I have been keeping a decorating folder since I was 14 years old and recieved my first copy of Victoria Magazine. I turned those pretty pages and I was hooked. On decorating. On beatiful, vintage-style clothing, on ambiance. For that is what drives most of us to prettify our places of abode. We're trying to create an atmosphere of warmth and beauty. William Morris is attributed with the saying, "Have nothing in your home that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." Or something like that. And I wholeheartedly agree.
Of course, no matter how important we believe good design to be, it's not truly essential. It's more like....fosting. You get the basics covered, like food, shelter and clothing. Then you gussy it up.Thus, my title for my own dream house folder, The Frippery File.
Wictionary.com defines frippery as
- ostentation
- useless things, trifles
Now, I don't want to be ostentatious, but I have to admit that I do have a smattering of trifles throughout my home. And most of them were inspired by great stuff I found in magazines like the aforementioned Victoria, Country Home, Country Living, The English Home, Home Companion, etc. Sadly, in my haste to tear inspiration from the pages of those magazines, many of those early issues have not survived. So I've become more selective about what I rip and what I leave. Now I mainly keep all my magazines filed on shelves to be pulled when desired. But every once in a while I find something so delectable that I must get my scissors and snip.
Like these yummy vintage linens.
Or this residence that was converted from a church. LOVE IT!
Or Christmas ideas. I do like red.
All those years ago, I started an ongoing list of things I hoped to have in my forever kitchen. These were written when I was still in high school and college. I'm pretty sure the Aga is not arriving any time soon, but I've been able to check a couple of others off the list.
Then there's this dreamy nursery. Mine did not look like the one in this photo, but I wish it had.
Then there was my penchant for gray houses.
Check.
And finally, gardening. Working on it.
I've edited over the years, taking some things out of the Frippery File and of couse, adding things to it. But a few originals have remained constant in the years since the file's inception. What I posted here is just a sampling, but you get the general idea.
So that's my Frippery File. Do you have one of your own?
