There is much I love about my home, and I hope this post won’t make me seem like I’m complaining. Every day I count my blessings, and this home is definitely a big one.
That said, it’s not perfect. It’s also not quite done yet.
About a year and a half ago, Husband and I finally decided to tackle the major remodeling project we had spent the previous three years talking about, obsessing over, & saving for. It was major remodeling, the kind where you have no furniture, floor, or kitchen for two months, the kind where you have drywall dust everywhere and your 9 month old baby has skinned knees from the rough concrete. We replaced the floor, added walls, reconfigured the kitchen, added lots of built-ins, & bought a lot of new furniture & appliances. We got the house to a point where it was livable & then took a break.
A loooooong break.
But amazingly enough, it doesn’t really bother me that our trim isn’t painted or that my kitchen still needs a tile backsplash, or that our armoire-turned-intended-wetbar is little more than a place to quickly stash things before guests arrive. I know those things will get done eventually, and, in the meantime, we are more than comfortable.
What does bother me is that although I really do love the way everything turned out, love the contrast of the white against the dark wood, I can’t help but notice that the one thing my house lacks is COLOR.
I think the problem is that accent decorating is so unessential to my day-to-day functioning that no matter how I’d like to add color to my world, it is always the last thing on my priority list and the first thing to be shoved aside. Case in point: I’ve been wanting to write this post for over six months now!
But a few months ago I discovered Pinterest, and although I haven’t had a chance to play with it too much (though I can see how easily it could become addictive!), I did finally take some time to gather some of the ideas I’ve been collecting over the past year.
I fully realize that it will probably take me another year to incorporate these ideas into my space, but I’m going to try. My goal is to complete one home accent project a month, with a budget of $100 a month.
My top 10 projects: 1. accent pillows 2. plate wall 3. big wall in living room 4. coffee table 5. barstools 6. space above cabinets 7. original artwork 8. side table 9. cushion for entry bench 10. decorative accessoriesI’ll keep you posted on my progress, but I’d love to hear ideas and inspiration from you! If you have written a blog post with any colorful decorating ideas, please post it up here. If you don’t have a blog but you’ve seen a great idea somewhere, feel free to link it up here, leave a comment below, or post a picture on the LWSL facebook page!
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Cheryl July 5, 2011 at 7:57 pm
I recognized The Nester’s shots
. We are hoping to build a house soon and I am in the planning stages and this is what I want–a neutral pallet to be able to add color to: year round changes to keep it fresh and seasonal.
Sally Lewis July 5, 2011 at 8:15 pm
We renovated our home 9 years ago and took a break (9 year break!) and now are re-renovating to give the home a “fresh” look just like you mentioned in your blog. If you are interested in using fabric as color or textural accents, look for some of your favorite things around the house that you like but no longer use such as mismatched napkins, stained tablecloths, old blankets etc. that you can get a clean cut from to make accent pillows. My daughter had a purple fleece jacket that she almost wore out as a baby and I couldn’t part with it even as stained and ripped as it was. I made an accent pillow for her bed and had just enough of the fleece to make a flower on the pillow as an accent. It reminded her of that jacket she loved and made a great splash of color.
Good luck, I look forward to hearing what other people have done since I am still in the re-renovation stage!
Starbucksgirl July 5, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Ruth, I posted a photo of our first home and then linked up the blog that we created to sell that home after we were finished with it. We completely remodeled the entire house and used a neutral color on the walls and on most of the furniture. It helps to paint one of the walls an accent color if you can to bring some color into the space. Large and colorful artwork will also do the trick.
Kathy Cecconi July 6, 2011 at 2:54 am
I’m renovating also and was looking for special lamps, and my buddies over at AskFindSave.com found me a great deal… give them a try. Sorry for the shameless plug but they are my buddies and helped me out. THX
patty July 6, 2011 at 3:49 pm
so funny ruth, because my house is FULL of color and i’m totally craving neutrals! in fact, i love the color of your walls! right now, my main areas and hallways walls are a mustard yellow; dining room: tomatoe red with a sand colored, glazed ceiling; den is “antique velvet” (sometimes khaki, sometimes greenish depending on the sun; master: cranberry red with same glazed ceiling. i like to think of it as tuscan…
my accents are eclectic and just as colorful. gimme some grays! 
hop eyou had a fab ulous trip!
Pounds4Pennies July 7, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Ruth you have to go here. This project matches your website.
http://www.homemakerinheels.com/2011/06/toilet-paper-roll-flower-starburst.html?showComment=1310048958089#c8262641170467714604