolls the beauty and artful design of her decorator husband. She regularly posts her installments praising her interior decorator husband’s keen eye for stunning visual presentations.
Colleen admired the earthy collection of artfully arranged half-empty take-out food cartoons from the night before. They provided the perfect contrast to the white marble countertop. She can’t help but marvel at the texture and aesthetic it lends to the otherwise clean space. She is impressed with how the carton’s metal wire holders elevate the look of the chrome fixtures. Even the scattered food remnants tumbling out of the box lend an organic texture to the blank surfaces.
Colleen helped me see that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I looked at the left behind water bottle with fresh eyes. The metal straw jutting from the well-worn tumbler immediately drew me in. Its vertical line pulled the view upward, while the bottle’s round shape softened the table’s edge. The canister’s faded, purple surface exuded vintage vibes and provided just the right pop of color for the neutral space. The crumpled support sock on the ottoman presented another interesting tableau. The single sock, turned inside out, combined with its texture and aroma, made it clear someone lived here. My husband’s sofa pillow arrangement, one here, another there, created a functional and appealing space. My husband’s decorator training knows better than to line them up neatly. Helter-skelter pillows are aesthetically pleasing while adding just the right pop of chaos to the family room.
Life is so much happier since I have come to value the beauty of my husband’s designs. I sometimes share my admiration for his decorator sense. Although he is not appreciative of my praise, it never fails to give me a good chuckle.
Do you live with your interior decorator? Have you found a unique way to appreciate his design skills while providing yourself peace of mind? You are welcome to the decorator's idea. It may not bring about the change you want, but you can guarantee yourself a good laugh.
Bit by bit, that’s all she wrote…