Yesterday I walked by a sign that said, “The most important things in life aren’t things.” This sign resonated deeply with me especially in the wake of everything that our country has endured in the past few weeks. In fact, our very own guest contributor Darla Powell of Darla Powell Interiors was adversely impacted by Hurricane Irma. Her landscaping suffered extensive damage and she has lacked power since the hurricane made landfall. However, even as an interior designer, she has taken the situation in stride knowing deep down that the most important things in life aren’t things.
As a former educator, I have always felt a bit less noble after switching careers to enter the interior design industry. There is a nobility to being a teacher that doesn’t quite exist with home decor. However, that doesn’t mean that interior design doesn’t improve lives. Like make-up artists, actors or travel agents, everyone plays a role in making our world a better place.
Even if unaffected, natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida have to make you sit back and put things in perspective. The design industry doesn’t hold a candle to the medical profession or the teaching profession, but there are definitely benefits to improving your home.
Your “things” should mean something.
The things that surround you should mean something to you. I once met a homeowner who traveled frequently and always made it a priority to obtain an object created by a local artisan. She would literally go into the villages to purchase woodwork, quilts, paintings, etc. Now when you point to something in her home, there is an incredibly warm story behind it.
Beautiful homes sell quicker.
When it comes to selling your home, a neglected home will sit on the market longer than a well-appointed home. This is not to say that location doesn’t count, but if you are in stiff competition with other homeowners, you can bet that they are comparing and contrasting their options. I can personally attest to this in my own life. Homes that have been well taken care of will often get multiple bids when it is time to sell.
Your home is your sanctuary.
Your home is the only edifice in the entire world that you have control over. Unless you are an architect, an interior designer or a business owner, you cannot dictate how the spaces you inhabitat will look and feel. In your home, you can decide whether you will paint every wall black or whether you will have a beach theme in spite of the fact that you are landlocked. Your home is the only place where you can get away from all of the craziness in this world and you alone get to decide how it looks from top to bottom.
So while the most important things in life are not things, we hope you will surround yourself with only things that matter.
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