Even Martha Stewart, whose storied collections of glassware, table linens, vases and more stretch across her multiple homes, a magazine and television show and straight into our houses via her product lines, would agree. Why? The answer is simple — woven through all of Stewart’s glossy-magazine lifestyle advice is a core idea that many people overlook while gaping at the contents of her latest butler’s pantry: If you choose your practical things carefully, you don’t need a lot of stuff to have a beautiful home.
“I have always been an accumulator of beautiful things” says Stewart, “but if you come and look at my things you’d see that I don’t have a lot of ornate florals, the very decorated Spode, that sort of thing. It’s elegant but simple and it’s all edited.”
She might have made her name on her perfectly set tables, but Stewart gets simplicity. “There are lots of ways to be organized and simple,” she says, “but still when people come they say ‘Oh you really know how to do this, you really have great style.’ And that’s the goal.” So, whether you’re drowing in heirloom collections or just trying to choose your first set of flatware, Martha has advice on keeping your home simple and beautiful. “You have to look at and evaluate every object,” she says. “Is it beautiful? Do you use it? Do you like it? Is it important? Is it practical?” Choosing with care when you decide what should be in your home can lead to living well, but more simply.
Aim to make everything a multi-tasker. Practical things should also look good, and vice versa. So if you need a new can opener, buy one that pleases your eye and opens your canned tomatoes. Have one set of dishes that you love — and use them for everything. “I have drabware, it’s my favorite pattern, and bone handled flatware. I use it every day,” says Stewart. “My daughter Alexis, who is a very organized person, chose the simplest wide band china and she uses it every day, for dinner parties, for everything. She’s had it for 15 years.”
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