As I sit down to write this, I look around my peaceful breakfast room for inspiration. The warmth from the small fireplace and the dim glow from the candlelight is truly inspiring. Pulling together a primitive home is more than just a decorating style. It truly is a way of life, a mind set, and a yearning to have a simpler more peaceful way of being.
Unfortunately we can not change having to live in the 21st Century and all that that brings to our lives..... Stress, noise and daily BUZZ. But what we can change is how we feel and live at the end of the day, sitting in our primitive cozy homes. It is our safe harbour from the 21st Century.
You do not have to have a lot of money or a lot of things to get this feeling ~ as I said, we must strive for a "MINDSET". Don't get me wrong... we all love our "things", and surrounding yourself with things that you love will invoke a feeling of earlier days and is important when making your home your sanctuary. But lets think back to the 18th Century when times were hard, but peaceful and simple. Those pioneers did not have a lot, and "made do" with what came from their own hands and nature.
Therefore, when you begin to get inspired and want to invoke a "FEELING" in your early styled home, just think back to a simple time in history and invision what our forefathers had. Its important to make your home livable and real. Many people who visit my home may say "how do you live in a museum?" For my family, it is not a museum setting. We do "LIVE" in our home and nothing is contrived. It is a way of life for us... a place to escape the stress.
You may have to make a conscious effort in the beginning to simplify your life. It may seem even harder at first, living with less counter space, hiding those appliances, using less bright light. But the overall "FEELING" you get at the end of a stressful day will well be worth the sacrifices of the 21st Century.
Some may say this all sounds great in theory but its not realistic. I want to say ~ "It is realistic if you want it to be". If you truly want to de-stress your lifestyle, the one place you can do it is in your home. Realistically you do have to go to work everyday, perhaps in a big noisy city. You do have to drive in traffic etc. But your home is your sanctuary and you can have the feeling of the 18th century whenever you open your front door.
To capture the "Feeling", there are some things to consider. I realize a lot of this may have been previously covered in detail so this is just a broad overview. Lighting is very important. I know that bright light and openness is important for most people, but REALLY... to attain an early cozy atmosphere... we want DARK! Consider lamps and candles rather than a lot of ceiling lights.
Also, if possible, low ceilings are wonderful. In early homes they kept the ceilings low to easier heat and cool. Consider putting in a drop ceiling if you can.
In your furnishings... always strive to "trade up". Start with what you can afford an anytime you can trade up down the road... do it! Think of your antiques as an investment. With CD's and money market funds at an all time low, why not invest your retirement into something that you see and love everyday!
Folk art and textiles make a house a "home". All the furniture, dough bowls, firkins etc. are the 'bones'. But early inspired "hand dids" are the icing on the cake! These are the things that will make a home say "this is yours" ... and are the things that, at the end of the day, will make your heart sing!
Lastly, Smell is also very important. Stop saving those yummy scented candles for "company" ! Burn candles all the time just for "you". There is nothing more comforting at the end of the day than to enter your early inspired home... with the smell of cloves and cinnamon to greet you.. and with a soft glow of a lamp or candle. Then sit and relax by the fireside and let all the problems and stress of the modern world slip away.
~Jill Peterson
