A Vision for Revision
Embracing revision can be hard...in writing, in design, and in life. As a writer, and teacher of writing, I must say that I have learned more about the art of revising from Collin than I have anyone else. He will constantly tweak a room until every detail in the space matches what is in his head. Sometimes it means rearranging furniture, and other times it means just the slight turn of an object on a shelf. For him to see a room as finished, it may be a matter of a few hours, or it might take several days for everything to settle into its right place. No matter what, he won't stop until the space lets him know that it is finished. I am not always so tenacious in my writing. He has encouraged me to not just embrace revision, but to relish it.
Now that we've lived in the house for a few years, some big, sweeping revisions are necessary because some of our spaces are not functioning the way we would like. There's no doubt that many of you can relate to this situation. We're talking about those rooms you'd like to spend more time in, or that could serve a better purpose than a pretty pass through, and the spaces you wish you had.
Sometimes it is a matter of reimagining how spaces might be used better. Take our formal living room and den for example. Our formal living room is spacious, has great light, and is in the middle of the house...and we walk through it regularly going from the den to the kitchen, but rarely choose to enjoy it. Our den is cozy, lined with bookshelves, and a great room to hang out in, but it can feel a little cramped with us and the 4 dogs. The room can also feel a little dark during the winter months. Time to revise! That said, revision can be scary because it is easy to maintain what you are used to, or how rooms are traditionally defined. After thinking through how each room can transform and work for us, the den is now our library and the formal living room is now our main living area. There is still some tweaking to do, so those revisions will be shared in this weekend's post. This week, the focus is on creating a better work space.
It all started several weeks ago as Collin and I thought about labels for our new candle scents (available very soon!!). As we dove into the design process, it became evident that a new iteration of the original label was necessary. As we collaborated with our talented graphic designer, Carol Hubner, the decisions for the labels led us to re-think our packaging. The dominoes began to tumble.
This is usually the case with us--we think we are going to make a small revision and it explodes into something much larger. And here we are. A seemingly simple change on a label led us to confront a desire for a proper space to use for packaging, storage, and more office space. We had to reimagine our rooms to figure out what would make the most sense. Ultimately, we decided to switch Collin's office and an upstairs guest room that is larger, and has been used only a handful of times.
That decision was made last Friday and the rest is history. We emptied the rooms, discussed design and function, made a list, and headed up to Hudson, NY on Saturday. The Antique Warehouse did not disappoint. Look for the finds below in the new spaces!
A little over a week later, we now have a guest room referred to as The Sea Captain's Room and our new Hound House Studio.
The Sea Captain's Room
The Studio
Within the Studio, Collin created three spaces per our needs. We have an office space, a work area, and room for display. Collin wants supplies at an arm's reach, but it is essential that the space does not sacrifice aesthetics for function. There are pieces that feel a bit industrial and have beautiful patina (see our last post, Aged Well) mixed with everything we love--family treasures like Collin's grandfather's lunchbox and an old family photo from a hunting trip, as well as found objects such as sheds and nests. Old boxes and drawers are perfect to organize labels, tags, and notecards. These touches connect the Studio to the rest of the house.
We can't guarantee that the spaces are finished, but they are very close. Oh, yes...we also have new candle labels, all new packaging, and some exciting additions to Hound House Lifestyle in the works. Don't think for a minute that those projects were put to the side during all of this. When we set out on a mission--watch out! We are excited to share our re-visions with you.
