topic Re: Have you discovered in Home

Have you discovered

Mominohio — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:32:58 GMT

that to decorate like a Valerie Parr Hill set, makes cleaning a massive undertaking?

This post is NOT meant to disparage any level or type of decorating.

But after years of watching VPH and her beautiful sets (I love to watch even when I don't care for any one thing enough to purchase, just to see the atmosphere she creates) and then creating the same kinds of looks in my home in seasonal decor (lots of layering), I'm realizing how much time I have to invest to clean during the season, all those things that are out on display.

I guess I always knew it, and it didn't used to bother me so much (younger with better knees and more energy back then!!!LOL) to have the extra work. But the older I get, even though I might like a really heavily packed dining centerpiece vignette or mantel, I'm less inclined to want to move it all repeatedly during the season to clean under and around it.

So the quantity of decor has become about more than the work to put up and take down now, but the storage space occupied, and most recently, the work of cleaning under and around it while it is on display.

I'm guessing this is part of the fascination with the 'great big' line of decor popular everywhere, as bigger statement pieces and less little stuff should make for easier work all around.

So if you have done the layered and heavy VPH style decorating in the past, are you beginning to consider change based on any of these factors, especially the cleaning during the time it is on display?

Re: Have you discovered

Jaspersmom — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:39:14 GMT

If I ever decorated my home to the extent VPH decorates QVC's sets, I'd open my home for tours and charge for admission. LOL.

Re: Have you discovered

Mominohio — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:51:50 GMT

@Jaspersmom wrote:
If I ever decorated my home to the extent VPH decorates QVC's sets, I'd open my home for tours and charge for admission. LOL.

@Jaspersmom

Not a bad idea! LOL

Re: Have you discovered

RedTop — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:53:07 GMT

@Mominohio,

The point of your post is exactly why I don’t like stuff displayed on my furniture. When everything is bare, it is much easier to run the duster across the surface and move on. I never spend more than 5 minutes dusting furniture in any room in my house.

Re: Have you discovered

aggravated — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:58:53 GMT

I once remarked in a thread last year that contained the excited anticipation of one of Valerie's visits - "Boy, you ladies must love to dust!" Also, the fact that I was amazed that so many were interested in displaying so much.

Now you get what I was thinking and posting about.

Re: Have you discovered

Imaoldhippie — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:04:10 GMT

Cleaning is the major reason I dont have tons stuff sitting out in my house. Plus for me I dont like the cluttered looked.

Re: Have you discovered

PamfromCT — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:09:43 GMT

Yes, these decorations are ”over the top.” I would expected to see something like this if I stayed at a very expensive hotel or B+B during the holidays. When your home has many permanent decorations on display, everything has to get packed away first. Then hauling out decor. I take pictures of where things go I already have so much stuff. Do not need any more! I have an arrangement of churches in the snow on my kitchen table, with a tiny picket fence behind. It somewhat helps a bit, as it is a major attraction for kitty. We do have a waist-sized iron gate so she can’t ever get into the living room. A big, two little story village set up on our fireplace hearth. She’d really have fun with that one! Hey, she has

fun with the family room, and kitty beds all over the place.

How crazy is all this?

I saw a picture in a book of such a cute decoration for Halloween that I have copied. Just set a big witches hat on a smaller chair for display. Simple, inexpensive, and next to zero work.

Re: Have you discovered

AuntG — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:14:10 GMT

On yes, I think about that all the time when tempted to buy more decorating items. I'd like to do a seasonal tree that another poster mentioned (autumn, Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas) but I think about the cost of the various ornaments and the storage space needed.

Re: Have you discovered

Witchy Woman — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:18:51 GMT

@Mominohio

I used to decorate like that, but no more.

When we built our Victorian home, I had tons of seasonal decor.

Between the need for storage, hauling in up and down stairs, etc., it got to be more of a burden than fun. It was like having a second job!

For years now, I've been cycling it out -- donating it mostly. Amazingly, I still have what seems like "too much stuff."

Now, by the time I think to get it out, the season has already changed For the last few years, my Christmas tree has been a 2 ft tall tree that remains decorated when I store it. Easy!

However, since my birthday is Halloween, I do make an effort to decorate my fireplace mantels and a few tables.

I love seeing a beautifully decorated home, but I also know how much work it is, and then, of course, as you point out -- the cleaning becomes a real headache.

Re: Have you discovered

Tyak — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:49:51 GMT

In my previous home, I did have a lot of stuff. It was decorated in the country style and at the time I thought it looked very nice. I look back and how I ever liked that clutter, I'll never know. Now, different house, less is more. It's easier to clean in my old age and I do like the un-cluttered look at this stage of my life. I still like to look at different decorating styles but I don't want them.

Re: Have you discovered

Azcowgirl — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 18:16:14 GMT

Every cleaning day, I ask myself what things I may be willing to remove from the room to make dusting and vacuuming easier, but I love my rooms the way I have them

so I just keep dusting and vacuuming! 😳

Time will tell how long I keep this going however!

Re: Have you discovered

KentuckyWoman — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:14:31 GMT

Less is more. I do have a few items sitting out otherwise I think it looks too bare and stark. I decorate for fall and harvest, Christmas and winter. Once the winter decor is tucked away, that's it for seasonal decorating. Twice a year, I go through my decorating items and donate what I no longer want to Goodwill or ReStore. I just don't have the energy or desire to clean all that stuff every week.

Re: Have you discovered

homedecor1 — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:14:36 GMT

I absolutely love her sets on Q (obviously Q2 decorators need a lesson) and I aspire to have the same look yet I then come back to "reality" and realize 1)I don't have that size room(s) and 2) it's a lot of things to achieve the look!!

I'm happy to downsize my decor now to fit my lifestyle! The family is gone and making their own traditions, it's only us!

Funny thing I'm liking the few things I put out now for seasonal decor. It's easy and achieves the same festive look!🙂

Re: Have you discovered

chrystaltree — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 20:20:51 GMT

I know that it would cost fortune to decorate a real home the way she does the sets. Yes, with all that "stuff" jammed in everwhere, it would indeed take an extraordinary amount of cleaning and dusting. I never thought of that relating to VPH but I thought of that when we bought and decorated this condo. I lived in big over decorated colonial for most of marriage. That was my aesthetic back then and I loved it. I was younger, healthier and I could clean a 9 rooms on 3 floors. My aesthetic now is bright, light and uncluttered. I love looking at VPH and decorator magazines sites but I don't want that for my home.

Re: Have you discovered

CANDLEQUEEN — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 20:45:08 GMT

My sister in law and brother live in an English Tudor style home, it is very beautiful, and my sister in law decorates a lot like Valerie, but not with nearly as much. She used to years ago though, and at that time she said it took her a whole day to clean..Now she still loves to decorate and does it but not even close to that extreme.

She is older now, and does not want all of that dusting and cleaning anymore..I can't imagine having that much stuff to clean and dust. I love a lot of Valerie's items, but buy very little as I have enough and it gets to a point of where the heck are you going to store all of that when you are not using it?

Re: Have you discovered

software — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 21:45:42 GMT

I don't clean everything every cleaning day.

I do it in zones.

One week I'll do shelves & such in one room.

The next week I'll do another room.

It was easier when the kids were home, they would help.

My house doesn't get that dirty in a week.

I like my stuff.

Re: Have you discovered

GingerPeach — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 22:02:54 GMT

@Mominohio

Yup!

It used to annoy me no end when my mother used to always carp about not wanting things out that she needed to dust but, while I understand and understood it to a certain extent, I think that having things that you love makes it worth the trouble it takes to clean them.

I'm not saying go full-blown VPH or whatever style is similar, just that however many pieces one loves are worth the time depending on one's own particular situation.

Although, on the other hand, I do think they overfill the display areas when selling just so we are more and more tempted with all the eye candy. And we know how we kids are with candy!

Re: Have you discovered

BeccaLou — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 22:07:43 GMT

I could do all that when I was younger and had the room.

Re: Have you discovered

Chicagosuburbangirl — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 22:14:41 GMT

My mom did Christmas that would rival VPH.

All of the ornaments were Christopher Radko.

There was not one open spot left on the tree.

Another smaller tree was all Boyd's bears.

These ornaments are all in the basement at my dads ( mom has passed).

Thinking about caring for and using these ornaments literally keeps me awake some nights.

My tree is much less fancy.

Re: Have you discovered

DecorDiva — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 22:25:55 GMT

My oldest sister, in her 70's, has a friend in her 80's whose seasonal decorating consists of putting a wreath on the door. We just couldn't imagine that - but now that we are both getting older, we understand!