The Homemaker was the title given to most women during the turn of the century. While their husbands worked for a paycheck they were the ones at home taking care of the chores, cooking the meals, and tending to the children. However, I look at the homemaker as something a little different. I see her as the ultimate host, a creator, a curator.
The homemaker teaches us how to create spaces that are inviting and relaxing. To share practice that create community and bring us together. In this episode I share some thoughts on how to create your own calm space whether that’s with the modern magic wallpaper collection or simply adding a few new houseplants to your space.
Join me as we get to know the homemaker, the ultimate host, and the undercover interior designer we didn’t give much thought to.
In this episode I share:
- My three main focuses when designing a space–Function, Quality and Feeling
- Share insights on color theory and how light affects our color choices
- My personal opinions about lighting and space and the need for warm light bulbs
- How to add texture to space to get more personality
- Balancing patterns in a space
- Adding art to your room
About the Painting
The homemaker painting is one that’s close to my heart. In many ways she feels like a self-portrait. As someone who avoided a kitchen for many years, I’ve been finding myself there more and more baking. The one type of cooking that has more rules than any and I can’t get enough of it. In this space of the kitchen I can feel my hands at work, I get connected with ingredients, and I pray to the baking gods that it comes out edible. Buy my favorite part is when it’s all finished and I get to decorate it. Putting my own touch of magic to this edible art.
The homemaker is a gifted host. One who knows how to make you feel calm and relaxed. She thinks about what you might need before you even know you need it and makes sure you’re taken care of. I dream of being as skilled as her.
For this painting, I wanted those farm kitchen vibes, or Leave it to Beaver mentality with all classic cooking tools and a simple kitchen design that felty nostalgic and grounded. I love a good wood surface and fresh ingredients all over the place. For me personally, baking doesn’t happen without my favorite apron on. So the homemaker is here, in her domain, making a mess that she knows she’ll tend to while the cake bakes, and blissfully allows the rest of the world to fade into the background. Outside she has the magic of the summer season filled with life and color to glance out at whenever she has a moment between tasks from her recipe.
She bakes with love knowing that she is creating something that will bring great joy and be the foundation for memories she and her family will have years down the road.
I created this painting in layers, it originally not having a back window at all. But her and just the table of ingredients felt like it was lacking something. There was simply too much white space. And so I thought, in my own dream kitchen there would be huge windows like the ones in the Magnolia TV show Ranch to Table.
I paid extra attention to the details of this painting because I know that they make something feel more real. So not only were a handful of ingredients included but also the mess that comes with them. I also plaid with add a little extra chaos to her hair to ensure she didn’t feel too perfect. The reality is that while we may want others to think we have it all together, none of us do, the homemaker included. So the extra frazzle of her hair comes with the territory of a long t0-do list of things to take care of at home.
Overall, I love how this painting came out. It does feel like a children’s book painting with an extra dose of whimsy and wonder to it but it’s a picture book image that reminds me of the feeling I have when baking in the kitchen preparing something to share with my loved ones. A magic that doesn’t just have to exist in the books.
Want the Print That Goes with This Episode?
Hang this painting in a place that will remind you to come home to your space and yourself every day.
