Reno, Renno? The first steps

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

People, let me tell you something very important. Sit, sit down, make yourself comfortable, because what I am about to tell you is very true and very heartbreaking.


Decorating a house is as difficult as trying to push a sweater through a needle's eye. Decorating a house is not seeing something in a store and buying it, because it might look great somewhere, but in the end it looks entirely mismatched and awful. Decorating a house is not as cheap as the before and after photos in magazines and blogs make it seem to be.


It is meticulous work. It is hours of planning, dreaming, blood, sweat, tears. Believe me, lots of tears. Magazines and blogs make it seem as if you just paint a wall and buy a new drape and it will look like a million dollars. It was a million dollars! That little lampshade that wasn't there before, that gorgeous chest in the corner of the room that suddenly appeared, that brilliant little ornament on a side table. They didn't fly out of the sky into the person's home. They cost money.


Now, why didn't somebody tell me that?

Well, that is, until I came across this post on Apartment Therapy:

To help us all learn to take away something unexpected from a project, even if it's not your style, here are 5 ideas to look for (if you're not one to simply scroll on by) to help you stay on the sunny side of life.
1. Technique: Even if you really are not digging the fabric or color choices used in a project, you can still draw from the technique of how it was done. Some of the best diy projects are done in new and unusual ways, using hardware and unusual items we never would have known about otherwise.

2. Time and Money: When planning DIY projects there are two things that often hold us back. Time and its beloved counterpart, money. Even if you're not feeling the project in the post at hand, you can still get a handle on materials, cost and the time it took to complete something. You can then purchase your own materials thatare to your liking and translate it project that you can plan for fully - you'll know if you'll need a weekend or a whole season to do it yourself.

3. Resources: Not sure where to get that thing-a-majig? What about that, you know, do-hickey? Ask in the comments if it's not included the post. Finding out secret resources (sometimes in your own town) and online shops for specialty items is a great way to start your own project brainstorming.
4. The Impact It Makes on a Space: So, someone painted a chair bright purple and that specific color reminds you of weddings — gross ones. Forget about your dislikes and focus on the impact that the color and the piece in question made in the space. Did the high gloss top coat make other things stand out? Did a fresh color make the rug look different? These small lessons learned are great to keep in mind when thinking about your own ideas.
5. The Art of Sharing a Finished Product: Are you a project starter, but not big on finishing? It doesn't really matter if you wholly like a project someone else has done, maybe they don't like certain aspects of it either. A finished project, however, is a thing of beauty even if it's still a little rough around the edges and not completed in a style to your liking. Most folks on the internet share things out of the kindness of their heart and I will always support that, even if the only way I can do that is with silence.
I draw a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, I absolutely love to find a good designed space on there. And this is one of my favourites. I am hoping and dreaming that I can work my bedroom to look like this, sooner rather than later....

via 
This is my inspiration, tranquil, serene, inspiring. 
Isn't this what a bedroom should look like? Somewhere you can relax? Refresh? 
Press the F5 button? Yup!

My reality:
Yes, that is an actual human boyfriend in the bed. And that is me in the reflection.
Things have changed quite a lot in between, but for a before and after to be truly amazing, it should be truly shocking, agreed? Keep your eyes peeled for the after, hopefully I will be able to show it to you in the next few weeks. I will also post about the other rooms and their befores and afters as I go along. Enjoy!


11 comments:

Daisy said...

Great post, I love redecorating!
So true about the cost of it all.
That bedroom is SOOOOO lovely. I can't wait to see how yours turns out. Great before photo by the way, I love that there is actually someone in the bed!

Jenna said...

I can't even imagine the expenses that must go along with re-decorating, let alone all the time and effort! But, I'm sure it will feel all that much better once you're finished with everything :)

Love the inspiration photo, I can totally picture the transformation in my head!

xxx
Jenna

Lyndsey said...

haha love the pic! And yes decorating is expensive! Esp when u move in right before big holidays! All those plans of grand decorating go out the window for gifts and what not. It is a slow process and even if you can't have all the decor u want, I feel like paint really livens up a room. Even if it's plain at least there is something! I have grand plans for our apartment but I feel as though by the time I get them done, our lease will be up! At least with a house u have lots of time to plan and decorate! One day I will want to decorate like a million dollars too! But I feel you. If only money grew on trees!

Stephanie Shepherd said...

Ohh I love seeing before and afters! Fun!

Megan said...

This is so true. Pinterest makes it so easy to see how things would look if life was perfect and money grew on trees. Haha!!

stephanie said...

oh lord it IS so much harder to actually decorate then just looking at the pretty pics on pinterest!!!

ps thank you for your sweet words on my blog! xo

Unknown said...

I love your inspiration photo!

Chicago Chic said...

Oh I can't wait to see the after! I love your inspiration! By the way, I'm following you on Twitter now!

xRachel

Anonymous said...

i have purchased way too many things in the past just because i liked them and then couldn't figure out what to do with them! there are so many lessons to learn in decorating!

Deidre said...

YES! To all of this. Good luck with all your DIY. And I can't wait to see the changes that you make.

Anonymous said...

isn't money the pits????

love this post.

your blog is darling.

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