photo: source unknown
photo: Country Living.com
Pretty...I love that word. It has such a sweet connotation to it...a simplicity, an innocence, an attainability. While we may not all be beautiful or live in beautiful homes, most people can have something about themselves that qualifies as pretty: pretty eyes, pretty hair, pretty smile, and so on. To be called pretty is so much easier to accept, even for those of us who brush off compliments. Pretty seems more believable, more honest... more genuine. Of course, there are many people who qualify as beautiful, but so many more that are more apt to be labelled pretty. We often hear the phrase, "the beautiful people" and we are prone to think that they are more vain, less committed to their relationships, and yet innately more happy. While this is obviously a sweeping generalization, these opinions live on.
When we think of beautiful homes, we almost always think of grand spaces, with heaps of architectural interest, reeking of quality and high mortgages. Even with homes, we equate beauty with perfection. Although we are very generous in using that descriptive when touring each other's homes, it is often more honest to deem a house pretty, or lovely, or charming...words that bring less committment to this supposed perfection. If a home is pretty, it has a definite aesthetic appeal; but it may also have nooks and crannies that are imperfect: rooms that are yet to be remodelled, paint that is chippy in spots, pillows that are imperfectly plumped, dust balls dancing across the slightly scratched wooden floors, creaky screen doors that slam too loud upon closing...perfectly imperfect. My goal for my home is for it to feel/look pretty to me: hence my use of a soft colour palette; slipcovers; touches of sparkle and glitter; pom pom fringe; crisp, cotton sheets, whimsical light fixtures...basically anything that inspires me to think "pretty" when I look at it. What ever happened to being satisfied with pretty? Why must we covet perfection, streamlined beauty, high-end this and top notch that? Isn't pretty good enough??
photos: country cream .co/uk
In fact, my favourite compliment when someone visits my home for the first time, is that it feels comfortable and is pretty. Now, I'm not fishing for compliments here, I'm just stating my preference. Hearing that it is beautiful would honestly make me squirm a bit, as I am one of those people who equates beauty with grandeur. Certainly, I consider many things beautiful, but the word pretty just brings to mind fresh, natural, down to earth style. Simply put- white roses are beautiful... as they depict quality, simplicity, restraint. A daisy is pretty: natural, attainable. A peony defies all rules and is simply breathtaking, but in a fresh, pretty way. There is indeed a difference to how each makes me feel when I see it.
So, I say let's bring pretty back into our homes: let's not consider it the dowdy sister of beautiful, but rather the fresh-faced girl next door that we secretly know is nicer, self-deprecating, more natural and will put us more at ease when we encounter her. Bring on the unstarched white sheets, the chippy paint, the wildflowers, the pastels, the mismatched chairs, the dog-eared treasures that have been handed down through the generations. Let us forget about always wanting the best, and simply accept that good enough can be just that: apply that girl next door prettiness to our homes. Beauty fades, but even the wrinkliest of grannies can be pretty...
Some more examples of pretty...(again, not from my house)
photo: Sarah Richardson Design 
When we think of beautiful homes, we almost always think of grand spaces, with heaps of architectural interest, reeking of quality and high mortgages. Even with homes, we equate beauty with perfection. Although we are very generous in using that descriptive when touring each other's homes, it is often more honest to deem a house pretty, or lovely, or charming...words that bring less committment to this supposed perfection. If a home is pretty, it has a definite aesthetic appeal; but it may also have nooks and crannies that are imperfect: rooms that are yet to be remodelled, paint that is chippy in spots, pillows that are imperfectly plumped, dust balls dancing across the slightly scratched wooden floors, creaky screen doors that slam too loud upon closing...perfectly imperfect. 
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