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Design Your Life

Minimalism vs Hoarding and Decadent Interior

09/24/2009

If I could just… if this was.. it still doesn’t *feel* right!

I’m often finding myself stuck when designing new layouts for Miseducated — it started so collage heavy as I was using tons and tons of popular icons.. then I started seeing the collage thing EVERYWHERE and it was feeling cluttered so I obviously cut it down… :p I always feel that deconstructing and ridding of any excess is a positive thing.

Now why is this?

My room was very cluttered as a child and I hoped for a day when I would have my own modern, minimalist house.

As you can see my minimalism kind of lost the battle with whimsical nonsense and fantasy candylands. Obviously I find my *greatest* satisfaction in cuteness, well-designed, minimal yet colorful homes (Jeu de Paumes went RIGHT UP my alley, didn’t they yours? ^_~).

.. but is deleting and deconstructing making it better really? Is it just my fucked up sense of things?

I *know* hoarding isn’t healthy, it’s very hard to overcome like any addiction… so does that mean that minimalism is the goal? We simply *must* know! I’m very familiar with hoarding regarding my own life and have studied it extensively in my obsession with psychology and helping myself and those around me.

(… and while we’re at it, why do you *insist* on using asterisks *everywhere*?!

Because I often despise italics, use bold for other things and have a strange need to use the only flower on my keyboard over and over and over! As well as inserting random thoughts that have no relevance to the subject at hand –if anything this NEGATES minimalism–because of course, I am a crazy rambler. With all positives come negatives. ^_~)

Hoarding

Hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them.
Hoarding, also called compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome, can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
People who hoard often don’t see it as a problem, making treatment challenging.
Mayo Clinic

Minimalism

A twentieth century art movement and style stressing the idea of reducing a work of art to the minimum number of colors, values, shapes, lines and textures. – ArtLex

Funny thing is.. minimalism is many times regarded as ‘rejective art’ and I think of it as ‘perfective’ art — it’s a very tough thing to master correctly — it can be done both very right and very wrong.

A minimal lifestyle… now that’s exactly what I admire. When applying the rules of minimalism to your life and home it helps a lot if you’re moving (I was) or organizing absolutely everything — it’s good to do yearly (*spring*cleaning)!

1. Evaluate your possessions that sit on shelves.
2. Find a place for everything.
3. Enjoy what you have.
Christian PF

Zakka

Another design movement, but in Japan. Generally means improving your environment and seeing beauty in the mundane.

When I see zakka it reminds me almost of a minimalist cuteness and innocence, it is completed with the sweet kitschy illustrations and/or designs that are *just enough* to add color and sweetness into the room. It’s very natural and inspired by country lifestyle.

Which lifestyle do you lean towards? πŸ˜‰

Gallery

Merci: Landscape Online, Momoy, Christopher Coleman, Elidur, Homepic, SoSuperSam, BKK Home, Zakka Candy

Mew for Today Visual Splendor

Mew for Today: Home Interior

09/15/2009

So we went shopping for some cute, whimsical radiating deliciousness for your home recently and you seemed to have quite a lovely time. I’ve decided to take another shopping trip but wanted to go more hi*design.. incorporating in some afforableness, of course..

Hi*design? That’s high! When you go up, where do you go next?

That’s right! To the moon!

Now let’s shoot to the moon and window shop through the windows to the world wide web with eyes open and mouths drooling, hands grabbing stars along the way.

While landscaping in the blazing sun today with the shrubs and flowers we picked up (by landscaping I mean sticking my hands into the mudded dirt (I just can’t use shovels! I have to use my hands!) and becoming lightly splattered in watery mud) I realized how much I want to really focus on my design intent next time I move into a home, as it will probably be my home for quite some time! I’ve started to grow a little tired of moving for awhile, but since I am the most indecisive person *I’ve* ever met you could ask me again in a year…

The great thing about A HOME is I can renovate and change it anyway I see fit to create my ultimate paradise. Don’t you agree? Home is your palace, whether it’s in an apartment in a lighted city or a cottage by the sea.

Dream your ultimate paradise, what do you adore about places you visit that inspire you? What aura do you want to create in your own home? What feelings and memories would you like your home to evoke? Consider that when selecting colors.. don’t just focus on neutrals, incorporate some extremes into the mix. Give it your own signature.

Some of my favorite stores online have got me twisting in my chair and drooling into my hair! If you like clean lines and bright candy-coated shells then you’ll have a blast around today’s mews. Did I also mention bunnies? Was that a given?

LAMA, Dutch by Design, Brocade Home, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, 2modern

Mew for Today Visual Splendor

Mew for Today CafΓ© 1.0 and Fresh Cuteness

09/14/2009

Todays inspirations are as random as todays events are. I decided it was finally time to clean this little cave I’ve set up residence in.

Cave, you ask?

Well.. it’s an office room and as I work from home again I find it very hard to *remove* myself from the area thus clutter erupts around me consisting of candy-covered cuteness, sketches, notes, lighters, incense, photos, letters, everything a lady needs by her side, you know. :p *grabs a paper from the stack*

Ahhh yes, here it is! *blows powdered-sugar dust bunny dust off of the paper* Today WE (meaning myself and the cat on my shoulder) are going to give shouts to our sweetest friends online for the wonderfulness that they do.. and we’re going to dig up just the right inspiration to get us motivated to organize our junk!

BUT FIRST…

Window Shopping

Let’s go window shopping at our favorite store, Sanrio Japan!

Hearty Stew

Cuppa Burnin' Love

Bouquet for Cat*e
THIS is a bouquet fit for CAT*E, add a happy (rainbow dyed) rose and you have the best bouquet evereverever in existence.

Kitty Clips Kitty Camp

Kitt-chen Crystal Kitty WareKitty's on the Pot Bathroom fit for KittyCat's on the Kettle

Now for those of you who DON’T understand the Hello Kitty thing… you might be getting a little overloaded with cute but I still would like to skip around the colorful, cuteness of fredflare. They *always* make me drool for something!

Cup o' Love
Have you seen these around here before?
That’s right! They were used the my snow icecream tutorial here at Miseducated, haha.

Golightly Mask Lashes to Sleep
This should be great kitschy-cute inspiration for you diy-ers! <3 5388_D

Time for Icecream
It’s always a good time for ice cream.. so why not let ice cream be your timer?

Tea for Two

Cotton Candy Toothpicks
Cotton candy toothpicks? Perfect Idea!

Cupcake Dental Floss
This is something my best friends and I would die to find while shopping in the dental isle. When I say die what I really mean is, have an excited attack with rushes of happiness.

5-Minute Happiness

I’m planning much more window shopping but the sheer magnitude of my drool-list today is overwhelming.. since the rest is more furniture and interior items, I’ll save it for the next time! Want more? Let me know. .. and if you’ve found any kitschy cute deliciousness don’t forget to show us here! We love hearing about your great finds!

Free Love

Now for some shout outs to amazing dears in my life~
Kumako (my darling soul*sis in Japan), The Paris Apartment Blog, Creature Comforts, Pretty in Bleu, Dormia, A Little Stranger, Papercakes

Have a great blog or website you’d love to show us? You know the drill, plug it!

DIY

Customizing a New Home

08/25/2009

CUTiE BookTurning your apartment, house or beach-side bungalow into a home? I’ve moved a lot only recently. After being smothered in a small-town, for way too long, I was ready for new adventures and surroundings. First I lived with a family in my heart*throb, japan. Then we moved around in Indiana’s capital delicious wonderland city Indianapolis, from downtown apartment to east-side apartment. During the summers, I shack up with my lovely best friend in California and always find new places and friends to love. I’ve found amazing people I want to forever keep in my life (there are still many years for us to end up together) and I knew if I explored to find my own paradise in the US I would be truly at peace with my world. (I still plan to visit Japan always until I finally accept a job there -why don’t you???- and live my dreams)

delicate & sweet a balcony for me shoes in a row

So we’re picking up and moving again! This time to a paradise we fell in love with together, Nevada. Now Las Vegas is a kitschy tourist attraction, mind you, but there are always amazing things going on that you can be involved in, it’s not far from L.A. and the sunshine replenishes your body with Vitamin D as well as inspires your mind to produce melatonin.

The most important thing about a new home is what new whimsical world will unfold as I place items around and attempt to customize my surroundings (this gets tough in city apartments!). In case you need a kick start or just a push in a new direction, enjoy the inspiration and let your home drink it up!

Let’s Get Started!

Need some furniture or decor inspiration? Take a look at the resources listed at the end of the article.
Be sure to hit up local thrift stores and flea markets, you could find delectable art-deco, mid-century and antique goodies to paint/ design for your home for a fraction of the cost of most designer deco. One of a kind items are always smile inducers while lounging in your quarters.

With some sanding and a few coats of glossy enamel you can turn a sad, chipped and rusty 60s wall shelf into a new sleek treasure.

paint it~

Starting to see endless possibilities in creating your ultimate wonderland on earth?

Yummy Inspiration & Boutiques

Urban Outfitters: Apartment
Brocade Home
IKEA
Mason Reve
The Paris Apartment
Espirit Cabane
Jeu de Paumes Books
Three Potato Four
Decor8 Blog
Design*Sponge

Miseducated Articles

A Spare Roomedy
Apartment Seventy-Seven
Pretty on Penn St
Home in South Korea
Interiors of Amelie
Gwen Stefani’s Chic Space
Lala’s Kitschy Paradise

Visual Splendor

A Little Apartment in South Korea Tour

12/07/2008

Miseducated loves to see inside the walls of cozy apartment. How is it decorated? What unique features does it have? A person’s home says so much about them, that’s why Miseducated girls come from unique little nooks all over the world.

Now, let’s go on an official tour of Wendy Gould’s apartment in South Korea.

Want to give a tour of your home or your favorite place? Contact Miseducated and we’ll take a look and let you know if we’re interested in featuring your spot!