Willow House Wednesdays: Simply Good Design

Ingleside Luminaries from Willow House.

I'm a person who LONGS for simplicity in my home. Especially these days, as I round up this season of living in my Father in law's house-- decorated with endless knicknacks from war and from wild west days gone past. In my personal style, everything leans towards simplicity, openness, and functionality. There are no decorative elements that serve "no" purpose-- because in my house, everything has to do something useful or I want it out.
Part of this is sheer survival- I have three young children who tear up my house on a daily basis, and adding dusting and jumping to rescue breakable items from tiny hands to my lengthy to-do list on purpose would be insanity. It's also a reflection of our lives. Peter and I aren't fussy. We are a simple family- we enjoy being outdoors, being together, and doing the basic things of life together, like cooking, or reading, or praying. My last house had a huge open space in the living room and wood floors, because that gave us room to spread out and play with the kids, or do yoga, or throw a big get together. We like simplicity in the home because it shows who we are.
Part of it, though, comes from my stint in the Army. I grew up in a house with a lot of "Stuff." And  that Stuff was great-- it was beautiful, interesting and useful. But there was a LOT of it! When I left for basic training, my parents were getting ready to move from the family home. And so I had to pack up ALL my things, not knowing if I would ever see them again. Further, I could bring nothing with me on my new journey... only a backpack stuffed with a change of clothes. For a materialistic girl like me, this had been a true challenge.
I found, once I got there, that there was nothing quite so amazing, mentally, physically, and spiritually, as NOT being bogged down with "stuff." In Basic Training, I had a little locker that contained six outfits, one for every occasion I would encounter in the week. I had four pairs of shoes. Seven pairs of underwear, bras and socks.
A toothbrush. Some soap. a razor. some lotion. A Bible. A journal and a few pens. A couple pictures of loved ones. That's it! If I had to move somewhere, I filled a duffel bag and moved out.
Those were some of the best days of my life... not only because I met and married my husband of six years there, or because the amount of fun I was having was off the charts, or because going through an experience like Basic Training is a catalyst for growth and for overcoming personal challenges, but because life was so simple! We had a schedule, and we stuck to it. We worked hard, so we enjoyed every minute of "free" time. We accomplished everything before us. We had new challenges every day that taught us self-reliance AND teamwork. We couldn't rely on crutches like food or affection to get us through the tough stuff, so we HAD to seek God.
We didn't waste time or lose it. And once an evening, we bonded as a group and were briefed on what we could expect in the near future. What a perfect life! How could we NOT excel and be our personal best in that type of environment? My time in the army had a profound effect on me.
And its influence in my sense of style is obvious. I love simply good, functional design.
That's one of the main reasons I fell in love with Willow House's products right away. Every on-trend item is specifically designed to do three things:
Decorate.
Entertain.
Organize.
This is the stuff life is made of: we decorate to make things around us beautiful. We entertain because we want to be hospitable and touch others' lives. We organize because it restores our peace and creates order from chaos. I feel so fortunate that I've found a company that realizes that these are the most basic functions of a home... and celebrates that!
Since everything is so useful, you can use it a million ways-- and THAT takes all the stress out of "keeping house." It also means that while there is plenty of room to use Willow House products to enhance your home with your own style, that if you have NO sense of style or don't know where to start, just putting the products to use in simple ways ensures that everything will look great. The luminaries in the picture above are beautiful and can seem like "stuff" until you realize how useful and necessary they are: they corral items in any room, from jewelry to pencils and pens to silverware for a buffet table. They are useful to serve vegetable sticks or breadsticks with appetizers. They give the eye something to think about and they instill a sense of magic when they are lit up with votives... a flickering glow to lift the soul towards thoughts of heaven. Perfect!

Put Willow House to use in your life and enjoy our trademark Simply Good Design.

To learn more, please visit my website: www.southernstar.willowhouse.com