Chasing your Spark
It can be hard to find inspiration or know when the spark you do find is ready for action. I feel like when I’m open to trying new things and staying curious - THAT is when the real magic happens.
Lately, I am all about the 1970’s - ok, not lately… pretty much all my life. I was born in the ’80s and grew up in the ’90s. My music taste has been frozen in time since 95% of my music library predates the year 2000. Besides butterfly hair clips, crop tops, and glitter - the ‘90s provided an underlining ‘70s influence and it stayed with me ever since.
I’d love to share with you what this spark of inspiration looks like for me today. My design style doesn’t always have an obvious connection to this era, but there are some elements I always seem to work into my design.
Atomic Ranch pinpoints the Mid-Century Modern era as the period roughly between the end of World War II through the mid-1970s. Right there, one of the most timeless styles of architecture and design had its heyday at the start of this decade.
Now, what comes next? Postmodernism. Design Within Reach describes this movement as bright, experimental, and exuberant, Postmodernism represents a rejection of spare, restrained design in favor of over-scale organic forms, saturated colors, bold patterns, and material mixes. In just linking these two iconic design movements, we have a direct connection to 1970s inspiration.
Color is super important! Avocado, anyone? Yes, I may not use the iconic yellow-tinted green in kitchens I design, but you better bet I love using earth tones! The connection with nature and bringing outside in may be one of the biggest talking points I have with clients. We are always finding a way to connect the colors in our “backyard” with the interior environment. Sage, terracotta, taupe, and sand colors are the updated versions of the 1970s classics.
Personally, I want to tell you a little about my big exciting news - I’m the proudest owner of a 1972 AMC Gremlin. If you don’t know the history of this funny little car, do a quick Google - you’ll see it’s listed as one of the ugliest cars of all time. After a year of deep obsession and watching for them to pop up online for sale, going to car shows locally, calling and talking to dealers, and a couple of purchase attempts - I got my Gremlin in January of 2023!
The reason I’m sharing this here, the bottom line is to follow your spark. What excites you, what drives to you talk to strangers, what keeps you motivated? All these things are wonderful gifts and something to take notice of. I was working with a coach that was helping me set up a foundation for the financial aspect of my business. She helped me set some wild goals, but the one that turned out not to be wild - working towards claiming an item off my bucket list. Within a year I was able to save up the funds to purchase my dream car. The funniest thing, my gut told me the cost I’d spend on an old car - not yet knowing what type I was going to end up with. After seeing the very small handful of Gremlins that sold in 2022 go for double my goal, somehow I ended up with a car that was the exact number I told myself years prior. It's funny how that works!
