Decorating with Clocks – A funny story…

Anne-Marie Brunet, CKBD, CAPS

‘Ain’t if Funny How Time Slips Away’

I’m sure you’ve heard the classic song ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ at least once before.  It’s been recorded by a lot of major artists since it came out and it’s still a classic today.  I thought it a fitting title for this blog since I’m sharing my funny story about decorating with clocks.

As some of you may know from visiting my studio, we’ve been renovating our house for the past 13 years and have just recently finished the major work. Finally, we begin the decorating phase and will have something up on the walls and drapery on the windows after all of these years living like college students. Yay me!

Going through the boxes of ‘stuff’ that have been stored away this long was definitely a trip down memory lane. We’d ‘forgotten’ what was in some of the boxes, while others I knew exactly what was in them and couldn’t wait to open to retrieve our treasures. Pictures, mementoes, heirlooms all brought back a flood of cherished memories, and a few tears for the people we’ve lost along the way.

One of those treasures, a pendulum wall clock my husband received for his (too many to mention) years of service to ‘the company’, was among the pieces we had to work with. I very much like this clock (my traditional side showing) and thought it fitting that it hangs by the ‘big’ (his) chair in the living room.  It serves as a reminder of his dedication and commitment to ‘the company’ and to our family. The clock is up and we love it.
This is where the love story takes a bit of a turn….stay with me on this one.

The ‘WALL’ clock

When the clock first went ‘live’ we both liked hearing the sound of the chime, although I have to admit maybe I was more excited than my husband.  We adjusted the volume of the chime so that it would not be intrusive or ‘gauche’.  I found myself unconsciously looking forward to hearing it from another room on any given day.  There was something comforting about that chime, wistfully reminding me of earlier times when the pace seemed much slower.

As the weeks and months passed the ‘romance’ with the chime started to fade.  That sound became an hourly reminder that time is indeed ‘slipping away’, winning AND taking names!  I’d never given it much thought until my husband pointed out one day when the chime rang out;

“Well there goes another hour of my life”
(insert hearty chuckle here)

Aagh!!!.. What?? He had a point. Since this epiphany was verbalized I subconsciously began ‘listening’ for this chime and started competing with it (until now).   “How much could I get done before that thing goes off again”  I  would ask myself.
As one would expect of a finely tuned clock every hour the chime would ring, my anxiety would build and I’d realize that I hadn’t accomplished everything that I’d set out to…and…”Oh My God it’s lunchtime already?!!”.. (Hah as I’m writing this it’s chiming – again…ugh!)

It became a race against time – every day!  Even knowing this I would plan, strategize, schedule and organize and most days I accomplished.   The days when it didn’t quite work out, well, I’ve learned to let the anxiety go and just go with the flow. …sort of..(insert grin here)

So my advice to you, should you wish to include clocks (these classic decor gems) in your decorating plans is this; whether it’s a wall clock, mantle clock or the great grandfather clock, you can always turn off the chimes to keep your sanity AND sleep through the night….just sayin’ ?

HINT: TURN THE CHIMES BACK ON WHEN YOU HAVE COMPANY OVER AND YOU WANT TO ‘REMIND’ THEM OF THE TIME…LOL!!

If you have any funny stories about decorating with clocks drop me a line I’d love to hear about it.  And if you would like some help choosing your very own little life changer I’d be happy to help you select just the right one for just the right spot.  Drop me a line at info@sheridaninteriors.ca

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Here’s a link to some fine wall clocks: https://howardmiller.com/collections/wall-clocks

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In closing I leave you with this song that I’ve always loved about the passing of time by James Taylor
– THE SECRET OF LIFE –
(click on the title to listen)

“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
Any fool can do it, there ain’t nothing to it.
Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill.
But since we’re on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride..”

Hope you take some time out for yourself!

If you need help planning for your new construction project or want to get a second opinion, by all means, fill out the form below and we’ll book at FREE 15-minute Discovery Call to see how we can work together to show off both you and your house in the best possible light.

Select date and time:

613-936-7237
info@sheridaninteriors.ca

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