Monday, August 4, 2008

Old vs New


There is a lovely interview posted over at Bloesem Kids right now with Emma Cassi. Emma is a french stylist and jewelry designer and her house is so feminine and serene looking without the minimalism. You can see exactly who it is that lives there. As a single mom of two boys, it fascinates me how professional stylist moms' children's rooms are always filled with such beautiful things. Are they simply done up this way for the photo shoot? I posted this question after the interview, but will post it here as well as I would love to know what stylin' people think about how we 'school' our children in design and 'taste'.

I personally love vintage and I did when I was a child as well. I know that I was completely enamored with the things that my grandmother handed down to me and still love finding treasures in junk shops and antique markets FAR better than jumping out to a store to buy it the easy way. So my question is, how do you all feel about how your children feel? I was doing pretty OK until Rowan went to daycare, and now I am inundated with pleases for Star Wars, Diego and the Ninja Turtles. Whatever the kids at daycare have. I loathe plastic and we don't have a TV on purpose, if I had my way, my son's room would be a glorious mixture of found objects and vintage toys and books. He sees my idea of a treasure mostly as old. Is it only the vintage stuff that goes on display for these photographs? Do the mainstream toys just not find their way into the house? Is it fair to dictate what our children are allowed to play with to that extent? I am fighting his dad, aunts and uncles on this one. 

My major issue is how there is no sense of value anymore. When my mother was young, the few toys she had were absolute treasures and she knew it. My sister and I were a bit less protective as children, but the disposable toy industry of today drives me nuts and I want to instill a better sense of worth into my children. A way to see beauty in things for what they are. 

Photo credit:  Emma Cassi (Anton's Toy Cabinet) via Bloesem Kids

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