project notes

essays on the making of home

Amy Murphy Amy Murphy

Labor Built Your House

It all begins witLabor built your house. The dignity of your space is in direct proportion to the respect afforded craft, and craftspeople. Drywall

is

an artform. A flat floor is too, though you may only complain when you notice its absence. So is the composition of plants in your yard, and the colors selected to harmonize together. So is the graphic designer who thought of how the repeats in fabric look on a chair, the furniture designer who understands proportion and ergonomics, and the upholsterer who knows what to do with that bolt of fabric. Your entire space is either a reflection of someone's training in their specialist field, or the absence of care for these thingsh an idea.

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Amy Murphy Amy Murphy

An Introduction to Brutalism

Brutalism is having a design moment. Every wondered why, and if it’s even your thing? This week, in know your design history

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Amy Murphy Amy Murphy

Of course your house is alive.

Animism is about actual relationships rather than the ones in your head. You cannot be in right relationship with your house, your car, plants, your neighbors, ancestors, and the earthworms in your garden, without loving attention.

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Amy Murphy Amy Murphy

On Personal Style and ROI

The more “personal” your design choices, the less potential return on investment your upgrades will yield when you sell. Ever heard that?

What if that adage was counterproductive to both goals (love house, make money) and there was a better way… Let’s get into it.

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