Unabridged History of Design

At the very core of who I am is a crazy little Missouri girl who just wants her dream home.  Throughout the years I have expressed a love for design and decor in very different ways---these are the most prominent and significant in describing who I am.

The influence of my family:  I was born into a family that loves open houses.  Every Sunday we would pile into the car and make the rounds to all the homes for sale in town.  In every house we'd visit, I picked out my favorite bedroom and started envisioning where I would draw and color and live.  After 12ish years of looking at these properties, my parents still live in the only house I've ever known...an all brick ranch with big windows and a cave of a basement.

Ages 5-8:  My mother discovered very early that it'd be important to stipulate the number of times I could rearrange/redecorate my room (once every six months was the limit).  I begged my dad to put a unicorn border up, and my walls inevitably stayed white.  This is also when playing with Barbies was my number one favorite activity: the best part was constructing rooms from spare tray tables, carpet samples and propped-open folders.

Ages 9-13: Fung shui consumed my brain and I insisted on incorporating water features in my room, as well as refitting my bed with a purple dragonfly comforter.  In my boy-band crazed years, I plastered my walls with N SYNC posters, ceiling to floor (side note: ticky tac greases poster edges and tape destroys wall surfaces).  Most importantly, paper was the best gift I could receive; thus I began my journey in residential architecture.  House plans became an obsession.  I poured over countless magazines, studying which plans were pleasing and which houses I'd buy for myself.  The primitive computer program of KidPix also kept me occupied, as I spent hours creating room perspectives and color schemes.

Ages 14-21:  The uncertainty of my future and career had me in a frenzy, but I ultimately found a university in neighboring Kansas that I could explore architecture in.  However, my swirling ideals of residential design disappeared when school was not what I thought it would be.  Instead of having the freedom to draw and create plans, instructors emphasized the practical side of the craft, leaving me feeling confused and downtrodden.  I attended the university as a member of the college of architecture for three and a half years.  Overwhelmed by dismal employment prospects, I stepped back and reevaluated my life.

Age 22+:  I began blogging after my sister suggested it as a way to cope with my life's sudden changes.  Initially it was a jumble of images I liked, food I ate, and pictures I took.  After honing my abilities and pondering deeply on the topics of my blog, I decided to channel my love for home and interior design and feature posts regarding that (with a splash of accessories and just cool images).  I still love design and I occasionally get inspired to draw a house plan or two.  I even collect treasures for my future dream home.  The Dream Bed is my way to send my unique ideas on design into the universe and I am glad you are here to experience them.



Picture taken by the talented Angela of Angela+Ithyle.