The topic of this month’s PrairieMod Monday columns will focus on the Principle of “Useful and Beautiful.” Often, finding these two concepts paired together in the objects we live with, the homes we live in, and the places we visit is sporadic at best. Yet, in an increasingly busy and troubled world, the ability to infuse as many of the everyday objects and experiences we have with beauty has become a profound necessity. But doesn’t the old saying go “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?” Does this automatically mean that such a generally accepted concept as relative as “beauty” will defy ever having any concreteness applied to it?
The Arts and Crafts Movement is often referred to as "The Art that is Life.” It’s craftsman, writers, and philosophers all extolled the virtues of living a life in the pursuit of creating an environment that uplifted the spirit and led to a profound sense of happiness for the people experiencing it. William Morris, a major force in the Arts and Crafts Movement, is responsible for originating the tenet that guides this pursuit of a life infused with happiness:
“Do not keep anything in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
It’s this Arts and Crafts ideal that is the major influence behind the PrairieMod Principle of "Useful and Beautiful." While it can seem a tricky concept to master, it really is more intuitive than one might initially expect. All it takes is a little exposure to why this concept is a fundamental truth; one which, when applied to our daily lives, will yield dividends in the form of comfort, serenity and happiness.
Determining the “useful” aspect of something is usually not that difficult. If you use a thing on a regular basis and it serves that function well, odds are it’s useful. Beauty, as we’ve discussed is a little more difficult to pin down, but in terms of home design and décor, William C. Gannett in his 1896 sermon, The House Beautiful, may have put it best by stating:
“The ideals of Beauty are found in simple, restful things far oftener than in ornate things…The ideal of beauty is simplicity and repose–not flash, not sensation, not show, not exaggeration, not bustle.”
It is simplicity that helps to define what should be classified as beautiful in the PrairieMod Lifestyle. This shouldn’t be taken to mean “plain” or “boring”, but instead look for things that embody excellent design and craftsmanship, are imbued with integrity and honesty and most importantly, will naturally fit into the overall unity of your home’s appearance. Remember, that having useful and beautiful objects in our everyday environment will help reflect beauty in our thoughts, behavior, and ultimately in our lives.
As Frank Lloyd Wright observed in 1910, “Beauty is as mysterious as life. We instinctively feel the good, true and beautiful to be essentially one in the last analysis.” Please join us the next few weeks as we explore the ways to bring a little clarity to the concept of living a life imbued with useful and beautiful things.
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