Oh, absolutely. Every place I have lived has had such a different, profound affect on me...partially because I'm really sensitive to my surroundings, but also because each house has it's own story and personality that is invariably going to creep into your everyday. Recently my mom and I were discussing whether or not one could "use up" a house, meaning: too many memories, too much bad stuff, too much good stuff -- it just is saturated with too much. I have no idea if this is possible, maybe a new, fresh heart and set of eyes would see the used-up house as ripe for filling up with their own stuff.

That is a really interesting question, and I get asked variations on it pretty frequently. I think often people assume I've kept loads of originals for myself, but I really haven't. The only originals that I own are the dunce boy/dunce girl diptych, which hangs over our bed in very sweet carved white frames. Truthfully, I don't really like to have that much of my work around...it's all in my head, and therefore I would feel a bit bombarded if it was everywhere inside and out! I much prefer to fill my home with other's work.

Yes, yes. I'm actually a bit obsessed with my apartment. I had never had total control over how a place appears and what it is filled with until this home fell in my lap last year. I post lots of pictures of it on my blog (www.theblackapple.typepad.com) and usually have some new or thrifted or revamped treasures filtering in pretty regularly. I really value domesticity, and baking, and warmth and the intrinsic quirkiness of a home. It's really this cozy environment that directly mirrors my sensibility and aesthetic...it feels so wonderful to be surrounded by something that is so like the inside of one's own head.