Analog Interiors

Over the summer I found myself making lots of little tweaks to my living room layout. Over time I noticed that this completely changed how we use the room for the better:

I swapped smart speakers for a vinyl record player: Having cleared a side-table top for a probably-too-big record player I have found that I now need to walk over there, change or flip over records, and leaf through albums to select a vibe. I currently only own 3 vinyl records though…. so this has lead me on a quest to find more. I also want to see how I can display them on a ledge to prompt conversation in the room. Adding friction has added more intention (and less shouting into the air at a smart speaker….)

I swapped scrolling for reading: I have subscriptions to three physical magazines (Architectural Digest, Washingtonian, and Bon Appetit). The magazines are piled under a side table ready to be grabbed and flipped through. I have a small pile of “in-use” books on a stand beside the couch. This also includes our kindles, which I appreciate are screens, but the intention is to encourage us to pick up and put down our books.

I swapped “liking” pictures for sending texts: The algorithms are genuinely built to be addictive. It is hard to fight them. It can give a false sense of “catch up” with friends when in reality youve sat alone double-tapping. Now if I find myself tapping through stories on instagram I pause and send a text to meet up. In the space of 6 weeks I have been on more coffee catch-ups than I've been to in the last 6 months! Next up, a fall girls evening of s'mores. Way more meaningful than a fire emoji on someones post.

I swapped the notes app for a notebook: The key here is there must be a pen kept with the notebook. Sometimes I just write out lists, other times I use it to journal or muse. I still use my notes app when out and about, but when at home I encourage myself to take the extra step to write pen on paper.

I swapped googling for trial and error: I am a big believer in experimentation, trial and error…. but why do I keep googling things (or worse, ChatGPT-ing) as if there is only one right answer. I like to refresh my flowers on a Friday, and for the first time I looked to dry out my own hydrangeas to use at home for the autumn. I dunno if I did it right, but I tried? Same with seed planting, pretty sure the seeds I got should have been sown in Spring, I am going to put them out now and see what happens. It's all part of the fun.

I repositioned by furniture from tv focus to face-to-face: This single change was probably the most impactful and it cost zero dollars. I rearranged my furniture. Instead of my couch facing the TV I created a face to face seciton where my couch now faces the two arm chairs. This has made the fireplace a highlight, and means the first thing you're more likely to do when you sit down is chat to whoever is opposite you. Or ig you're on your own you are more likely to flick through a magazine or read a book than turn on the tv. For movie nights we have the basement which is very much a TV space, so making the main living room a people-first environment gave it much more purpose.