Utilitarian or beautiful?

My tastes have changed in the last 5 years or so... I'm more drawn to messy, mismatched rooms in homes than I am neat, orderly and sparse. Hubs and I have a fun "argument" over matchy-matchy stuff and "way out there" with nothing matching. I can appreciate beautiful homes and furniture that compliments a room, but I'm finding very simple utilitarian rooms beautiful! Like a kitchen with open shelving... or art supplies left out to be picked up on a moment's notice.

Since noticing this about myself, I was wondering if I had just gotten lazy (about decorating our home) or if it was truly my "taste" that was changing. Then I read this...

This paragraph stood out to me:

Not wanting can be a pleasure unto itself. After years and decades of constant want, desire, even lust and greed, the freedom from it is exhilarating. Even if you only get to feel a glimpse of it every once in a while, it feels so good that you want to always feel like that. You want to grow in contentment. You recognize true freedom when you feel it!

Now, yes, we are redecorating our home right now... but you know what? We've lived in it for 5 months and have slowly figured out what we want it to look and feel like, what works for us. Not what's "in" or "hot" right now. Nothing fancy. It's not so neat, but everything does have a place (a must in small spaces). One of the best compliments I had on my last home, and blessedly I heard it over and over again, that our home is comfortable and warm and a place that person wanted to be. That's the kind of decorating I want to do.

We aren't quite ready to "reveal" our new home to you just yet...We are hopefully finishing up painting tomorrow and recovering the last two valances. Then it's time to tackle the

 

lovely "designer" factory upholstery! This could get interesting!