Beauty in Imperfection

      You know who's not perfect? This Girl. I'm so far from perfect it's massively comical. Lord knows I try, but there are only so many hours in a day, so sometimes I've just got to kick my feet up, grab a glass of wine, and proclaim myself and the world around me as "Good Enough".
        Can we agree that sometimes those imperfections, especially in design, are kind of satisfying and beautiful? It's why I love antiques. They're old. They've served many people before coming into my hands, and they show those years of service in grungy surfaces, nicks and chips. It's why I love antique houses as well. The floors are never quite even, the walls are never quite straight. An antique will never ever be flawless and in that way it releases the tension a bit. You can relax when you're around antiques, or in antique houses. They're not perfect, you're not perfect- everyone kick their shoes off, take a deep breath, and relax. Perfect houses freak me out. I'm inherently clumsy, and when you place me in an environment that's spotless, with every decorative accessory 'just so', disaster awaits around every corner. Kudos to the people who live in such houses. They must be gods among men to keep them so perfect. For the rest of us however, there is the beauty of imperfection.
Happy Friday!

Just look at these beautiful floors. You simply cannot fake that kind of age and wear. Spectacular!

This is such a cool piece of furniture. I love all the wear and distressing on the wood. Missing a couple cabinet doors? No worries, just hang some cute little curtains!

I adore this dining set. The chairs don't match the bench and table. The bench and table have the funkiest half-stripped paint surface I've ever seen. The entire room is breathtaking.

Good lessons from this picture- The little table has seen some wear. It's missing a piece of it's drawer front, and the top has a bit of rust around the corners. The paint is chipping. The metal container is rusted and the dogwood blossoms have just been tossed in there. The result? Gorgeous. 

Here's a big pile of junk. Broken and rusted urns. An antique table that's lost most of its paint and stacks of old yellowed letters. Together they create a lovely vignette.

Embrace the texture of your walls. In this casual room the multiple layers of paint and plaster create wall art all on their own. The soft pastel colors blend perfectly with the faded furnishing to create a room
that is the height of Parisian elegance.

I adore everything about this room. The worn floors look like they've been finished and stripped numerous times. The plaster walls are a variety of different shades of white. The ceiling shows the architectural ghost of a previous light fixture. Doesn't it look like the most splendid and relaxing place to wake up and sip coffee!

Do you see how the ceiling molding is warped in the corner of this room? And who cares if you pack an armoire with so much stuff the doors don't quite close! I love the color and the shape of that armoire. And the wall art is wicked cheeky.

Another great example of beautifully worn floors. And this collection of artwork on the wall is perfectly imperfect- because who really has the time or patience to center every single one of those frames.

Such a wonderful sink area here. It's worn and interesting and beautiful.

This picture is from one of my very favorite blogs. It's worth a click over to check out her beautiful home.