FREE WILL

So much of my business is maintaining historically significant pieces, respecting their story and leaving them as is.

However, there’s another side where there are quite literally no rules. The more I have applied this to my creative practice, the stronger my ability to conceptualize has gotten.

I respect the argument that it is more practical to stick to the classics. Your home is a staple in your life that costs a lot to maintain as it is; you don’t want to be constantly renovating and swapping your furniture.

I challenge this with… Why do you not see yourself as valuable enough to buy what you actually like?

Designing and building homes for “resallability” is the modern interpretation of plastic on the sofa. At some point, we have to get to the root truth; we fear other people’s criticism of our personal expression. We all reference cool things, save them on Pinterest, strengthen our aesthetic eye with voyeurism, and claim we will have them “one day”. When it comes time to make an acquisition, we choose safe, second-tier choices.

The weird piece that you buy will be a pivotal conversation starter; it will start to find itself as a part of your identity way faster than the Ikea Malm bed you’ve had for 10 years.

I don’t mean buying into interior trends. The less time you spend on the internet, the less you’ll even be aware of the trends to begin with. I mean, committing to the weird thing you saw at the antique market that sparked something within you, that you’ve never seen on social media.

The weird fabric you saw at the fabric store that you’ve never seen on Pinterest. In that moment, you probably scramble to find a reference in your saved folders to validate yourself. You don’t find anything, so you’re not sure of it.

The weird art that you aren’t sure is socially acceptable, and you fear the reaction of your friends. This is your way of swallowing your creative intuition; you have to commit.

Absolute game changer in this practice, go it alone. Don’t ask anyone for their opinion. You have to exercise your own curiosity without other people’s input to strengthen the muscle.

The confidence comes over time when people see your execution and admire it. Only you know that the quirky statue sitting on a thrift store shelf would not have yielded the same reaction.

Maybe your friends and family think you are insane, and are not in agreement with your acquisition. But you evoked a feeling and sparked a conversation, something your Wayfair boucle barstools will never do (sorry?).

This is the best part, even though we loathe it. The polite butting of heads, the awkward disagreement. Opening up your own curiosity to why they disagree, and hearing them share what they do like. They're listening to you explain what you like about it, where you found it, and how it made you feel. The conversation passes, but both of you have more insight into eachothers point of view. This is what it’s all about; there is no right or wrong, and absolutely no rules.