Heather's Colourful Life
Some things are too big for a caption
I am very (very) gently dipping my toe in the intriguing world of Substack. Interiors and fashion have been a kind of admirable but distant concept for me as a child. I enjoyed looking from afar but I felt I did not have the sophistication to join in. That is for people who live in London, or Los Angelas. It is definitely not for somebody from Dunfermline. Nobody would want to hear from me. I didn’t even want to hear from me! My self- esteem was on the floor and my desire to be authentic was challenged by my desire to go unnoticed.
This was until Instagram. I was an early adopter, sharing pictures of nights out and my dog. I loved using those filters that made everything look lush. I met some new friends and they suggested sharing my home on Instagram. We had Angela who already had a home account. Emma and I decided to join at the same time. Safety in numbers. I told myself because it was a home account and not personal that people who had chosen to follow me couldn’t really slag me off could they? Well, I will never know but Instagram opened me up to a while world of similar minded people. People that understood a pink kitchen was an EXCELLENT idea. I LOVED it there!
Changing Rooms, Interior Design Masters, The Great Interior Design Challenge are all television shows that have done us the world of good. House Doctor did the exact opposite. Home owners were told, quite sensibly, that in order to sell then you have to tidy up and better get rid of that dog smell too. It did not stop there though did it? Walls were painted beige, personal belongings were removed because, of course, people looking for a place to live do not have any imagination at all.
Human nature means people take things too far. With the house flipping obsession in the early 2000s, creating a ‘blank canvas’ for people to move in and ‘make their own’ became the norm. It is as if the ‘making it their own’ didn’t ever come. Even for people planning to remain in their home for the rest of their lives. Resale value and a quick sale seemed to trump a home owners personal style and desires.
I suppose this is where my chats on Substack will come in. I hope to gently encourage us out of these boxes we end up in without even realising. I would hate to see a lot of homes that all look the same. Even colourful ones! I do think finding the colours we love to use in our home or choose to wear is about discovering who we truely are. It is not about trying to be something we are not.
I am planning on publishing regular articles full to brim with inspiration for adding colour to our lives. I have been thinking about the joy those of us that celebrate Christmas feel when bringing a TREE into our living rooms. I mean that is MAD. Not only that, I see people excitedly filling their homes with sparkle and ribbons only to remove it all in January. As if the home can only be a full, fun and vibrant at Christmas. This needs to change! Who’s with me?
