Corners and Wabi Sabi

Anna found her much needed corner because she was not tired and did not want to go to bed!

Do you ever wonder why corners are so appealing? Corners offer a little haven of protection. To a child a corner can be the no fun corner when misbehaving or it can be a place they go to "not be seen" Small children often think if they can't see you, you can't see them! Corners can be comfortable little nooks where one might sit in a chair or on pillows to read, knit, watch television, meditate or daydream. Corners can be decorated attractively to enhance the ambiance of the entire room OR sadly, corners can be the catch all place for all the STUFF that hasn't made its way back to where it really belongs or doesn't have a place, yet. My friend Jayne embraces feng shui and decorates accordingly...me, feng shui is a little on the confusing side so I am embracing the Japanese practice of Wabi Sabi! "Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. For the Japanese, it's the difference between kirei-merely "pretty"-and omoshiroi, the interestingness that kicks something into the realm of beautiful. It's a richly mellow beauty that's striking but not obvious, that you can imagine having around you for a long, long time-Katherine Hepburn versus Marilyn Monroe." (I have completely lost the architect"s name to give credit to for this information) Make no mistake, Wabi Sabi is not an excuse for sloppiness or laziness however it acknowledges the imperfection in all things and is used frequently in art. I am in love with the theory of imperfection. Imperfection is what gives each person, place and thing its character! I really do not want my home to be a cookie cutter copy of the one in a magazine. I may get ideas from a book, magazine or home show only to put my personal stamp on the look. I love my home, it is always a work in progress, that would be the joy of home ownership. We remodeled about six years ago, I love the changes but am now thinking what I would have done differently, however I do promise there will not be another remodel. I believe I am too faint hearted for that these days!!! We have a screened porch that will be the next really big project. Oh, I have plans for that space!!! We already have the windows and the floor tiles. The floor tiles were a donation from an electrical job we did and I love them. Bright Red, 12x12 I believe. I was thinking Asian influence...I waffle back and forth...I would really love an in fared sauna and small bath...give it a spa feel...or an artist's studio for when I have time to be an artist again...I have created and recreated this space so many times, that is the real fun, the fantasy of it...I hope the reality will be as great!

For your viewing entertainment...dum, dum, dum...pictures of a few corners in my home...some are works in progress and I call them the corners of shame...the garage, who's corner is worse, mine or Carl's, you decide!!! The "home office space" is my nemesis at the moment, there is much sorting and discarding to be done...I can find an excuse to avoid this every weekend...it is getting to the neat freak in me...hmmm, I am babysitting Anna tonight and most of the day tomorrow....

You would be very amazed at what you see in the "corners" of your home when you capture them on film!!! What's in your corner? Or see you in the corner! Looks like I'll be spending some of my weekend in the corner, bad girl that I am.