Today I bought $75 worth of silver-plated picture frames from Zara Home. In the category of “picture frames” I also include whimsical candle holders and decorative boxes.
I’m nesting.
This is not a skill that comes naturally. For 5 years, the sum total of my furniture consisted of 2 beat-up, army-green ammo boxes. My last coffee table in California was made out of a cut-up 2×4 and 8 nails. I once lived in a high-rise on 67th Street for a month and didn’t bother to buy any pillows. I don’t mean “picture-frame-decorative-pillows”. I mean “the-pillows-you-put-on-the-bed-pillows”.
In my defense, I often live in mostly-furnished places. Also, I move a lot. Also, buying things makes me uncomfortable.
Normal people buying decorative home goods:
“Oh, this end table would look divine with paisley-seashell decorative lamp!”
Me buying decorative home goods:
“If I buy an end table, do I need to get a lamp? Should I get a matching lamp? What matches wood-colored? Do they make wood-colored lamps? Maybe a contrast color lamp? What is the contrasting color of wood?”
It’s one of those skills I don’t quite understand. Where do people learn how to do this? Needless to say, I gave up the Ikea-induced panic attack trips as soon as possible in my fledgling career as an adult. I am good at buying functional things, but decorative shopping has never been my forte.
For example, this fall, when my roommate and I arrived at our apartment in Madrid, I gleefully bought us a coffee pot, a yoga mat (for “non-yoga” where you lay on the yoga mat and pretend to do sit ups while you watch TV) and a set of shiny new kitchen spoons.
Nested.
Fast forward 9 months later. I was sitting on the couch this morning, happily reading Don Quixote, when I looked around. I realized:
A) My roommate has very graciously decorated our whole apartment (love you!)
B) It is time to get off my lazy ass, go buy some votive candles and give this “feeling at home” thing a try.
I told myself I would not leave the store without a purchase. After all, it is segundo rebajas (Spanish for: the best sales in the world) in Madrid right now, what better time to try my hand at home decorating? Some photos of votive candle holders below. I’m off to read House Beautiful.
