Nesting

I’m drawn to colour and organised clutter, which in my mind is different from disorganised mess – clutter is a wonderful array of stuff that you form around you like a nest. I am suspicious of minimalism. My taste runs as far as possible from pure white walls with only a single photo (or none) to decorate them, and pristine interiors that make me feel like a fraud. I like patterns upon patterns. I like cat fur on old carpets. I like packed walls and second-hand furniture that doesn’t match. I like old chairs sitting in the corner with frayed upholstery. I like books everywhere. That being said, each to their own, I get this is a matter of personal taste.

Lately, I’ve been collecting images of ‘nesting’; images that express what I like. I don’t aspire to re-create or emulate them, I simply enjoy the idea of them.

I haven’t really allowed myself to think about nesting for the past few years. I felt like I was stuck in limbo – when you don’t have a stable job but only temporary ones, you feel like you can’t make plans for the future. This includes making plans about your own nest. This doesn’t mean I haven’t bought stuff, and decorated my environment, and took pleasure in it. But bigger dreams weren’t allowed.

So here’s to nests. And here’s to beautiful presents from dear friends (thank you Elaine, Gracia and Louise, more on this portrait soon).

Happy weekend.

Image credits (from top to bottom): My Apartment in NYC by André Hererro; Rita Konig’s home on The Selby; Gray Foy and Joel Kaye’s home on The Selby (images 3-6); “In the early afternoon, we acquaint ourselves with tightly coiled chair springs and luxury” by Gracia & Louise; “Patrick Hamilton’s ‘Twopence Coloured’ (GH) vs. ‘Birds of a Lesser Paradise’ (LJ) in Battle for the Reading Chair” by Gracia & Louise; My own photo of my grandfather’s study.