Evelyn's Room

Right now I am working on Evelyn's room. It has been a real chore, as there was wallpaper throughout the entire room of little boy's fishing. I am not a fan of wallpaper to begin with, but this definitely had to go! It took me weeks to get the wallpaper down, but I can report that I finally have it all down. Just a note to all of you "wallpaper fans" out there- you had better LOVE it before you put it up; because once it is up- wow, what a mess it is to take down!

I am going to be brave and show you all what I am working on...be prepared it is NOT pretty!

This is Evelyn's room now waiting to be stripped of wallpaper, painted, and accessorized...

As you can see I have already started peeling all the paper off in this picture. The border of the little boys fishing has been a nightmare to get down. You have soak the paper and then scrape it off with a straight edge. There isn't a steamer in Manhattan to rent and I don't want to purchase one.

 And you gotta love the clouds...

Evelyn is "helping" me gather all of her books and stack them.

The little storage area or "tree house" behind the door has proven a creative challenge...still trying to figure out what to do with this area. I took the closet doors down, and moved her dressor into the space so Evelyn could have more lounging room. I plan on adding additional curtains over the closet to hide unsightly messes.

So as you can see this quite a mess! I will be so glad when it is completed and we can "move on." I am hoping to have everything complete by the first week of March and will repost an update.

Have a great weekend everyone, and if you are up north- stay warm!!! We are expecting more snow Sunday and Monday night in our area. I think Evelyn and I will be snuggling up to some good Olivia books and hot chocolate (she thinks it's real treat if she can have some of mommy's "coffee").

~Cheers,

Melissa

Putting everything in a box

Sometimes I think we tend to want to "label" ourselves too much. We might say, "I'm a mother of three, a friend, a wife, an aunt, a neighbor, employee of such and such, a business owner, a designer, teacher,...the list can go on and on. The fact of the matter is we are not just ONE of these things; in many cases we are ALL of those things. The same is true when it comes to our homes.

So many designers or just "us ordinary folks;" want to put a label on what it is we like. For example, you might like French Country, and think you have to design your entire home in a French Country look, but then you hop on over to friends home and they have more of contemporary vibe going on- and you think, "hmm, maybe I like that better- so you turn your entire home upside down because you have now "found" your new look...until you thumb through House Beautiful. It's almost like "If You Give a House Wife Design Book." You can continue this pattern until it either breaks your bank or you.

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/designer-living-rooms

Image from House Beautiful: Love all blues!

Designing a home can be fun, exciting, jittery, and yet very challenging and draining all at the same time. What you won't here is this:  Stop trying to label your design!!! Everything you like and dislike does not have to fit nice and neatly in a wrapped up box of perfection.

Let's face it- we live in the real world.

Half of our days are spent chasing little ones, doing laundry, grocery shopping, carpool, mundane errands, and/or careers we are trying to hold on to. I guess what I am saying is this; it is OK if your home has crayons and markers on the floor, and last nights dinner is still in the sink waiting for you to clean up (yuck; but yes it has happened at our house). The beds don't have to be made everyday (although in a perfect world they would), and the laundry (if it is anything like our home) will ALWAYS be there!

                      

           (yes, Evelyn has done this!!! )
                                                                   

What DOES matter is that you are happy in your home; and that starts with you. So if you like a little of this and a little of that- go for it! You can make it all "mesh" beautifully; by keeping a common color scheme, shapes (like round objects- mirrors, tables, ext.), pillows- anything that can keep different styles coherent.

Our home is our home; not some idea a designer came up with...but ours.

Image From House Beautiful: Granny Chic with Contempory Modern Art

Image from House Beautiful: Love the blue velvet chair and "mesh" of colors and styles.

Image From House Beautiful: Country Cottage with the modern stripes = PURE LOVE!

Enjoy your home and all the chaos it brings!

~Cheers!

Melissa