Websters dictionary defines the word nostalgia two ways:

1. The state of being homesick: homesickness

2.A wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition also: something that evokes nostalgia.

When I think of the word nostalgia, I suppose those definitions do ring true; though my personal definition of the word is sprinkled with a dash or two more.

For me, nostalgia is sparked by something that brings me back to a moment in my past with swift emotion.

Its pulling up to the city pool and heading back to 1999 as soon as the chlorine hits my nose- so much more than a memory. Its an emotional experience that honestly struggles to be explained.

The bleach-y smell of pool chemicals suddenly has me feeling the summer sun on my skin and the bounce of a diving board under my feet during a long afternoon at my grandparents house. Lyrics from Alabama songs clash with the sounds of a scroll saw while my grandpa worked in the shop, and we played Marco Pollo.

It never ceases to amaze me that something as simple as a smell has the ability to bring me back to a time that I cherish. I get a few butterflies just thinking about moments like that.

That’s probably why I liked this little throwback find so much. Its not something that I dug out of the basement that’s 100 years old – Its actually just a single photo.

This photo, taken out of an envelope of developed film, showcases a section of the second floor at Fitterer’s prior to a remodel.

Judging by the rest of the photos in the sleeve, I think this picture was probably taken some time in the early 2000s. The picture itself shows that it was developed at Rite aid in 2002, so I think its a fairly good guess.

What stood out to me in this photo is the floral wall paper. When I was pretty young, we had something similar covering the walls in our kitchen. It was one of those nostalgic emotional moments that made me smile – especially because I’m certain I’m not the only one who has a memory or two of walls like these.

Interestingly enough, once thought to be outdated interior design trends have certainly resurfaced in 2019. I’m not an interior designer, so I won’t pretend to be an expert in these trends, but I think our love of nostalgia is part of what drives them to circle back around.

Floral wall coverings and fabrics are once again holding their place in the limelight. Velvet upholstery is working its way back into popularity. Geometric shapes and bold primary colors are finding their way out of the 1980’s. While each of these resurfacing trends has come back with some modern flare, their nods to the past cannot be ignored.

Like I said, I’m no designer; so even though I’m not sure my opinion should be taken as any more than well – opinion – I can’t help but wonder how much moments of nostalgia influence our choices when it comes to our homes.

Or maybe its just that “wistful or excessively sentimental yearning” that has me thinking too hard.

Either way, its kind of fun to see these trends popping up in design blogs!