Have you ever wanted to change things in your home? Like, just about everything? And you felt like if you didn’t make these changes, if you didn’t make things “better” then your life pretty much wasn’t going to go anywhere ever again? That is how I feel right now.
Alright, that’s dramatic. I like where I live. When I stop and think about my house as compared to some dream house I may have pictured in my mind, there are a thousand differences and at the same time, none at all. Home is what you make it and I’m blessed to have it. Even if my neighbors occasionally think they are budding rap stars. What’s really going on is there are a couple of things I cannot stand about my little piece of property and when I set out to improve those things, well a new part of the world I’d only admired from afar before now set up shop in my brain. And now, I cannot stop thinking and having ideas and being inspired. Other than love, I think inspiration is probably the only other emotion over which we have no control. It strikes and we have little choice in the matter.
And so my mind has been taken over by decor blogs and visits to the hardware store and I am finally cracking open all those design magazines I’ve had for years. I am not sure I ever knew why I wanted these stacks of magazines in my life, I only knew that some day, I would want them. And now that day is here.
But! There’s always a but, right? With my new-found inspiration surrounding my home, I have not yet found a spare income source to come with it. So, I have all these ideas and plans and a budget that’s almost too small to be called a budget. If I were developing a tag line for this project it would be something like “Watch as I makeover my home, for seventeen dollars!” Nonetheless, I’m going to go for it. I honestly believe that when you feel good about the space you live in every day, your entire life benefits. And I am sure there are design-types out there going “um, duh” right now as this isn’t a revelation for most people, and yes those design-types will no doubt put me to shame. But I’ll share it anyway, because I’m inspired to change things and talking about it is the only way I know how to start.
In the meantime, here are a few inspirational shots I’ve found that might keep me headed in the right direction:
With these you can see (hopefully) the direction I’m sort of going. Casual. Light. White. Cozy. Slight bit of beach but not, like, on the beach. Warm. Inviting. Okay, so I need more refining. But if you think you can help, please share. In the meantime, I’m going to work on photos of what I’m living in now. As soon as I organize it. Or burn everything, because that’s easier.
Extra credit: Do you have a favorite design blog you frequent? Maybe one that is less popular, but incredible? Please share!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh I like the white/beachy/shabby chic look. Very nice. My favorite design blog is younghouselove.com. And apartmenttherapy.com is great too.
When I was freelancing from home, just being in my apartment every day made me want to redecorate! It’s true that your space has an effect on you. And when you’re in it a lot, you start to notice all the things you want to change. It doesn’t surprise me that you’re starting to see stuff since you’ve been home more.
Have fun researching and be sure to post pictures of what you change!
We changed everything about our downstairs. It’s kind of fun!
Those design pictures are quite fabulous. I used to have a real interest in decor, but that sort of waned over the years. Now that the house is falling apart around my ears, I find myself wanting to repaint after a hiatus of 10 years or so. I can afford a can of paint, I cannot afford to replace the rotting bathroom.
I can’t wait to see what you end up doing with your $17!
Love the inspiration. We have been SLOWLY trying to decorate our home for the past year and get things together and it is a long process. We are remodeling a room right now – so fun.
Ohhh boy! I have a mild obsession with home decorating and follow a few too many blogs. So here are a few:
Decor8 http://decor8blog.com/
Young House Love http://www.younghouselove.com/
Apartment Therapy http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ (particularly a sucker for their house tours)
I like “Coastal” magazine, even though we live in MN, and I like “Dwell”.
Sometimes I watch HGTV a bit.
And I think the pictures you posted are
DELIGHTFUL!
This a great project! I’ll keep my eyes opened for anything that might help you out. Have fun!