Early influences shape our decorating taste

When I was a child, a copy of Better Homes & Gardens was always on my parents’ coffee table.  I would pore over the floor plans for hours, pondering the architect’s terms and their meaning.  At the age of eight, my dad made me a dollhouse from a BH&G plan.  I still have that house; it’s made out of plywood, with a center handle made to resemble a fireplace chimney.  Mom filled with the house with small versions of iconic design treasures, including a bright red Arne Jacobsen egg chair.

I  ended up buying a home that closely resembles the prairie style doll house.  And, I still enjoy the modern classics, mixed in with a touch of Asian and Prairie style.

Those early influences can play a great part in the design direction we take later in life.  We can embrace or reject our parents’ values, accept some of their ideas, and forge ahead on our own design path.  But sometimes, those early memories surprise us when we least expect it.