Hello friends,
I sincerely apologize for my absence these past few weeks. It has been quite a busy summer! Allie inspired this week’s post; she started a campaign at Balance Design all about “whimsy”. She used this sentiment to design our studio windows and several cool social media posts. I had never thought about whimsy that way before, so I wanted to explore the concept for myself.
Whimsy-Noun. Playful, unusual, or fanciful behavior or ideas. It describes a lighthearted state driven by imagination rather than strict reason.
What a great word! How do I express whimsy in my home, my wardrobe, and even in my writing? How do I express whimsy at work? Sounds like a great challenge. This word also feels connected to surprise, joy, fun, and delight. That’s why “whimsy” feels important; we all need a little boost of happiness in our lives. Another interesting way to think about it is, “What color is your whimsy?” This is for those of us who have to add our favorite color in unexpected places.
What if we took this concept a little deeper? What if we dove deeper into what we want our home or wardrobe to express, and then curated “whimsy” as part of that expression? For example, my style goal, which I explained in a previous post, is “French Vintage Poet”. How can I express this style in my home and wardrobe? The key here is understanding the underlying goal and then expressing that goal in unexpected ways. For my wardrobe style, I have relished finding colorful scarves to add panache to my outfit. For my home, French tablecloths adorn my front and back porch tables. I also have this vintage cast iron frog on my mantle, looking longingly at the rock art above the mantle. I do not know if anyone but me notices this adorable frog, but that’s okay-someone will eventually.
Allie chose 2 different clients who had beautiful examples of this curation process. Our designers worked with them to create a bit of whimsy while keeping their overall goals in mind.
The first client had an art collection worthy of a gallery or museum. They love collecting art, supporting artists, and telling the artists’ stories. This vast collection included both framed art and pottery. They also wanted the focus to be on the art, so they aimed to simplify and upgrade everything else in the home to ensure it was both beautiful and functional throughout. They welcomed bold colors and patterns with an open mind, and together they achieved magic (perhaps another word for whimsy?) We called this client the Collector, because that was one of their primary overarching goals. But the whimsy came in when we created a special spot in their kitchen to display their collection of homemade hot sauces and painted their pantry a surprising plum brown color, which complemented the blush living room that had bunnies on the Roman shades. You get the picture; there were so many little surprises that still created a cohesive whole.
The 2nd client had also decided to upgrade their entire home. They wished to spend more time entertaining family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors, especially now that they are empty nesters. Their ranch home was built in the 60s, and while they had made some upgrades over the years, they were now ready for a complete overhaul. Their whimsy came through in some thoughtful yet surprising ways: a swallow-filled wallpaper for the foyer ceiling (to work with the sunny yellow door), a silly drunken monkey wallpaper in the powder room, and, of course, a favorite color, green, in the kitchen.
Some of these changes to the homes were huge and labor-intensive, yet others were simply a surprising paint color or personal styling to highlight something unique. It is a fun challenge to consider: How can I create a smile with a little surprise? Take the challenge, tickle your fancy, and consider finding a little whimsy to surround yourself with. You may even find yourself smiling, and who does not need that?
As we enter August and school starts, I wish you a happy, whimsical start to the new school year. For the rest of us without school-age kids, stay cool and carry on… and don’t forget to share your happenings with me at Stephanie@balancedesignatlanta.com.
Until next week,
Stephanie
PS-All of this beautiful photography (except my frog…) is by the one and only @mali_azima on Instagram. She is incredible.
