On Undecorating

     I'm all about decorating. You know it. I mean, why would I call this space The Little Decorator if I didn't like decorating?

     Ah. But as much as I love decorating, I love undecorating.

     Let's define our terms before I get carried away. :)

     Undecorating, v. : The process of intentionally filling a space with nothing so your room can breathe.

     Undecorating is not taking down décor, even though it may sound like it. Undecorating is kind of like something I once heard from the fashion world:

     Dress yourself with as many accessories as looks right. Then remove one.

     I use this all the time when I get dressed, but doesn't it apply to decorating too? Fill your home with things you love, but then subtract. Remove. Take away.

     You can't see all the beautiful things your house is holding if there is no blank space. (And we're not talking about Taylor's song.)

     Blank space is something we have to fight for. It's so easy to buy more. And more. And more. And more. But if we would just stop and subtract, we could enjoy our homes much better.

     Guess what? I have had this on my mind so much recently, but before that, I had a Pinterest board for it. I called it margin.

Follow Madeline's board m a r g i n on Pinterest.

     We all need more margin in our lives. Blank space. A white wall. A cleared table. A spare bedroom. An undecorated breathing space. Doesn't it all sound so lovely?

     If you already grasp this concept for your home, you might want to take it to a whole new level and apply it to life.

     We all need blank space--on our calendars, in our dress, or for our family. Mark out some space in your week to unwind, undo, and undecorate.

     We cannot give our best to our priorities if we're running on an empty tank.

     So take time to fill yourself up. Take a nap. Spend a cold, rainy day inside with your family. Read a book. Give hugs (because it's hard to give a hug without receiving one).

     If you make this "nothingness," this "blank space," in your life, you will find you are rarely saying "I'm tired," or "I'm stressed out," or "My house is sooooo messy, and I don't know why."

     Space.

     Margin.

     Undecorating.

     It's what makes the good things good.

~ M a d e l i n e