The Things That Matter
I’m starting a new series on the blog officially titled “The Things That Matter.” And yes, it is 100% inspired by one of my design idols, Nate Berkus. The idea of this series is to share the stories behind the things that truly matter in our home. Like how we came to own Grandma Gert’s old rocking chair, where she rocked all her babies. Or the special meaning behind some of the art in our home.
The things we have in our homes matter. They are the things that define us, give our homes soul and character, and tell our stories. You just don’t get the same effect from a mass-produced art piece from Target as you do a family heirloom portrait of your great-great-uncle twice removed that’s been passed down to you.
When people visit our home for the first time, they often point things out to us. Like “Oh, that lamp is gorgeous!” Immediately, I dive into the story. “Oh, that lamp. I found it at the dump in the free pile. When I saw it, I clutched it so hard and vowed to never let it go. I kept asking Colby if this was real life and if this lamp truly was free. We even confirmed with one of the employees that I could in fact, just take the lamp home.”
I know you tell those stories too. We all do it.
We are natural storytellers. Some may share stories about the vintage glassware inherited from their French-Canadian grandmother. For others, it’s stories of the vintage Lily Pulitzer they found at the small town thrift store on the way to a family camping vacation.
This series is for those stories.
The Man, The Myth, The Legend, My Inspiration
Okay, so Nate Berkus may not be of “the man, the myth, the legend” status to you but he certainly is to me. No one in the design world has ever inspired or affected me as much as Nate.
My initial attraction to Nate Berkus was for his design work. The spaces he designs are beautiful yet deeply personal. Many are neutral with layers of texture and antiques. His interiors feel timeless.
A few years into owning our first house in Maine, I picked up Nate’s book, The Things That Matter. While initially purchasing for the eye candy, I read that book cover to cover in just a day. It may be the first design book I’ve ever fully read. I devoured every story behind every piece.
These stories were of Nate’s home and design work but primarily those of others. It showed how a diverse group of people set up and decorated their homes in a way that reveals who they are. The book had an underlying theme of how our homes are cultivated over time to become true masterpieces of our life’s story.
In a world of digital marketing and a bombardment of advertisements to buy buy buy, which has only gotten worse with the advent of affiliate marketing especially on social media, Nate Berkus was my first exposure to home design and decor with meaning.
I continue to read Nate’s book periodically. It’s a breath of fresh air and always inspires me to make our home matter with everything we bring into it.
Why This Series?
Oh, I’m so glad you asked. I have several reasons for this series, which I have wanted to write for many years. Even before my blogging hiatus in the season of birthing children.
Reason #1: The Stories Need To Be Told
I feel like Lola Dutch and I am just BURSTING with ideas. Although I won’t be painting murals on my ceiling, checking out 1,000 library books, or making 17 different breakfasts (one for Crane, one for Bear, etc.).
Random fun fact…our two-year-old loves to tell us she’s “bursting with ideas.”
Telling the stories behind the things in our home has been something I’ve longed to do. The stories are good, some of them suspect, and I love telling them. I want the stories to have a home and live in perpetuity. The internets are good for that.
The story of Aunt Marcus and the infamous “baby box” shall live on forever. Along with a collection of priceless Gert quilts and her pickle jar that was the cause of some epic family feuds!
Reason #2: Content For Slow Seasons
I’m trying hard to publish articles consistently at least twice a week. But it takes a lot of time and money to do DIY projects and write about them. If I’m being honest, both are limited resources. It takes us a while to save up for projects (4 years for our last bathroom remodel) and even longer to finish the projects.
And sometimes, I have to choose between ordering more lumber for the greenhouse project or registering my daughter for learn-to-play hockey which she’s shown immense interest in. Spoiler…hockey wins every time.
So in those periods when project time is sparse and money wanes, I still have some great content to share.
Reason #3: To Write Beyond SEO
Blogging today is SO different from blogging back in the day when I started in 2010. In those days, it was like writing a dear diary. There wasn’t much thought put into “creating content” other than to share a story.
These days, to grow and make money from blogging which is my goal, you need to create content for readers but optimized for SEO. Writing from the heart and telling stories is quick. Incorporating keyword research and SEO is not.
I want balance on my site. I fully recognize that to earn a full-time income and grow I need articles geared toward reader search intent. But I also want this space to be unique and not just another SEO-oriented DIY blog with linkable decor.
What makes my home, blog, and projects unique? Incorporating vintage items and the stories of the things that matter.
Reason #4: Vintage Is Not Linkable
This is a pet peeve of mine so feel free to skip onto reason #5 if mini rants are triggering or just a downer. I know they are for me sometimes.
There’s just something about the current DIY and design world, with the onslaught of clickable affiliate links that leaves me uninspired.
I used to love Instagram and blogs to source home and garden inspiration. But so many of my previous favorite accounts feel like link farms these days. It’s sad and the space has lost its lustre. I know they are businesses and need to make money, but there’s something that feels so wrong about an old favorite DIY account now shilling vitamins.
I don’t want to be that person or that account. Ever.
When I needed to find content I could easily create at night, while the children were asleep, I briefly thought about sharing link roundup posts. Like favorite-Halloween-art-prints-from-Etsy posts. But I just felt icky to push consumerism. Maybe it’s my inner minimalist trying to break out.
So end rant. I want to make sure my home doesn’t turn into a QVC shopping spec home and writing about those vintage treasures and their meaning helps me stay the course. I want my children to enter our home after we pass, look around, and see heirloom treasures they can’t bear to let go to the thrift store or the dump.
And I know there are social accounts out there in the home and garden, DIY, and decor space who are killing it without selling out. I’m finding more and more of them every day as I unfollow the old standbys and find some new accounts. But many are like me and the projects and content come slowly. Current favorites: Erin Shuford, Daniel Kanter, and Greg Penn.
Reason #5: Inspire You And Your Home
And the BEST reason for last, I want these stories to inspire you and your home. That’s always been the purpose and driving force behind this space. I want readers to leave with hope that they too, can create a beautiful AND meaningful home no matter their budget.
Someday, in my grand-master-plan dream world, I would love to have a space for YOU to share your stories of the things that matter. Maybe that’s a better fit for the socials but I dream of a big ol’ director of stories of the things that matter and how they shape our homes right here. Or maybe it’s a completely different site, who knows?! Dream big, right?!
What Comes First, The Mouse Or The Tapestry?!
So come back next week as I share my first story from our home while we’re in a waiting period for some good weather and an on-order paint sprayer to arrive so we can finish up the playground project. We’re oh so close!
Now to decide which story to tell first. Should it be the one about the mouse quilling? Or the stow-away tapestry? Perhaps the juicy pickle story (pun intended)?! Or the potato sack that I framed because who does that?!
