Tableau Talk with Sense of Spencer Founder
Sense of Spencer founder shares a #shelfie that inspired her to create an edit of unique decor for a personal home.
You could say I’m on a quest to make the home more personal — that’s in part because collecting and assembling an interior full of objects I love and have meaning to me has been a key part of crystallizing my own identity and expressing myself. It’s in this space (no pun intended) that I feel most free, inspired and at peace.
Like Helen of Troy launching a thousand ships, this humble #shelfie — or tableau to use a term my Art History professors would approve of — is, in part, what inspired me to create Sense of Spencer. Our mission is to make it easy for others to find and express their personal style. Here’s the story behind the shelf, an ever-evolving curation of objects that act as a reflection or portrait of me.
Interior Living Room - Early AM
Light in New York apartments can be illusive. I can always depend on the sun to bath this little corner of my living room with light in the early morning. It shines a spotlight on this etagere and all the precious objects it holds. I can sip my coffee and watch the light cast shadows on the wall as I take a moment to myself before charging on with the day.
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Story Behind The Scene
I’ve had this etagere since my single days in a tiny one bedroom. Then it was used as storage out of necessity and thus was quite cluttered up. After moving in with my now husband who had lived as sparsely as a monk before I whirled into his life, he insisted on a rule to limit my ‘ornaments’ as he calls them - one in, one out. Horrified at first, I actually embraced it as a Marie Kondo-esque way to edit down to the items that truly spark joy and have personal significance. For that reason, it’s my favorite tableau in my home.
The Objects of Desire
The butterfly was a gift from a very good friend of mine. I had been wanting a butterfly artwork, and he must have read my mind! I picked up the pink barnacle cluster as a souvenir from our trip to New Orleans with my mom, who instilled in me the thrill of discovery and with whom I’ve gone on many shopping expeditions. The stack of Warhol coffee table books traces back to when I wrote my college thesis on Warhol, and everyone at the time was giving me Warhol-themed gifts. Also represented are books by Peter Beard and Peter Lindbergh, two of my favorite photographers. A bowl full of matchbooks from various restaurants and hotels around the worlds are both great representations of design and reminders of my travels. I keep the records stacked on the bottom for one day when I hope to have a record player, one is by a friend’s band and is designed to look like a library book (remember those?!). Finally, my latest prized items is this antique Puglian vessel with swirls of brown, blue and green that I found at Petersham Nurseries in London and find so striking.
What it makes you feel
Proud. This collection of items is a rich tapestry of my life, from my friendships and family to my travels, passions and academic milestones. I can look at this tableau and feel proud of how I’ve lived so far and look forward to how it will evolve. One in, one out, of course.
