Over Christmas I was lucky enough to acquire a broad range of new pictures. When I say new I mean old, (more mothball than antique), when I say acquire I mean given by relatives who were planning on chucking them out.
Such has been the nature of 80% of the items in this house, art, sofa's, dining room chairs, curtains, beds, crockery... you name it.. if someone else don't want it I end up with it. My motivation was initially financial - with all money plowing into building walls, there was little left for cushions - but essentially I have a deeply ingrained waste not want not attitude to life and really do support the 'one man's trash' philosophy.
Of course there are the occasional mistakes (80's crudites dish with pictorial representations is yet to leave the cupboard) and yes, I have, occasionally, entirely without reason in my eyes, once or twice, on a bad day, been referred to as a hoarder. But for the most part I honestly believe this re-using a rejected item in a new, different setting injects it with a new lease of life and gives a depth and soul to a home that is almost palpable. As I look around my home and consider the history of each and every item some take me back to childhood, Aunts or Grandparents past, some have origins not known to me, so I can make up their history (as well as a name!). What is for sure is that very little has come straight from a factory floor - what could be colder than that!?
People who come to my house, often comment on it's warmth and homely feeling (they sure as hell don't mean temperature), it feels like a house that is loved. This does not come from the colour of the walls or the carpet on the floor (definitely not that in our case). Would it feel the same if we had all the finery's that John Lewis had to offer? I don't think so. Personally I think this random hotch potch of belongings bring with them the lives and loves of their owners past, they have stories to tell and they are happy to live to see another day. They might not match but somehow they feel like they belong.
I feel exactly the same..to add to your arguments I could say that there is something very depressing in the fact that all homes look the same - filled with identicall Next cushions and sofas, John Lewis rugs and curtains. before deciding to buy old house I had a moment of hesitation and wanted to go for new buid. but after seeing hundreds flats that looked exactly the same I bough my 1900 house straight away and never looked back. Things with past and history are exciting, even if a bit worn out still glowing with inner beauty. dont you think? Also, today people tend to throw away everything. slighly damaged, chipped - bin! I dont agree with this. almost everthing can be rescued and reused. and, whats more important, by reusing stuff you dont take part with ridiculus consumption culture
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Hi Agatha, thanks for your thoughts. Totally agree.
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