Objects that create a sense of home are not about the price. They are about how we feel when we see them, touch them, hear them. When I look at the objects that create home in my house and yard, I see gifts that had no cost to me and purchases for which I worked with the artists over a period of time to bring their works into my daily life.
The master-crafted wooden bookends (one in my office and one in my living room) shaped into a Thinker pose were found on a trip to upstate New York for work. An art store in a mall near a tree-lined railroad track showcased local artists with color and flair. The $100 purchase was a splurge of emotion and wallet that continues to bring me joy today. I’ve always been drawn to wooden furniture and objects, so these Thinkers simply needed to come home with me.
When times are tight, and purchases are about the price – and saving money – a $5 card or magnet that reminds me of a trip is just as much a nesting object as any other purchase. Again, the things we buy to appoint our homes are about how we feel, what we are prompted to remember and reminded to celebrate in our lives.
Sometimes the price itself makes a purchase about the price. Years ago, I was so struck by a bronze sculpture in a gallery window that I went in, read the artist statement and knew immediately why I had been drawn in. I contacted the artist Irene Deely and asked whether I could have a picture of her work because I simply couldn’t afford the piece itself. She graciously worked out an installment payment contract for which I continue to be grateful. Abiding is the sculpture that lives in my living room (and has lived in other rooms here too) and that reminds me to relax into a healing strength bigger than myself. Thanks Irene!
So, it is not about the price or what you spend. It is about what an object causes you to feel or to remember. As you look around your home and garden, which objects bring you joy? Was it about the price when you purchased or received those items? Or was it about how you felt and continue to feel?
Note: This Jana Kemp post first appeared online February 6, 2019.
Jana Kemp
