From my photos at Flickr Produced by Kayakman Media

You just don't know where to look first when you enter a Tiszta Szoba. Dozens of plates on the wall create a motionless kaleidoscope. A ceiling high stack of bedding that reminds you of peppermint candy . Or the never-ending tulip pattern that weaves its way about the bright blue furniture. The collection of so many colorful objects in a small room can be overwhelming, yet knowing that you are surrounded by a family's heritage and pride is even more awe-inspiring. It's not as if mom and dad popped into a local Ikea or Tecso (think Wal-Mart/ Target), even if there was one (there's not), and stocked up on colorful plates and furniture just for fun. No, these pieces are made by hand and passed from generation to generation. Which is why we felt privileged to visit one family's Tiszta Szoba (literally "clean room") during our visit to the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania. This area is one of the few places that this Hungarian tradition is preserved.

A traditional Cifra Szoba (fancy room), as it is also known, is typically furnished with painted furniture with the mákófalva motif of the upside down tulip, is decorated with embroidered pieces and painted plates that were wedding gifts, and stores the family's costumes for festivals. And even though it creates a riot of colors-- admittedly red is dominate--it's easy to see why one would collect all these hand-made treasures in one room. An outsider might see it just as a way to preserve a folk-art tradition, but if you could have seen the pride of our hostess you would know it's more than that. It's not cold history, it's loved memories.