Current Sensibility: Decorating During the Pandemic

After having been at home now for almost a full month – I am craving color, pattern, more art, more books, more of everything!

Before the pandemic, when I would be home for a length of time, my instinct would be to purge, to get rid of things, to pare down to the essence.  I was never clear on what the essence of my house was and the process involved me throwing some things away and then kind of stomping around the house picking things up and feeling grumpy and self-righteous.

Right now, perhaps because I am longing to participate in group claps with people, longing to sing along with strangers in a crowd, longing even to feel annoyed with the stranger who decided to wear a cowboy hat to a crowded sporting event, I am feeling inspired with interiors that have color, art and pattern.  I have a certain disregard for rooms that are empty and museum-like right now.  I think part of that is a longing for a time when life was busier and a desire for comfort in a time of tremendous stress.

I like casual unpretentious interiors that give me a glimpse of the personalities of the inhabitants.  I’ve been enjoying seeing the backgrounds of the news anchors and experts on CNN.  I love seeing the color blocked bookshelves, the art and photographs displayed, the pillows arranged on sofas and it’s even interesting to me to see the offices or rooms of those for whom decoration seems unimportant.  How we live inside of our homes is so important right now and for me, it’s an endlessly interesting topic.

Here’s a quote from an interview in the NYTimes that I found immensely helpful today:  “It’s important to know that you don’t have to believe all your thoughts. You can choose the ones that are helpful.”  Jack Cornfield, from “Things Keep Getting Scarier.”