When I was design writer for the Home and Garden section of the Grand Rapids Press,  my job meant touring people’s homes, asking questions and  then writing about how they decorated, used space, spent money, collected items and lived their lives.  

I loved it. I like design and visual things.  I also loved getting to know people through the way they allocated space and decorated their homes. Decisions made about how to spend money on materials, collections and spaces are so revealing.   

There’s nothing neutral about it.  People reveal their personalities and passions with the way they choose to live.

I had a similar and interesting experience in India last November when our tour leaders took us to small villages in the desert area of Rathjastan where we met and photographed  families. Sometimes we were invited into their simple homes.  

 It was similar in a way with my Press experiences. The circumstances were different but the pride in their possessions and decorating efforts felt the same. 

I’ll always remember the woman who decorated her shelves with newspaper.  We didn’t  speak the same language but the message was clear as she led me over and pointed out the few pictures,  small kitchen utensils and other mementos of her life on some modest shelving.  

What struck me was her creativity.  Lacking other options, she used newspaper and created a border with little cutout hearts to frame the shelves.   Clearly she decorated her family home with love while being resourceful.

Another woman used colorful decorations and paint to brighten her home.

Another fantastic experience was  taking photos of the children with a small Fuji camera with capability of printing on the spot. We used to call them Polaroids.  At first, the children had no idea what I was doing. But as the prints of themselves were revealed on the paper, they squealed with delight.   

For a short time I was the most popular person in the group as I was surrounded with little ones wanting their likenesses. How joyful it was to see their reactions.  

 It was especially poignant to take pictures of some of the moms with their children.  While we couldn’t communicate with words, the gestures of joy and the sparkle in the eyes told me that while the gift was a very simple one, they loved it. It made me feel really good. My guess is that these were the only family portraits they had. 

Please enjoy photos of some of the people we met in several small villages who graciously allowed us to capture their images.  

Thank you to Steve Shpall  for several of these images.  To see Steve’s fabulous work, click here.