Are your eyes closed? Visiting the Old York Museums‘ 2013 decorator show house popped open my eyes. More than a dozen designers and landscape architects took over a waterfront property currently for sale. It’s an inspiring space, open to the public through August 15 (closed Tuesdays) in Kittery Point, ME. Compliments to all who worked to make this museum fundraiser a success!
Read highlights of the house in my blog post for Giardini di Sole. A lot of creative rethinking of space went into the decoration, and entering the house from the shoreline gives an entirely different experience (so smart, those designers!). There’s no photography allowed, so no home dec eye candy to share, just a garden view, peeking out from the grape trellis across the feng shui saltwater pool toward the cove. Do visit Secret Cove, if you can.
I can share my “Carpe Diem” decorating philosophy, however…
“Open Your Eyes: 1,000 Simple Ways to Bring Beauty into your Home and Life Each Day” was first published by Alexandra Stoddard in 1998. 
I hadn’t realized that my eyes had closed, but walking into my house after visiting Secret Cove sparked the annual retrieval of this favorite volume (I see it’s available in a digital format these days… hmmm!). I immediately tidied the piles of post that accumulated during our vacation and opened my eyes.
Thanks to Stoddard, there are 3 principals that I incorporate in my own home and studio.
- Shake up your art and home dec accessories. We tend to no longer notice your great stuff if it’s always in the same place.
- Decorate with objects meaningful to you. The abundance of coral fabrics, candlesticks and objects in Secret Cove was beautiful, but there’s no coral in Maine. If I spent much time scuba diving in warmer climes, such motifs might show up in my place (Such are home decor trends, I guess).
- Consider proportion. How does your eye travel across the room? Slight changes can give your space a completely different vibe.
As these glorious summer days and nights keep us outside and away from home, there’s nothing like opening your eyes when you come back inside. Seize the day and make the most of your space!
