I love decorating for the holidays. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a pinterest-worthy knack for making everything look tinsel-tastic, but I love decorating in what we refer to in the Watson house as the “whimsical hodge podge style.” And every year, when I decorate the studio for the holidays I get the urge to switch up all the other decor as well. But there’s a couple of reasons why my redecorating ends with fun pillows, ottomans, and other accessories instead of a head to toe refresh.

First off, the studio remains a tribute to our founder Melinda, and therefore some things like the curtains and the studio paint color will never change. Keeping those things the same keeps us grounded in her vision and her legacy.

I also remember my freshman year of college, coming home for the first time for Thanksgiving break. I got a ride home with another Skidmore student from Acton, and I had her drop me off at the studio because there were classes going on and I wanted to see everyone. And it looked and felt exactly the same-like I had never left at all. Now over 15 years later it still looks and feels the same, and while sometimes I get the itch to make big changes, I love how comforting it is to have that constant in my life. Things change so quickly these days (especially over the past two years) and while I’m working on embracing change, I’ll also cast a vote for same-ness, for consistency, for familiar. As we hopefully welcome some alumni for visits this holiday season, I hope they feel comforted knowing that some things never change. Like our yellow, flowery curtains.