Out of the Closet

Like many artsy-types, I consider the realm of home decor as yet another medium to express my creativity. I'm a Design Sponge addict; I mourned the demise of Domino magazine (R.I.P) and I love to play pretend-furniture shopping while perusing the catalogs of DWR and Anthropologie. If it's modern, funky, quirky and colorful (and more often than not, ridiculously expensive) then chances are I want it as part of my interior design scheme.

But being of sound mind, tiny budget and even tinier apartment I must be realistic about how I approach home decor. Realistic and über-innovative. Which is how I stumbled upon a genius decorating idea that I've yet to see gain widespread notoriety, even though I know that surely there are others out there who do it. The idea actually stemmed out of a weird little quirk I have, wherein I buy a really funky new article of clothing (e.g. pair of shoes, skirt, shirt, men's necktie, fingerless gloves - take your pick) and I get so excited about the purchase (which I've likely hemmed and hawed over buying due to a tight budget) that I end up not wearing it for anywhere between 6 months to a year. Yes, you heard me right - up to a year. No judgment, please.

Keep in mind it will eventually get worn - I avoid temporary fashion trends like the plague and what I buy typically has a timeless quality to it - but in the interim, the item inevitably sits in my closet. And quite frankly, that's no way to treat a lovely apparel acquisition. And herein comes the genius decorating idea: clothing and accessories as home decor. Don't envision laundry hanging on a clothesline strung across the living room - think more of a museum-style "curation" of lovely wearable items. Pictures would best demonstrate my point; throughout this post I've included a few examples from my humble dwelling.

Anyone else out there who does this, I would love to see your approach. Feel free to drop a comment with a link to pictures of your approach to "home couture."