Little Boxes on the Hillside

Do you know this song written in 1962 by Malvina Reynolds?

Little boxes on the hillside,

Little boxes made of ticky tacky,

Little boxes on the hillside,

Little boxes all the same.

There's a green one and a pink one 

And a blue one and a yellow one,

And they're all made out of ticky tacky

And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses

All went to the university,

Where they were put in boxes

And they came out all the same,

And there's doctors and lawyers,

And business executives,

And they're all made out of ticky tacky

And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course

And drink their martinis dry,

And they all have pretty children

And the children go to school,

And the children go to summer camp

And then to the university,

Where they are put in boxes

And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business

And marry and raise a family

In boxes made of ticky tacky 

And they all look just the same.

There's a green one and a pink one

And a blue one and a yellow one,

And they're all made out of ticky tacky

And they all look just the same.

Sound familiar? Those of us in suburbia can probably all relate to these lyrics.  In the land of urban sprawl, subdivisions, and big box retailers, I crave individuality.  Some people in my boat might dye their hair a strange color, run away to Brazil with an Italian boyfriend, become an obsessive triathlete, spend too much money on fancy cars, or a myriad of other things that would not be politically correct of me to mention in this format.

I live in a subdivision in the suburbs. I also live in the most popular model built in my subdivision, which is named after the subdivision itself. How's that for originality? Since we tend to spend a lot of time at home in this culture, I have tried to create an oasis of originality behind our closed doors.
Design is how I leave my mark, it's how I feed my soul, it's what keeps me from blending in. It's the layers and the textures, the history, the colors and mostly, for me, the details.

Here is a highlight of some of those details, and proof that even a cookie cutter home can become something unique and special....your own.

 Antique Italian chair, faded and chipped to perfection, found at Scott's. Fringe and button trim applied to shade on marble lamp.

Collection of food cloches in the kitchen.

Antique corbels under kitchen counter.

 My daughter's first shoes on a pedestal in the office.

 Estate sale green leather chair and Swedish shoe lasts.

 A trio of prints hang in an Italian farm window.

Layers on the floor and on the daybed.

On a writing desk in the living room, I keep a tray of Italian memorabilia: vintage love letters, paper weights, letter openers, stamp box.

Family room bookshelves.

Old iron brackets make a visual archway between the living and dining room.

 The bar.

To be continued...

We are expecting the mother of all ice storms tomorrow. Be safe, and charge those phones!

XO,

Lisa