Reno, Renno? The first steps

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!