I am thrilled to announce a new series on My Dream Canvas where my mom Madhu Varma will be a guest contributor :) A home always reflects who you are, and I am no exception. My home, to a large extent, mirrors the homes where I grew up. In this case when I say homes, I do not mean the four walls of a house because in my case that changed frequently :) I am talking about the home my mom created for us as a family. We were a family of nomads and our home changed frequently. However, all the homes we lived in had mom's special touch :)
My mom, like many others during that time, (nearly 40 years ago) created her first home without the web as a resource :) There were hardly any home decor magazines and there were no blogs to read. She could not purchase home decor products like we do with a click of a button:) On my insistence, she has agreed to be a guest blogger on My Dream Canvas. This is where she will share her journey of creating homes, both big and small, as an Army wife!
Take it away Amma (Mom)..............
Today sitting and chatting about the days of yore , Anu suddenly came up with this unusual suggestion. "Why don't you write a post for my blog?" I was indeed taken aback! I am not sure where this will take me......... but, for now, I shall ramble along and share my experiences with you :)
As an Army wife, our home has never been in one place. The cities, the environments, the climates, the vegetation, and of course the houses, changed almost every year. If we were really lucky, the change happened only every two years. Each house had a unique space and the sizes varied greatly.
Setting up a home was certainly a challenge. We also had limited resources. The resources, thus came from our imagination, ingenuity and compulsions. We had an image to live up to and a home to be proud of. My furnishing inventory in the early days was small. It comprised of 10 curtains per room for 4 rooms. It was long enough to be adjusted according to the dimensions required. Then there were two carpets, one large and one small and my prized collection of family heirlooms. The furniture provided by the government was standard and we hardly had any of our own. We picked up knick knacks where ever we went. However, I guess what stood out was how it was all displayed. Each one of us did it differently. We were also quite adept at polishing, painting or touching up to cover up the blemishes which were plenty :) We Army wives certainly learnt a lot from each other as well.
For me, personally, it was such a treat to see Inside Outside on the stands when it came out about 35 years ago. I subscribed to them immediately:) The other option was Femina. If we were lucky, there would be an issue of Better Homes and Gardens in the library. Much has changed since then, and certainly, for the better. With the click of the mouse I can see beautiful websites and blogs showcasing the work of artists, designers, and architects. Thanks to this vast treasure of information our horizons have expanded. Interiors and designs have evolved thanks to the fusion of a vast array of artistic inputs. We are thus richer in ideas.
Even with the plethora of available options it is very easy to fall into the trap of blindly copying the entire design, However, it is best to soak in the ideas and then accentuate and design your space with your own brush. Emphasize your own style.
Reading MDC and other blogs has introduced me to a new world of creativity filled with ideas from people around the world. It is certainly an amazing learning experience. I am really enjoying it:) I shall be back in a few weeks to share my journey. Join me, as I reflect on the days gone by :) "
Thanks Mom, I can't wait for Part 2. I hope you all will feel the same way :)
