The piano has arrived! It was a happy day for all of us.  Asher spent the better part of the day glued to it.  Truly though even the youngest players sound incredible on it. I noticed the arrival dovetails with the newest Loveliness Fair, but I didn’t have much to add this time because we just emptied the living room last week in our first phase of the re-ordering of this space.

I am still working through House Thinking and thinking it is making me do. Yesterday’s reading was about Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and how he designed the spaces to orchestrate his visitor’s experiences. Much like an artist incorporates a visual triangle or a flow for the eye in his paintings, Jefferson arranged stimulating artifacts around the room to create a script of sorts. This whole concept fascinates me. It took me til yesterday aftenoon to figure out why. Essentially this is the same principle that Maria Montessori used in the Casa for the children. I have long heard from Montessorians about preparing an environment condusive to independent learning. Unschoolers often discuss ‘seeding’ the environment with books and materials. Jefferson prepared his public spaces to bring his visitors into a reflective, contemplative state of mind, in order that their conversation and experiences might have his desired impact upon them.

This has made me look at our spaces, not just our ‘learning spaces’, less as merely physical areas and more as a spiritual and emotional challenge. Perhaps what we are dealing with is not a superficial arrangement of *stuff* but rather a profound effect upon those present. Maybe we can actually influence the types of things thought about in these spaces and the attitudes people have about spending time in them.

I have struggled of late in developing a vision for this room. My own inclinations ran up against contemporary ideas about what is comfortable and how people live. We have heard time and again that rooms should reflect lifestyles.  While that is true to an extent I think an underconsidered aspect of room design is how the room may affect the lifestyle.  Lady Lydia had a recent column that discussed respect for the home. She relates that before recent times people rarely lounged or reclined on their public room furniture, particularly when guests were present. It was an affront to respectability and general mannerliness. I believe it was Sherrie who was saying she had similar motivation in reworking her learning space. Her son candidly told her that the reason the children weren’t taking care of that room was because it didn’t appear nice enough to warrant such care. While that isn’t the answer most of us want when we just would like them to CLEAN it up it does beg the question – are we arranging rooms that are likely to produce feelings of respect and honor and pride or rooms that encourage lower responses?

This whole train of thought has given me the nudge to run with my initial gut feelings about how our spaces should be set up.  We moved the entertainment center to the old schoolroom this week. We have yet to take down the remaining bookcases in there but that is next.  Falling down cases do not impel children to care for their books properly.  The tv seems to generate more reclining and eating – two things we didn’t want in the living room. What did we want?  A thoughtful space that might encourage lofty thoughts, peacefulness, and reflection. Appreciation of finer things – such as music and good books, both of which will fill this room in the coming weeks.

So for now, we have lots of potential….and very little else lol! But this blank canvas is inspiring!  Already there is a change in tone and all those who enter this room slow down a bit and take a deeper breath. That is a good start.  We listen to each other play beautifully in here, we read in here, and we pray in here. Next the windows will be addressed.  We need to control the light and heat coming in and onto the piano in the afternoons. We are planning on cream for a color to replace the taupe. ditto for the couch.  Eventually a wall of bookshelves will fill the one empty wall, floor to ceiling. For now it is potential.  But potential is good. We have a vision. The rest will fall into place.

As to where that tv went? Unfortunately not into the dumpster as was my vote. ; ) In an adjacent room we have created a cozy sitting area for less formal family gathering. We underfilled this space as well hoping to make it easy for the children to help maintain it. The floor is wood so if a popcorn kernel or dozens land upon it the sky will not fall. Still we chose to fill the space with family albums and souvenirs from Allen’s trips abroad and his military shadow box.  These things all define where we have been together. The colors are taken from old houses we have had. Everything was salvaged from other places which was thrifty yes, but also grounding.  It seems to be working.

I am excited to finish this book and am grateful for all that it has made me consider about the emotional attachment we have to certain things and the impact our spaces have on our children for long after they leave them. I hope that we can work more diligently to address these nonverbal messages we are sending them through our home.