home is a process of making — seeing the new in the old, the possibility in permanence. if i could snap my fingers and have my entire home designed and decorated to my wildest dreams, i’m sure i’d be happy to finally put my mind to rest from all of the ideas that swirl. however, i think i’d miss too much the ceremony that comes with meeting a new object.

i used to focus on the destination in my room design but i’ve since learned to let each corner unfold with each object a call-and-response. i’ve sought for the majority of my home decor to be secondhand and reflect black, women-owned, and small businesses. that commitment slows me down in my excitement to ensure each purchase is made with well-researched intention — piece by piece.

with care,

r

CITATIONS

1. Interior Race Theory: Using Interior Objects to Resist Harmful Racial Conditioning

   »In his book, The System of Objects, Jean Baudrillard shares that the way to integrate objects into our lives seamlessly is through our daily practices because, “There is probably no habit that does not center on an object” (Baudrillard, 1996, p. 93). Interestingly enough, the term “habit” stems from the Latin word habitare (think habitat), which means “to live, dwell; stay, remain.” Perhaps that is what home is—a set of practices. If we begin to design environments with the right primers, in this case, with liberatory objects that we relate to as part of our daily practices—we may be more likely to stimulate liberatory thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors in our subconscious.«

2. home is how i heal arena

   »a space to collect my thoughts on home«