Alexander Schonburg’s book The Art of Stylish Poverty for those who allow themselves the luxury of making their own (not imposed by society) values as their life priority.
Do not be deceived by the name: can one call a happy man living in harmony with himself poor?
Unfortunately, with a sense of style and beauty, either they are already being born (the author of the book and his wife come from very noble but impoverished old families), or have to educate him consciously. How? – The author tells about this. Alexander Schonburg gives many examples – of course, to get to know them better by reading the book itself. But if you select the essence, then he understands the art of stylish poverty as choosing the right priorities.
“To become rich without money, you first need to check all your needs. Ask yourself whether it is possible to do without them, ”he writes. For such behavior requires a certain courage and even personal maturity – not to make someone else’s lifestyle a role model. To get to your true values, you need to have the strength and desire to give up what is imposed from the outside.
What is a luxury meaning
Many words in the course of their lives change or expand their meaning. What is luxury? Should we not expand the meaning of this word, give it a more modern sound? Should we strive for a luxurious life in the old sense of the word, or should we think about what exactly is a luxury for you: about your values and priorities; put them in the center of your life? Should we not introduce the concept of “new luxury”?
Again I will quote the author: “That which brings real pleasure cannot be bought. The loss of the subject of real luxury can not make up any insurance company in the world. A handwritten letter. Unique exlibris. Flowers from the garden of an elderly lady, who sometimes allows you to collect a bouquet from her. Walk in the park under a light crunch of snow. Swimming in the lake on a hot summer day … Luxury, as he writes … Karl Laslov, in his book “Appeal to luxury,” is “possessing what one wants to have, and giving up what one needs to have.”
I think that many will agree with this: if we can get rid of unnecessary habits, then we will probably learn to appreciate really beautiful things.
In the center – the idea of aesthetic experience
I especially liked the fact that aesthetic pleasure has an undoubted value for the author of the book. The state of aesthetic pleasure is discussed literally from the first to the last pages of the book of Schönbourne. This feeling for me is a real luxury. Moments of aesthetic experience are akin to moments of inspiration or genuine joy. beauty is in the eye of the beholder
A man who once experienced the joy of aesthetic admiration will no longer be able to live without it. He will see beauty not only in museum artifacts or “rich” interiors. Do you notice the beauty of the usual things – that is the question. Search and see! Seeing beauty, admiring it, letting into the house – this, in my opinion, is a real new luxury!
What could be the focal point in the interior
1. Any beautiful, kind, eternal thing.
This is how that old glass of Number One with an engraved double-headed eagle from S. Golitsyn’s book. Nothing deliberate, special! Use this thing necessarily:
“I sometimes pour wine into a glass or up to the legs, or to the wings, and if I get very tired, then to the very heads.”
Moments of spiritual harmony and inspiration sometimes consist of very simple everyday trifles. Changing priorities and understanding that such a “new luxury” allows you to create a luxurious interior without high costs (in the event that an aesthetic feeling is developed).
And again Alexander Schonburg: “… our apartment has always been furnished with more taste than the apartment of classmates. Mothers had to cheat and resort to the art of the new poor: bookshelves made of chipboard were covered with matter, and furniture bought in IKEA was hidden under pillows and colorful bedspreads … The parents’ economy, as I understood later, was the result of not aesthetic, but aesthetic principles “.
2. One of the main focal points in the interior is the lighting.
Obviously, cheap lamps are not very suitable for aesthetic admiration. Nevertheless, the use of simple luminaires has its advantages: they can be (not sorry) arranged in large groups, creating compositions.
3. The window is always the main focal point.
The gaze always strives for the light and is always the first thing to go to the window. In my opinion (I emphasize that this is my opinion), polyester tulle is an undoubted and tasteless “evil evil”. Anyone, even the cheapest flax looks aesthetically richer. In addition, synthetics – it is also the energy of dirt. Look on the Internet articles about the healing properties of flax. And look for articles about the healing properties of nylon.
Many close the windows in the kitchen (or even in the rooms) blinds. Can you, when preparing your breakfast, for example, admire at the same time the beauty of the falling snow or see the whole sky through your blinds? Do you not impoverish your life in this way?
4. Pictures – certainly one of the main focal points.
I mean it is a work of art.
