Olive Sprouts: May 2012

Saturday, May 19, 2012

atmosphere

"The way to test which books have a good flavor, Lewis says, is to ask which books you reread. Having read a book once, you know the plot, so you know what's going to happen. Then why bother to read it again? You bother to read it again if you enjoy the atmosphere. You like being part of that imagined world. You can't be surprised by the events of the story, but you can be enthralled by its taste. In that sense, the atmosphere is much more important than the plot."
— Michael Ward, in The Narnia Code: C.S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens

So powerful.

I see how this is true for places as well... I don't just love the comfyness of the hammock, I love the essence of what a hammock is. I swing in the hammock and feel like I'm on the beach. I like shopping at Target over Walmart (although due to price and convenience I rarely get to indulge that preference), but it's because of the atmosphere. Marketers of course use that knowledge to their advantage. It makes me think about the atmosphere of the home. Obviously we should have an atmosphere of love and joy. But what physical things can we do to create an atmosphere that is welcoming and aesthetically comforting and homelike? Obviously the first place my mind goes is decor. But most of the beautiful pictures I see are not really welcoming to real life. They embody it in a condensed form, sometimes...lots of beautiful foods and plates on a staged table, or a couch so full of beautiful pillows there isn't room for a toddler. So it isn't just a beautiful home that I'm thinking of. It's a relaxing one. One you want to be in.

We've been working on some renovations and decluttering (mainly that means we've demolished the downstairs bathroom and office...) and I'm really excited about intentionally quieting and simplifying and unifying our home this summer.

And painting it all a relaxing, peaceful color. Like this one...? :)