Minimalist or Knickknacks ~ My Opinion
Fads come and go. Decorating is one of them. People pushing their thoughts on design is at a high. The feedback can be brutal. I have seen posts on Facebook pages of people asking for suggestions on a picture and someone will blast them on the entire room. Change your paint, put in new floors, you need new furniture, etc. Some can be relentless.
Who would think that decorating your home could lead to name calling, belittling comments, and humiliation? It’s unbelievable how people feel the need to rip others apart instead of give compassionate criticism and build someone up. It’s so easy to tear others down. I understand people do this with politics and religious discussions, but decorating?
What seems to be the trend blasting out now is minimalism. That’s great if you like to have clean counters, nothing much to dust, and a house looking sterilized. Nothing is wrong with a kitchen that has nothing but a towel hanging on the oven door. Keep it simple. Keep it clean. It leaves your area open and airy. It can be a big stress relief to have a home free of clutter.
Then you have the knickknack designers. The ones who have a hundred frogs throughout the house. The country farmhouse style designers with collections of antiques that include fifty rolling pens. The counters are cluttered and the walls are full. Every item has a place in the house and in their heart. They will not let them go easy. They choose the look and the work of keeping it clean. Dusting is worth it.
Either design is OK. It’s what makes each person comfortable in their own home. What’s not ok is people making others feel horrible about their choice of design. It’s OK if you don’t like their outdated couch. It’s OK if you don’t like their busy design style, their bare living space, or anything else you don’t agree with. But no one should belittle, humiliate, or devalue someone’s living space because they don’t agree with the style.
We are in a time where social media makes it easy to send hurtful messages. People don’t have to be accountable for making someone feel bad. It’s just a shame that people feel this behavior is acceptable. It doesn’t matter if it’s a group supporting house design, parenting, crafting, or a car detailing shop. If you belong to pages where others ask for advice, please lift them with encouragement instead of pulling them down in shame.