the other day, while doing my semi-regular check of Amazon for new and interesting books in interior decorating, I came across a new
title called
Decorate Fearlessly: Using Whimsy, Confidence and a Dash of Surprise to Create Deeply Personal Spaces.
Looking through a few sample pages from the book, I started thinking more about the word "
whimsy" and how it's a word that I don't use often. Yet it's one that expresses really nicely an aspect of Domythic decor that I don't think I've entirely covered yet in the blog!
Whimsy is defined as
a playful or amusing quality : a sense of humor or playfulness. And the more I perused Pinterest for boards and pins based around the concept of whimsical decor, the more I realized that yes...it's a magnificent word for describing the "certain something" I try to make sure to have in my own home. It also describes well the "something lacking" that makes me dislike the interiors found in so many interior design magazines. Yes, it's true, I'm also looking for a personal touch in those cold and perfectly designed spaces found in magazines, but I'm also looking for a touch of
whimsy.
A Domythic home does not have to incorporate whimsy in order to be Domythic. Not at all. I've seen stunning fairy tale inspired interiors that take themselves entirely seriously. They look like exact reproductions of a castle, a witch's cottage, and they are seriously amazing. But adding a touch of whimsy to every room of your house is a great way to show the world in a subtle (or not so subtle) way that imagination and wonder are important to you.
But what about the thin line where whimsical decorating crosses over into the dreaded kitsch? Well, quite frankly, I think no one should judge for someone else where that line is. I've seen the most filled-to-the-brim decorated spaces that thrilled me, and I've seen some austere spaces that somehow still seem warm.
When I'm looking at a room or a house, I will ask myself a simple question, and it's one I find so important...that the
second post of this entire blog was devoted to it. I ask myself "would a child think this room/house/space was cool?" Adding a touch of whimsy practically guarantees that.
An entire antique porch piece on your living room wall? Definitely whimsical.
My friend, the artist
Merle Pace, has the most wonderfully whimsical home. Take note of the old radio cabinet painted a fun color...she calls it "cat theater" and her kitties love to play inside and put on shows for her!
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