Lovely!

Some of us are still doing this.

Some of us, in fact, have never done anything but this, and, as the economy winds down, other people will begin to adopt this method by default. The good news is that either way--by choice or by necessity--it's still a sensible, economical approach to decorating, not mention that it's sustainable and potentially good-looking. Its own consequences for an already sluggish consumer economy are, of course, another matter.

At any rate, I'd move into that place in a moment. Home is a threadbare rug.

Magnaverde.

If AT:Chicago does not participate in the AT culture of continually touting the newest thing to run out and buy, replacing last year's newest thing (now "overdone"), I shall definitely have to read it more consciously... how lovely!

I heartily support the idea of "recycling" furnishings by shopping at secondhand and thrift stores, Craigslist, garage sales, ebay, and Freecycle. My decorating style is "eclectic" but definitely does NOT look like a house full of family castoffs. I've realized that my rooms "evolve" until they become something that I love. This is fun because every time a room really starts blooming, it becomes my "favorite room". I can walk through a room and say, "The only thing here I bought new was that bookshelf." Everything has a memory that goes along with it.

Oops, now I am out of quote marks, and shall have to stop by the thrift shop tonight and see if they have any secondhand for a good price.... ;)