Here's a question for you... how should/could one make writing about "home decor" interesting? Aren't articles on home decor for most people, like watching paint dry? I have spent hours asking myself this very question.
THINGS
In a world of assumptions, I believe we take things for granted. Take another look at the word "things" for a second. We in our vast English language have taken a word "thing" and made everything under the sun defined by it, LITERALLY EACH ITEM on this earth from the pot holder to the baby could be considered a thing. From the most desired jewels, gold or money to the lowliest items such as paper, soap or toilet - we label our stuff as a "thing" and assume it has always been there, taking for granted how it came to be. Most of us fail to look at our Grandmother's dresser which was given to her as a teenager, the one she touched each morning before heading out to school as a family heirloom... it is just a "thing". We don't look at our own Ikea furniture (that piece we carefully picked out, frustratingly put together, and laughed as we nearly threw out our back loading it into the car) as a labor of love... over time it has just become a "thing".
When I set out to begin this year long series I couldn't figure out WHAT to name it. I really enjoy naming "things" because I believe specific names with specific meanings elevate our stuff from being just mere things to becoming something grand, something MORE. Words like: essential, heirloom, everlasting, neverending, ethereal, blissful, or resplendent to me, make the components which make up our homes majestic. I desire to live in a majestic home... I hope you do too. Your home should be your castle, it is my desire one day you will look at your things and thanks to this blog, sigh a breath of "relief" because each of your things when you look at them now mean so much more.
Personally, I have finally settled on referring to this year long project as "Living" because this is the way WE LIVE. We live with pieces of history, we are creating a legacy - many of our things will outlive us, many of our "things" have come before us learning about our past, present, and future is how we "make" a living.
STARTING WITH THINGS LIKE TIN
Long before Andy Warhol made Campbell's soup cans famous, tin has been shaping our known world. Archeological evidence suggests that people have been using tin for at least 5500 years. That's a really long time. Tin's atomic symbol (Sn) comes from the Latin word for tin, stannum. It has a melting point of 505.08 K, 231.93ºC or (for us American non-chemists) 449.47ºF. Tin once extracted and roasted nice and toasty in the furnace with Carbon, can become pretty darn strong.
KICK THE CAN
Have you ever played the game, "Kick the Can"? (Ok, Boomer) Kick the Can was a game made popular during The Great Depression in the 1930s thanks to the game requiring no equipment or playing field. During a time when most humble meals were served out of tin cans, playing Kick the Can was a pastime nearly every child could enjoy.
The game is played by placing a can in the middle of an open space. One player is designated as "it" (though teams can also be it) leaving all the other players to run off and hide while "it" closes its eyes and counts to an agreed upon number. The person playing as "it" then tries to find and tag the others, and sends those players to "jail" which is a designated area for the captured to congregate. Any player who can successfully kick or tip the can without being tagged, can set free all of those who have been captured. (Or one at a time if you have a larger group)
Tins weren't just made to be kicked around. Tins over time have had many different uses, however most of the things we consider "tin" are really made from aluminium since tin is considered a relatively rare element on earth. While tin foil was a popular product in the early 20th century it was replaced by aluminium foil, although thanks to slang foil is still being referred to as "tin foil" tin has became a generic term for any silvery metal which comes in sheets. Most everyday materials like soda cans, aluminum foil, or 'tin toys' are actually made of steel. Some have a thin coating of tin to prevent rust.
FUN FACT: Because actual tin is used in solder, it is crucial to tablets, smartphones, and other electrical devices. The Apple iPad uses 1-3 grams of tin. According to Apple Inc., tin is the most common metal used by suppliers $$$$.
"TIN" IN DESIGN
Modern ceiling tiles: https://www.proceilingtiles.com/Cathedral-Ceiling-Tile-Antique-Bronze.html
This stamped tin ceiling piece comes from the W.F. Norman Corporation, which is still in business to this day. Tin ceilings were a very popular building material at the turn of the century with its ability to be stamped and easily cut into the artists desired design. Many elaborate ceilings were made.
From their website:
"The W. F. Norman Corporation was founded by William Franklin Norman and John Berghauser in 1898. Two sons and a grandson followed in Norman’s footsteps and successfully continued running the business until 1978. It was believed that there were as many as two dozen similar type companies producing and manufacturing these stamped tin ceilings around the late 1800s and early 1900s. Only a few were prosperous enough to stay in business even though tin ceilings were a very popular building material during that time."
TINS AS STORAGE
Thanks to tin being able to be made into sheets, with some heavy duty adhesion and/or strong paints, tin sheets when bent, melded, and formed have made some very handy storage units. (Even if they are really mostly aluminum :)) Here are some storage ideas, both modern and vintage:
Vintage coffee cans
Vintage Picnic Baskets: http://www.trends.cryptoworldlife.com/vintage-picnic-tins-and-campfire-marshmallows-tin-adds-to-my-christmas-plaid-dec/
Modern metal kitchen "tins", amazon $39.99
Modern metal storage lockers, amazon $139.99
Vintage tin turned lamp: https://www.mysocalledcraftylife.com/2014/09/23/diy-upcycled-vintage-tin-lamp/
Vintage tiered organizer: https://www.bhg.com/crafts/easy/1-hour-projects/tin-crafts-supplies-organizer/
WHAT I FOUND
What I found while spending hours researching "tin" in design listening to my husband and baby snore (she can really get going!), was that most items we call tin are not actually tin at all, but metal.
This week as we delve into this form of design and storage, keep in mind there are many wonderful metal options in storage. One is no longer limited to just "tin". While tin is beautiful on its own, (unpainted or affixed with a label, tin can be a delightful silver color) there are other glamourous metals we should also consider when decorating like brass, brushed steel, pewter, and powder coated or oxidized forms too. Metal is a wonderful design element and should in my opinion, be of eager consideration in any "smart"home design. ;)
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