The Rules of the "prose"!

My great-grandmother's clock.

Do you all remember the "rules" of writing a poem? Remember? You were in school and you had to write a poem using iambic pentameter? how about a Haiku? or a Sonnet? There were rules, if you didn't use the right number of syllables or lines, it wasn't Haiku, or a Sonnet or a Limerick. However, even without following the "rules" you were still writing poetry. Sometimes the most beautiful poems don't follow any of these rules!

Just like with designing your space, there are "rules". Rule may be a bit too firm, maybe we should say there are guidelines. There are certain aesthetics that work and look good and flow well. Just like a poem with the correct number of lines and the correct number of syllables per line, they look pretty on the page and they sound nice when read, but not everyone loves the same poem.

What I'm getting at here is that we should not design, or decorate our spaces with rules that someone else used. I love to use things or place things in ways that don't necessarily follow a rule. One rule that I hate is when people tell me I have to group my collections instead of spreading them around the house, "that way they make more of a statement", I was told by a decorator. Maybe I am not trying to make a statement with my collection, maybe I just like to have them around me, in every room.

My favorite collection is my clocks. I have great clocks that came from my grandmothers and some that I bought. Some that were given to me as gifts. With them all in one room, the ticking would drive you crazy (talk about "pentameter"!), but that's not why I don't want them in one room (although my children have said that I'll someday be known as the crazy clock lady because the ticking is loud even spread around the house). I love to see my clocks in every space in my home.  So, for me, I try to collect clocks that suit the decor of the room, or decorate the space around the clock!

Are there "rules" to design and decor that you don't like? or maybe that you don't understand? or maybe you haven't ever heard the rules...share with me! I'm going to be talking the remainder of this week about the "rules" that I like and don't like. I'm here to tell you to break the rules and create your own beautiful "poem" in your space!