The best things in life are free.
Many religious homes are somewhat austere in their interior
design. This is due to a number of factors. Most people don't
want to have a Ming vase around with ten kids. Also, the
modesty prevalent in religious homes extends to the walls.
There's also the fact that decorating costs money. But the
Talmud exhorts us to furnish our homes with lavish flair to
create an `expansive' atmosphere, and who am I to argue?
However, it isn't necessary to spend a lot of money to
decorate our homes and if we could only afford those high-
priced decorating magazines that tell us that, we'd know
this.
PLANTS add very much to a warm and humid atmosphere in the
home. You don't have to actually purchase them. You can take
clippings off other people's, with their permission, of
course, or plant your own seeds. Onions, sweet potatoes,
avocado and beans sprout nicely. Not for me, but for other
people. Dried flowers are nice, too. You can just buy a
bouquet and leave it there and eventually the flowers will
dry out. Some flowers are just made for this! Some weeds and
thorns are also perfect; they come dried-out already, and can
be very decorative. Just remember to keep them out of reach
of little ones. Perhaps hung on wall receptacles.
My son and his friend went flower picking on an outing. I
pressed the flowers between two pieces of glass and framed
them and it really grew on me!
Another thing you can do with flowers: If you buy white
carnations and put them in water with food coloring added,
the flowers take on a light shade of the food coloring. In
other words, you can color your flowers to match any
tablecloth, napkins or color scheme, and carnations are
cheaper than roses or other exotic flowers. They also have a
much longer table life. You can adapt this to make
inexpensive but striking floral arrangements for
simchas.
*
Filling up empty containers with ground chalk or colored sand
adds a nice touch to a table. You can also set up a terrarium
with plants, sand and rocks. Rocks and seashells are
generally a nice addition to a room, and natural elements add
positive energy to the home. We went to the beach, collected
shells and made wind chimes out of them. You can string the
shells with holes onto [invisible] fishing line [available at
hardware or craft stores].
Speaking of FISH. They, too, add life to a room. You can get
small gold fish bowls or large aquariums and fill them with
fish of any denomination (price and species). Bettas (Siamese
fighting fish) do well in small bowls and they're very
colorful (usually blue or red). They're very low maintenance
and live a while, hopefully. They cost about 20 shekels. You
can even keep them in an empty jar, as they live in puddles
in Thailand. But don't put two males together or they'll kill
each other.
WALLS: We can't afford Van Goghs or Chagalls but we have
access to great artistic talent in our children. Most
CHILDREN'S PAINTINGS resemble Miro or Picasso and there's no
reason to discriminate because our children aren't Spanish.
[Chagall was Jewish...] You can buy or make your own frames,
and hanging children's work on the wall not only enhances
your walls, it enhances their self esteem, which makes their
work priceless. You can even mark off a part of your wall and
have your kids paint a mural. Conversation piece, for
sure.
I once had a friend who hung clothes on her walls. Hanging
fabrics on walls is part of Eastern and Mid- eastern decor.
The colors add to the room tremendously. You don't have to
buy anything, just recycle old clothes for the fabric. You
can also make curtains from old ties [not sewn together, just
tied on a rod] and pillows out of discarded favorite T-
shirts, stuffed with batting or even newspaper (but then you
can't wash them) and decorate them using fabric glue or
paints. Art projects with your kids using natural materials:
wooden Popsicle sticks, colored wax etc. are fun, educational
and creative.
PAINTING your walls different colors is something that also
adds color. You can buy the paint and do-it- yourself. Even
painting one wall or a doorframe results in a nice effect.
I once read an article about having a museum in your home.
Designate a shelf or part of a bookcase to display your
children's archeological and natural historical finds. My son
once found a cat skull. We didn't keep it long before
reburying it, but it was a find...
COLLECTIONS are another way to thematically decorate. You can
collect things that occur naturally, like rocks, shells,
colored glass (be careful) or choose a collection that is
inexpensive to add to, like stickers, key chains, spoons,
soaps, candles, dreidels, your imagination is the only
limit. [Hey readers, any bright, original ideas here?]
Apropos candles. Lighting candles also adds to atmosphere.
Colored scented candles are available at various prices and
there's no reason not to have candlelight even if it's not
Shabbos or Chag. It's also a pleasant way to freshen up the
room. And candlelight is cheaper than electricity and adds a
feeling of calmness. [Ed. Many calendars note the
yahrzeits of famous Jewish leaders. You can always
find someone to light a candle for, and perhaps make a small
sign denoting who it is, what he wrote etc... Another project
for children. However, please be certain that you are
lighting the candels in a safe place, away from curtains and
any other material that can be dangerous.]
ORIGAMI is the fine Japanese art of paper folding. Although
they sell special origami paper, one can use any kind. Almost
everyone knows how to make a paper airplane or a paper hat,
but there are more sophisticated creations for those who
appreciate the art. A friend constructed an origami mobile
for my son when he was born and it was quite lovely. [Books
available at second hand stores.]
People use food to decorate, at least until they're ready to
eat it. Many kitchens feature strings of garlic, bottles of
beans/lentils and racks of spices which are as pleasing to
the eye as to the palate. They also provide a feeling of
plenty.
You can also use food as jewelry. I used to love stringing
dried watermelon seeds in the summer and wearing them as
necklaces.
I think you've gotten the idea. There are no rules about
decorating. One person's gauche is another person's droite;
one person's chic is another person's kitsch. As long as you
feel good in the environment you create, that's the important
thing. When decorating our walls, we should never feel
cornered by our budget. And keep your windows open. You'll
look out on some of the most picturesque landscapes and
interesting portraits painted by the Master Artist.
