Much to my postman’s chagrin, I receive oodles and oodles of home decorating magazines. Once I discovered Amazon’s $5 magazine subscription deals, I was a wild woman ordering this magazine and that magazine. Now, they just pile up, because I don’t have the time make the time to look through them all.
When I do find myself in a bubble bath with a few moments to myself, I love checking out the beautiful rooms put together by real-life designers. More often than not, I dog-ear pages in the magazines thinking, “Oooh, that would look great in my bedroom,” or, “I could do that for so much cheaper!” Occasionally, though, I find myself thinking, “What real person lives in that space?”
Before you get depressed that your house isn’t as beautiful as the ones in House Beautiful, I want you to remember one thing: REAL PEOPLE DON’T LIVE THERE. Sure, there’s a family or a couple living in each space photographed, but THAT’S not how they actually live.
One read of Eddie Ross’s blog or even a visit to the Lettered Cottage reveals exactly what you need to know – when the magazine pros photograph a home for a spread, they enter a spectacularly fabulous home with an army of stylists and props to make a space look more magazine-like. Throw blankets are strategically placed so that they photograph well and add a splash of color to a bare spot. A beautiful place setting is styled on the dining room table in case an impromptu dinner party errupts. And what is with there ALWAYS being fresh cut flowers just laying on the kitchen island? I’m I the only one who notices that?
Don’t you just LOVE the color of those kitchen cabinets, though?
Do you want to know what a real home looks like? I’ll show you. It has pliers and space shuttles in the oven.
It has a giant mess tucked away in one room where you can simply close the door (don’t we all have a messy room like this?).
It has a pile of throw pillows on one side of the room (and lots of Legos on the coffee table), because let’s be honest – it’s not really comfortable to sit on a couch with throw pillows.
I just want to tell you right now that your home is perfect the way it is. Absolutely perfect. There’s always room to refresh your space – to add a new chair here or a book wreath on your wall there – but your home is perfect. Don’t ever, EVER let magazine spreads make you feel your home is unworthy.
Remember, it’s all just a mirage.
Beautiful photos by House Beautiful. Real-people photos by me.
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I don't live in a magazine spread but my SIL does. Nothing out of place, nothing personal and it looks cold and uninviting.
To Mary, try Joann's or Nancy's Notions for the ironing board cover. I think both places have them
What is it about the flowers on the kitchen island??? Is everyone a novice florist in their spare time?
BTW – I did a post the other day on Unhappy Hipster. Have you been there yet? I think you might just get a giggle out of it!
I don't know what you mean?? I always have my beautiful tulips sitting on my cutting board waiting to be put into my giant glass vase that my kids will no doubt break!
Doesn't everyone? hee.
Thank you for keepin it real. Sometimes I force my home (and myself) to try reach a unattainable perfection. A good house is one that is full of life and love!
Perfect! You are so right. I used to work at this beautiful log house and JC Penny did a clothing photo shoot there. I was amazed and very happy and disappointed to see them take all the extra fabric in the back and put big "chip clips" on them to give the perfect look. I don't think I can walk around with a chip clip poking me in the back or fresh cut flowers on my counter, but I can still be happy with what I have! Great post!
I love it! I actually had a conversation about throw pillows yesterday. I told him he couldn't lay on them and he looked at me like I was crazy and said, "What am I supposed to do with them, throw them?". Seriously…what sort of person created a pillow you can't lay on!!!
Preach it, sista! Home magazines should exist in our homes to give us inspiration not to take us on a guilt trip!
I love this post, and I want to thank you for keeping it real!
Amen sister! I love the throw pillows comment! Why do we do that?!! We bought a sectional so we could sit in the corner and extend our legs but I chose to put throw pillows there so now we don't even sit there – crazy!!
I love this post! So honest and open. I really appreciate that sort of thing!
Liz
Loving This Mom Stuff
I'm going to come back to this post every time I get the Pottery Barn catalog!
LOVE IT! You made me laugh out loud with the pliers and space shuttle in the oven. With boys and a husband, I'm on a near-constant struggle with socks. Wouldn't have thought that would be my biggest thing, but they're everywhere! Bought fresh flowers for my own birthday, so you can tell exactly when I have them just laying around – never.
I envy you your big white desk and pretty work room!
I would like to add that even if you don't or can't have the magazine look, don't buy the WHOLE room set from a furniture store. Each one of those rooms that we all fall in love in these magazines have different furniture pieces in them that compliment each other but don't exactly match. This was a great post, about great every day living!
Ok, I want your whole work room, but I am dying to know where you got your dressmakers dummy?
I feel like you were speaking to me personally! Thank you!!
P.S. I adore your blog and I just bought the stuff today to make my very own book wreath. I can't wait!!
Amen sister! BTW, is that your beautiful sewing room? Oh my, I'm so jealous.
I love this post. I also love your sewing/craft room!
Dear Lindsey,
Just this very weekend I was wondering what to do with all thoses spare pillows and glass containers, old paperbacks and wreath forms I have been collecting over this winter as I have been reading yours and numerous other bloggyland "beautiful" spaces. I donated it back to goodwiil, although I kept the whiteware. I will just have to keep searching for my Wonder Wanda powers and plug away at my everyday nerd hearding I call parenting, LOL
Sincerely,
Miss Dee
I so very much LOVE your blog! You (and your guest turtorials) have inspired me in so many ways!
I have a question. Where did you get the child size dress form pictured in your sewing room on the right hand side of the photo? Do you like it? I'm really only going to use it to take photos of the outfits I make for my etsy shop, but I don't want something that makes the clothes hang wonky! I've been looking everywhere for one but can't seem to find what I'm looking for.
Thanks,
Hannah
hannahjocreations(at)gmail.com
Lindsay! I would love it if my house was as "messy" as yours! LOL. I am not sure I feel any better now! Actually, I enjoyed reading this because it's true! Love where you live! Live where you love!
Lindsay, this post is so true! I can so relate to this and you had me laughing about all the real pictures you showed…looks like my home. I have 4 boys and if I thought my home could be perfect at all times…well, I would be crazy! Thanks for keeping it real!
Hugs,
Victoria
So glad to see this post. Sometimes I look around and see that my house could never make it to a magazine no matter how much I try but we all live here. It is very much lived in with special touches all around.
Ruth
I love the white coffee table!! love it! and you are right… though I often feel very very undecorated in my home… we play, we build forts, we have piles of toys, crafts, papers, school work, art work… its cluttered (to a fault… must work on it a bit!) But it is home… I would love a little less clutter and a little more 'style'… in time
in the midst of loving and living!
Just Jenn~ your 1610 follower?! wow!
I love this post. Thanks for the reminder to be happy with what we have. Always a good reminder. And, by the way, your living room DOES look like it was from a magazine… you did a great job of decorating, despite the throw pillows.
Thank you for this post. I was just sitting here blogging getting all depressed with all the things I'd like to do with my home, thinking, "How do these women do it all?" "Why can't my home look like their home?" I don't know, maybe I'm hormonal, but I really appreciated your post.
Thanks I needed that! I am getting my house ready for sale and I get a little fanatical about everything being perfect…driving my entire family crazy. I’ll try to keep this tucked in the back of my mind and calm down a bit.
Oh my gosh, it’s so true. And yet I still find myself falling into the trap of really wanting my house to look like something out of a magazine spread. My 17-month-old, on the other hand, wants it to look like a toy bomb blew up in every room.
Love this! I went looking for this topic and found yours. Brilliant. I think about this all the time. I am a decorator and I never have a professional photographer for my spaces. One I can not afford it and two just like you mentioned I or they would go in and move things around and add things because unless they are a designer themselves or very into decorating their accessories are never just right. I decorate the bones of their rooms and then they always buy their own accessories or already have things they love. So, what I am trying to say is: if you look at my work you will find real homes, real budgets and real people living in these photos! I love the magazine photos but hate them at the same time. What a struggle!
Real homes, real budgets, and real people – love it!
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