The other day I came across an old post from a couple of years ago.
It was a nice reminder to me that sometimes we need a little trial and error, and it’s okay to not get it “just right” on the first try. The journey and the process are supposed to be fun – and so much can be learned along the way.
So in case you missed it the first time, or just need a little reminder too, I thought I’d share it again. Keep in mind this was nearly two years ago, so things have changed even more around here. Maybe I should do a series of room evolution posts someday…
Last week I started talking about finding your style (read it here) and I shared an image that provided a bit of an “A-Ha!” moment for me. It sounds silly to me now, how do you like one style, but do something entirely different? It’s not that I didn’t know what I liked, I just wasn’t paying attention to it when I started decorating my home.
I thought white would be boring or too stark.
I thought color – any color – would instantly make my rooms more interesting.
I thought my love of country/farmhouse/antique décor would feel too “old” or not trendy enough.
I thought I could just head out to a store and buy everything I needed in one day to make a room beautiful.
And I was so wrong on all accounts.
I initially pictured this house in light and airy shades of white and gray, but soon after we bought the house, I chose a color scheme that was rich in earth tones of brown, green and beige. A similar palette had worked for us in a previous home – a home that was completely different in style and full of beautiful natural light. I think that fear of white being boring kept creeping into the back of my brain, and I suppose a color scheme that worked before felt safe and that’s why I went with it…
I can come up with no other explanation for why I went down that road – just wait until you see the pictures. 🙂
I spent so much time and effort trying to decorate these rooms to feel like I wanted – and it just wasn’t happening. And then one day flipping through the Pottery Barn catalog, I saw this picture:
Isn’t that a beautiful entryway? It wasn’t so much that I wanted an entryway like the one in this picture (although who wouldn’t?), it’s more that I wanted the feel of that room throughout my entire house.
What do you think when you look at that image?
To me it feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s light, bright and airy, with lots of texture and the lovely contrast of white, wicker and wood. I remember noticing the weathered wood from the boot inserts in the corner, and loving the warmth and interest that tiny touch had on the room. This was the direction I wanted my rooms to take.
I started flipping through other images I had saved from magazines (I wasn’t on Pinterest at this point) and sure enough 9 out of 10 rooms were white backdrops, neutral colors, and a heavy dose of texture and wood accents.
Unfortunately, I looked up at the rooms around me and saw this
Can you believe that’s the same house? Who was decorating that house?? 🙂
It’s not that it looked bad, but it certainly didn’t portray light, bright and airy. It was no breath of fresh air.
And so I started lightening things up around here. I eased my way into lighter colors – why can white be so scary?!– and initially went with soft shades of gray. Gray was, and still is, very in and so I thought this would be a safe choice. After recently seeing the dining room go from gray to white though, I know now that white walls are definitely more my thing.
I had been fighting those wall colors for so long and didn’t even realize it. Once the walls became lighter, I was able to focus more on the styling and the accessorizing. I was inspired. I didn’t find my rooms boring, instead I found them refreshing.
I removed everything I no longer liked so it didn’t cloud my vision of my room’s progression. Empty spaces no longer made me crazy and I stopped bringing home random things just to complete a room – things that I always ended up returning, or that just ended up in the donation box because they weren’t anything I really felt a connection to. Instead, I started waiting until I found things I really loved. And once I started bringing in things I really loved, my rooms started to come together and portrayed that same depth, dimension and connection that I felt when looking at my inspiration pictures.
So if you’re feeling stuck or less than satisfied with the direction the rooms in your home have taken, don’t get discouraged. Maybe you just haven’t had your “A-Ha” Moment yet. Take some time, do some research, really think about the things that draw you in to a space, and the atmosphere you want to create.
Once you have a good idea of how you want your home to look and feel, start digging in little by little. Maybe you start with the wall color, maybe you DIY some funky wall art to add a little interest to your walls, maybe you save up to purchase a new sofa…or maybe you invest in a collection of pillows to dress up the sofa you have. Or maybe you just clear away the clutter and get rid of the things that no longer speak to you. I think the best homes are created over time, not over a weekend, so do what you can, when you can and have fun with it along the way. 🙂
And because before and afters are always fun…
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What is the paint and color you used?
Which room are you referring to?
“Revisiting” the past is an eye opener. Often what was deemed perfect in the past doesn’t seem quite as perfect in the present. We grow, we change and we are reborn over and over. Makes one wonder how the present will be judged in the future. Your present is illuminated by the changes of your past. Thank-you!
It’s always so much fun to see the evolution of a space – an eye opener for sure!
Thanks for the update. It is so interesting to see the changes. I have made some too. We probably all have. I was wondering if you could do a post on a room and discuss what specific changes you made and how long it took and how much it cost in general terms. That is real life decorating in my book. It takes time and thought to put a look together. I love all of your changes. Both looks are pretty but it feels more like you now…from what we know:) I like how you used your living room rug in the dining room. I move stuff around too. Sometimes that really makes things feel fresh.
I LOVE moving stuff around. Sometimes you can fall in love with a piece all over again just by giving it a new “home”. And thanks for the post suggestion – I will definitely give that one some thought! 😀
wow…. it really is like night and day….. i do aspire often to use white in our rooms, and when i mention painting all walls white to certain friends, their reaction is “why would you do that?!?!” but if you know what you love, and your heart speaks to you, the path is certain….at some point!! your journey in your home is lovely…… and your house looks so much bigger…..thanks for the photos…..
Thanks Lynne! It definitely opened this little house up – no doubt about it!
I agree completely — building your home is a on-going event! It does take years of collecting only what speaks to you. And then what happens is when you gather those things, they all speak….to each other! I DO have the dark gold walls. But our living room is dark, and does not get much light. So I actually like it, and decorate with lots of neutrals, because nothing else really works! Fall is awesome, but Christmas is a challenge because those walls don’t play nicely with red! The transformations you show are beautiful and quite impactful!
Thanks Kristine! Building a home is most definitely an on-going event – but that’s what makes it so FUN, right?!
What an awesome transformation!!!! I love it!!! The before and after’s are so helpful!!!!
I can hardly believe it’s the same house! I often forget it really looked that way before!
All I can say is, WOW!! The difference is staggering and soooo refreshing! The result is a very ‘calming’ presence. Congrats on finally finding your style and you have inspired me to do the same!
Thanks Debra! It’s amazing what a little paint can do!!
So fun!!! your house is simply lovely!!! your have a incredible taste and talent!!!
Thanks so much Livi!!
What a transformation in your house! You have done an amazing job….and you’ve been slow and thoughtful in redesigning all your areas with the result that your style really shines in every room!
Thanks Linda! It’s certainly a process – and often much slower than I’d like – but sometimes that’s probably not such a bad thing. 🙂
I love before and after photos, too. You have a lovely home.
Thanks Kathy!