Friday Feature: Timeless or Trendy

Earlier this month, over at my Organizing by STYLE blog, I wrote about letting things go. It was a post about how we deal with de-cluttering -- whether we are ruthless, thoughtful, unable to part with things at all, or some combination of all three. 

Then I came across a post in my inbox from one of my favorite blogs, Aesthetics of Joy, in which Ingrid Fetell Lee talks about the timeless and the trendy. Her discussion of aesthetics made me think about the why behind the difficulty we often have getting rid of things. It's not the things themselves, it's the way they make us feel. I've often said that, but I've never linked it back to the overall aesthetic of a thing or of the place it occupies or enhances.

When we buy things we love (as opposed to things we just want), we buy them for the long haul. In a society where so much is disposable, there's a lot to be said for buying something and keeping it until it wears out instead of just replacing stuff because we can, or because something else shinier and newer comes along. But if the purchase is merely utilitarian or the latest new craze, it's less likely to survive the test of time, making it more likely to end up as the clutter we need to figure out what to do with. Timeless pieces make their way into our hearts; they're the things we bring from one living space to another, and the things that make a house a home.

Lee's posts are always thoughtful with a joyful, artsy vibe, and this one is no different. In addition to inspiring some organization connections for me, it also sparked an interesting discussion with my daughter -- who's getting ready to move into her own place -- about aesthetics and the role they play not just in decorating, but in making a space one we want to live in.

As I type this, I'm sitting out on our new sunporch. It's the room in our house that brings everything Lee said about aesthetics into sharp focus, which is perhaps why it's rarely empty. It was a long time coming, but it's a room I imagine myself enjoying well into the future. 

When the aesthetic is right, you just know.