Old World Sexy vs Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

Usually when I sit down to write, I ask myself one question: "What do I feel most strongly about at this very moment?"

Right now, the answer is this:

Grand Italiano Dining Room Table and Chairs - Accents of Salado
Solid wood, pegged tabletop, seats 12.

It's one element of design for our new house that I have zero doubts about. Mack found it, not me. That's because Mack is the one with all the taste.

For this reason, Mack is the most influential in our design choices, and overall, our home reflects his inspiration. Since I have no taste, I have little inspiration, unless I'm piggy-backing Mack's.

Mack loves Old World. He loves leather, iron, exotic hardwoods, stone, slate. Once upon a time, he dreamt of working in archaeology, of being a real life treasure hunter. He's fascinated by history and geography. He's drawn to geologic finds like rocks, gems, petrified wood, and fossils.

It's easy for me to love these very same elements not only for their aesthetic value, but also because they are so representative to me of the man Mack is. Through Mack, Old World is sexy.

Enter conflict. We have seven kids in this family -- six under our roof now since the oldest has flown the nest. Old World Sexy is not all that compatible with a houseful of children, and Mack knows this.

In the early days, I bucked him something fierce: "Children live in this house, Mack! There are going to be toys and art supplies everywhere. We don't live in a museum!"

But he bucked right back: "Just because we have a bunch of kids here doesn't mean their stuff has to take over the house!"

In the end, the simple solution was, kids' belongings stay upstairs unless they're being used. Period. The downstairs is elegant and polished, the upstairs looks like a toy store exploded.

The floor plan of the new house is quite similar to our floor plan in our current house -- except in the new house, half of the kids' rooms are upstairs and half of the rooms are on the first floor. Fortunately, the kids' downstairs bedrooms are confined to one wing of the house away from the common areas, so it's perfectly feasible to establish Mack's beautiful museum in the places that count.

Do I sound bitter? I'm really not. More residually chagrined. When I say I love his taste, I mean it. I do, so much. And I'll contribute as I'm able (within my pathetic design limitations) to bring his vision to life. 

Behind the curtain, though, the kids will have their whimsical youngster and angsty teen motifs. There will be no map, no nude, no sconce in sight. Little Mack will have his treehouse. Faerie will have her carousel horses. Claire and Elise will have Doctor Who (or should I say, David Tenet). Bunny will have her art studio, and Grace will have her practice dorm. No antiquities allowed.

As for the rest of the house...

Image details: Pinterest - shesgotasharpie