The largest space we’ve ever lived in (which isn’t saying much) was our second apartment after we got married. We took over a lease from one of our friends, so we got a good deal on a space that had way too much room for us.
After a couple of months, we started to feel weirdly cramped in our “ludicrously capacious” flat, but we didn’t know why. It was objectively larger than our previous place, but something was off about it. Sure, we had more cabinet space in the kitchen, but we didn’t feel like we had gained anything in terms of what we’ll call “usable square footage”.
And that’s what hit us before too long: yes, this space was larger, but the space we gained was largely in places that we didn’t use. The ceilings were higher, the foyer was bigger, and (what we’ll generously call) the dining space was larger. The ceiling height was nice, but excessive for a 1 bedroom apartment. The foyer was never used, because we always walked in from the ground-floor patio/parking lot entrance. And the first few years of marriage, we maybe used our dining space 7-8 times (and those were when we hosted people). What’s more? Our bedroom was actually smaller than our last place!
The space, for us, made no sense! It’s like owning a $100k sports car in Manhattan. It sounds nice, but does that really add anything to your life? We lived in this vast open floor plan and, while we respect anyone who may prefer that layout in a home, we realized it just wasn’t practical for us.
And that’s the point of today’s newsletter. Interior decor in your home, much like personal style, needs to be rooted, fundamentally, in comfort. If you don’t feel comfortable in your clothes, you won’t wear them, and if you don’t feel at rest in your home, you won’t want to be there (or invest more into it, or host people, or spend the colder months cooped up inside there).
Your tastes may shift or grow with time, and you make take inspo from those around you to find what you love, but you ultimately should feel a certain level of ease in your home. In other words: don’t focus on what sounds good in a space, focus on what’s actually good for you in a space.
Make the space make sense.
A sectional may sound nice, but what if a sofa and chairs are more practical or even comfortable for your lifestyle? A gallery wall may be popular, but what if you have one large painting you’re itching to use instead?
None of these ideas are groundbreaking in nature, but it’s important in a world full of influencing and advertising to stay grounded in ideas that are true to you and what you love.
If you’re not sure what you love about your home, try tracking your “heat map”. So much of how we use our space is done mindlessly, out of habit. Start paying attention to the parts of your house or apartment you’re drawn to and spend most of your leisure time in.
Why do you do it? What makes you love it? What about it makes you feel comfortable?
Beyond that, what about other people’s spaces do you love? Why do you love it? What things are sparking something in you and why?
We all consume so much information and content that sometimes it’s easy to lose track of where our tastes end and where what influences us begins. And in a time when people are constantly trying to fake taste, having it and knowing how to use it is increasingly rare (and strangely, even if somewhat frivolously, vital to continue pushing design and culture forward).
We’ve been trying to track more closely the things that we truly like (stuff that stands out, makes us laugh, makes us feel good, or inspires us), and consider why it resonates with us. It seems to us that; rather than just reacting and adapting to the things we consume, having an opinion can really guide you to a happier, more comfortable place — and while discomfort has value in growth in our personal tastes, it can’t be our default disposition!
If you find yourself at a bit of a loss with how to use your space or what to do with your wardrobe, rest assured there is nothing wrong with you, your home, or your closet… it’s just time to make it all make sense!