Most of us have our favorite comfort foods--why not have the design counterpart for our homes? Again, I am inspired by places in the UK (where, I just heard, a Diet Coke is 5 pounds--so when I go, I suppose I will lap water from the Thames).
Here's my shortlist:
1. Afghans and throws
2. A thick down mattress cover and down pillows
3. Aubusson pillows on the sofa
4. English rooms always seem to have dogs and cats sleeping in a patch of sunlight
5. A bowl filled with rocks from places you've been
6. Candles, preferably orange-scented Trapp.
7. Photographs in a glass bowl rather than albums--rotate them, or pick out the photo du jour.
8. A kitchen cabinet filled with tea and coffee supplies: mismatched mugs on a wicker tray; whole coffee beans in an airtight jar; teabags tied with ribbon.
I forgot to add that comfort food is best eaten on, and surrounded by, comfy things: a down-filled sofa surrounded by down-filled pillows, a cashmere throw draped around your legs, a dog at your feet, and a crackling blaze in the fireplace.
ReplyDeleteEblogger won't let me edit comments; I can only go back and delete. If anyone needs to edit, that is, sadly, the procedure. I am looking forward to hearing about your comfort food/s and what makes a home comfortable.
I so love to go to my friends and have tea. My favorite is Marcella Chi and the aroma makes me think of an English garden with roses clinbing the stone walls,as ivey creeps up the walls like a hand caressing a cheek. Small age cracks in the cups makes me think of the ladys in white golves and hats cocked to the side ever so slightly as a slight fragrence drifts in the air.Linens edged in tatting done with fingers lovelingly crafted from patterns memorized through the years. I shall have another cup please.
ReplyDeleteYour wonderful comments this morning were so appreciated, dear Gollum ~ it brought back the wonderful memories of a long-awaited golf trip to Scotland, to play at St. Andrews. The incredibly charming "home" we were blessed to stay in was so much like you described, and the warm n' welcoming "lady of the house" was an avid gardener ~ fresh flowers, artfully arranged to look "casually thrown together", were absolutely everywhere! She had an artist's eye and that, along with much-cherished pieces handed down through her family for generations, and sitting out for others to see, touch and enjoy, was a rare treat indeed! Thank you so very much for the mini-vacation down those Scottish roads once again... I am still smiling (Irish eyes, you know!). We're so lucky you choose to write here for us! It's such a delightful way to start the day! Wishing you well!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I meant to add that I was so "surprised" ("great minds?"...) when I saw the pic of the chair and afghan/lap blanket ~~~ I had purchased two new ones (cashmere ~ a sure splurge for me!), JUST YESTERDAY! They are the prettiest, softest minty green and it feels soooo refreshing! The "splurge" was truly because "you only live once, and if you do it RIGHT,'Once is Enough'"!!! Thank you again for all your inspirations!
ReplyDeleteMy dear Gollum! You had me worried yesterday when there was not words from you to inspire my day! I am glad you have returned and hope you had a very peaceful Mother's Day with your family. This chapter was perfect! I would also like to invite you to peruse my new adventure...I would love to hear your tips and thoughts on improving my own blog. Your blog and several others that I browse daily inspired me to try one of my own. Should you come, I do hope you will enjoy my first attempt! Have a great day and know I will be waiting for the next edition.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add my comfort things to my last comment...I love to have some beautifully scented candles, a large chair and a soft throw to wrap up in while I read my favorite books. Sitting in the rickety old wing chair in my sun room watching the sun set on my flowers is also a great pleasure for me. I will not address the issue of comfort food....that is what got me onto this diet! lol
ReplyDeletethanks again.
Good day Gollum,Good looks and practicality characterize serenity and comfort for me.Growing up in Europe and South East Asia,I was alway's inspired by the simple but strong statements made by the homes we visited. The wonderful collections of memorabilia and the rich variety of styles; are what made all my parents and their friends homes feel liked they had evolved piece by piece over along time. Each item ,no matter where you glanced had a strong character and reason for it's place. I watched my mom and her girlfriends spend hours arranging and creating what I alway's knew as home.My early life was certainly influenced by many of the same comforts you also enjoy,so as I slump into the high wing-back chair,left to me by my " Very Proper British grand Ma -Ma" I wink and a Ditto to all that make you smile!
ReplyDeleteAlice's Rabbit
Actually you hit upon some of my favorites. We have a pair of wing chairs with ottomans in our hearth room. They sit beside the fireplace and that's where I love to sit and read, with an afghan thrown over my legs.....unless....our big black Lab Molly "needs" the chairs. Because, after all...they are hers and we're just borrowing them.
ReplyDeletePat
Hi Gollum! Some of my comfort foods are tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, also pastina which my Mom has made for me since I was a baby. Particularly good when you are down with a virus. Some of my comfort items are nice smelling bath gel and a loofah sponge. A big comfy chair to sit in and watch and old black and white movie. Lots of candles and lamp lighting (not a fan of overheads) and of course hugs and kisses from my baby girl! Okay, not all are household items but what can I say, these are what makes my home a home! Good day to you!
ReplyDeleteCardinals
My home doesn't feel like home unless it has lace curtains on at least one window, quilts, floral fabric and some things with a bird motif. Lemon and lavender candles get used frequently, but they're trumped by the smell of something baking,(bread or something with cinnamon are the best scents), or something savory simmering on the stove. I'm a coffee drinker, and I love the aroma of it, but in the winter my husband will ask in the afternoon if I'd like a cup of tea. He currently has 22 different types, but my favorite is Earl Grey. Years ago I bought a Rockingham tea pot that we just love. I really should make a cozy! Macaroni and cheese or a BLT are my favorite comfort foods. A cream cheese and olive sandwich is a very close 3rd. Gee, I was tired and aching from gardening and just writing about all of this has made me feel a tad better! Oh, one more thing...seeing your gardens from your windows. It's very important!
ReplyDeleteI love the "comfort decorating"! So many of those are my comforts as well, except I'm allergic to down!
ReplyDeletePets, mismatched anything, jumbled photos or rocks in a bowl, all of these things make a home!
Interior design and chocolate are two of my passions :) so I would have to say having a place that I can call 'my' home and chocolate dipped Strawberries, are both considered comforts to me.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Gollum :)
ReplyDeleteAll it takes for me to be comfortable is to be surrounded by the things I love (ie.. pictures of my family, antiques and family heirlooms), a comfy place to sit, with either a roaring fire with snow on the ground outside or in the spring, flowers all over the house and the sunlight streaming in across the room.
I'm a simple kind of girl ;)
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