COMFORT -- the Basis for Good Interior Design

In the German community where I grew up, Mother always insisted that what made for good interior design was "Gemuetlichkeit" -- comfort.  Back then, color and style took a back seat to the dictums of comfort:  large pillows stuffed with lots of down were everywhere; lace curtains graced tall windows to admit lots of light; handmade quilts spelled warmth in winter; carpets were tightly woven of old coats cut into strips to provide solid footing; clocks ticked and chimed in every room so we always knew the time; tables with lamps attended every seating area so there was always light for reading and needlework; and many a baby was rocked to sleep in comfortable rocking chairs lovingly handmade by local artisans.

Things have changed considerably since then, as the pace of life has universally quickened.  But somehow through all the years of design degrees, big-city lifestyles, and creative ideas turned into reality, Mother's admonitions about things needing to be "Gemuetlich" still pervade my professional as well as personal outlook.

I use the illustration from my own background to remind you that the process of decorating a home begins long before the first piece of furniture is purchased or the first stroke of paint is applied to the wall.  The process actually begins in childhood, when we take note of our surroundings and create conscious or subconscious images of what constitutes both comfort and beauty.  If our fondest memories include curling up with a good book in an overstuffed chair, we'll probably want to have such a chair in our homes.  If we loved family dinners in a large light-filled kitchen where good food and good conversation went hand in hand, most likely we'll want to create a similar atmosphere for our families.  I'd like to encourage you, as a first step in any redecorating project you're contemplating for the new year, to reminisce, and to pinpoint what it was that spelled comfort for you when you were a child.

More about creating comfort tomorrow.......