via french by design

For years we have heard about collectors and their collections.  It seemed everyone was collecting something.  The array of stuff that was considered “collectible” became dizzying, from soup spoons to nut bowls, the quirkier the better.

As the collector frenzy gained ground, functional domestic surface was given over to static display space.  Kitchen counters weren’t for cooking anymore, they became gallery space for “antique” coffee grinders.

Quantity overruled quality.  And before knowing it, we had crossed the threshold of hoarding.  Then the economy then hit the brakes.  How does one deal with the delicate issue of downsizing in a thoughtful way?   In a word.  Curate.

A curated home is truly a personal home.  It is it shaped by instinct and imagination that reflects personal style.

via bddw

Like any paradigm shift in life, whether death, divorce or weightloss -  a move of house can be very traumatic.  But it is also at this time that you can create the new you and the very environment in which for you to thrive.

If you have struggled with weightloss and succeeded losing 10, 15 or 75 pounds would you keep those fat clothes around as a reminder of how heavy you were?  Of course not.  That was then, this is now.  Learn from the past, but celebrate the now.

But it isn’t always easy to release the old ways and embrace a new direction.  It is much easier to cling to the past and hold onto to what we know.  Sometimes we need help to remove clutter that we have created for ourselves in order to enjoy a new unencumbered life.

Curating is not about throwing out, it’s about judicious editing.  It is about understanding what is truly important and celebrating it.

Do you or someone you know needs curatorial help?

To paraphrase a saying, “The well-curated life is worth living!”

Kurt Cyr is a strategic interior designer.  Customizing your home with your cherished objects to fit your lifestyle today.