mem & ron's house... and the things that shape us

photos by Anna Bond

first of all.. sorry for the lack of posts this week or so! I've been super busy and have been trying to create some new products and just found myself needing a little break from the hustle and bustle of the internet. Sometimes it can be a bit too much, no? 

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what's really shaped me creatively as I've gotten older.. I found some old designs I did and thought "gah, how could i make such a hideous thing!?" which made me realize how much I've really found my own voice and what I truly love and what inspires me. I'm so much more comfortable with myself in so many ways (oh you just wait 10 year high school reunion...). I've also thought about the homes and places I frequented when i started noticing that all of these antiques and pieces I'd love to incorporate into my home reminded me so much of my grandmother's house. I didn't fully realize how much her style and her home has affected me and shaped my tastes. There are so many little things like that that I've been trying to notice and appreciate.

I'll post some photos from her house next week but first up I wanted to share some from my great aunt & uncle's home.. Mem & Ron I call them. Uncle Ron passed away last week and he will surely be missed. He was an amazing person and like a grandfather to me in so many ways. I took the photos above a few years ago and love the way they capture their home. Found objects on a windowsill, the workshop Ron built nearly everything in, wind sculptures he created, family photos lining the walls, Ron's office with mounds of books (he was a professor at Penn State), and Mem (the love of his life) down the hall. They used to live in an old farmhouse but moved to this house down the road when stairs and the size became an issue but it still sits on the same land with orchards, barns piled high with junk to discover, a creek, and greenhouse.. endless areas to discover as a kid. I'm incredibly happy that I have those memories and hope I can continue a bit of Uncle Ron's zest for life..

Comments

[Kirsten]

I loved your post.
I am constantly retracing my favorite things back to my grandparent's swinging 60's house. My grandma let us go all over the house putting our names on the things we loved best. Mine went to a avocado couch. I never got it, but I bought one just like it a year ago:)

[MissNatalie]

Wonderful post, Anna! I can totally relate to everything you said. I was greatly influenced by my grandparents house and all the little nooks and kick knacks they had around. I find myself pairing down more and more each year, but the things I never let go of are heirlooms passed down or objects that reminds me of them.

[Mary]

Thank you for sharing these special photos and your memories. You wrote what many were able to say at the "Celebration of Ron's Life" service on Saturday, where your photo memories were on a table for them to cry over. (Also, the the whole family thinks we should create some traditional holiday puzzles from these :)

[Jenna A]

Thank you for posting your family's home photos, they were very touching and special to me. Creative space is so inspiring to me, and creative family members are even more special than the spaces themselves.
I appreciate your attention to color combination and small details, while keeping it simple and special.
J.