Another Post About the House

Yes, I realize this blog is in danger of becoming one of those house-centric blogs, but that's what occupies your mind when you buy (or to be accurate here, your boyfriend buys because you're still waiting for your damn divorce to be finally finalized so you can sink some cash into the beast and have your name on the deed) a house. Hey, tt least I'm not writing about baby poop-- too much of or lack thereof and subsequent suffering.
So, back to the topic at hand. I wonder how we are ever going to live in peace with any sort of decorating concept since I am heartily on the side of minimalism and my boyfriend (and my girl, the traitor!) are self-proclaimed pack rats. I don't like a lot of stuff in a room. I like clean lines and no clutter. I do not appreciate pitchky-putchky crap all over the place. One thing that probably appealed to me in Japan was the traditional design sense of rooms with almost nothing in them, just clean lines and open space that allows you to appreciate the beauty of the wood and tatami mats and the view into the garden. Of course the reality of many people's homes in Japan is that they are stuffed floor to ceiling with a plethora of crappy souvenirs and trinkets that are obligatory in the social order of things. But I'm speaking of ideals here. My ideal is "less is more." My boyfriend's ideal is "more is more." I know relationships are about compromise. (My therapist even says so. ;) ) So I hope we will at least be able to compromise on where to compromise. He has already claimed the downstairs den as "his" room, so I figure he can do whatever he wants with it. I'm going to need there to be at least one room in the house that is relatively clutter-free or I will not be a happy camper.