While I’ve been waiting for this baby to come along, I’ve had some time to catch up on my design magazine reading. In the April edition of Elle Decoration UK there is an interesting article by Harper’s Bazaar features editor Stephanie Rafanelli about possessions. She says the objects we surround ourselves with are crucial to our sense of self – they remind us of who we are and where we have been. It reminds me a bit of the exercise I undertook last year when I documented 52 objects in my house over the course of one year.
Today, I thought I would share with you a few of the statements from the article.
The pieces in my collection are of no great rarity, obvious value or design. But each of them was stumbled upon and fallen in love with, one by one, for its own beautiful imperfection.
We need objects to remind us of who we are, why we’re here, where we’ve been. When we look at something, or when we acquire it, the object is only half of it. The other half comes from us – and the power of the object is its ability to serve as a catalyst that sets off all kinds of ideas, feelings and associations within us. – James Brett
As the very fabric of our lives becomes increasingly mass-produced, digitalised, ergonomic and available online these sentimental trinkets act as totems, signposts back to our memories and our true selves, providing a soothing window to our souls. Without them, the dwellings we inhabit are merely a collection of anonymous rooms. With them, our spaces becomes homes.
Possessions are empty, some have said, but my trinkets are full to the brim with meaning. In isolation, each piece is simply a sentimental ornament, but arranged together they paint a snapshot of my inner being; their story is my story.
Image credits:
1- Lynn Kloythanomsup for Architectural Black – Design Sponge
2 – Bruno Suet
3 – Sidney Morning Herald
4 – Paula Greif via Remodelista
