House Deliberations

Buying a fixer upper without the help of Joanna Gaines is a lot harder than I thought. In general, I am terrible at executing choices. I hem and haw and backtrack and over-analyze to the point where I make everyone around me annoyed. I gain momentum in starts and spurts, trying my best to decide upon only what I absolutely love or is useful. All the while trying not to feel too bad about this unforeseen kink in my shopping ban (more on this another time).

I spent May deciding upon the perfect white paint and now after a few months, it feels empty. It might be that I have still yet to put art up on the walls (need to find more frames), or that we also have white curtains (should I buy new patterned ones?), or maybe we just need a little more color in our life (could this be accomplished with throw pillows alone?). Either way, in a moment of curiosity I slapped this paint sample up on the wall.

It is nimbus grey and I really like it. It lends itself to being more of a blue than a gray. I think it would go great with the white trim and we have a lot of windows to keep the room from going too dark, but I hesitate to take the plunge. Our house faces east so we get great morning sun and we go without lights on for a majority of the day but I do love the extra light that comes with white walls (great for photographing little cherubs).

I also feel kinda silly painting Blue Beauty all white only to paint her blue again. Maybe blue is in her bones or maybe I am just crazy.

Would it be easier if I just let everything just be for now and paint back over that little blue patch? Probably. I feel like curtains would a much easier fix short term.

To add another kink or aid into the mix, we plan on getting a new couch for Christmas. This navy one was a temporary fix after our year of travel and it was not built for young families. The cushions constantly slide off and it is too soft, making it impossible to get off for a pregnant lady. Plus we are running out of room for everyone to fit on it, we like our space.  We are leaning towards a tan L-shaped sectional with washable covers. Something kid friendly and preferably not microfiber. Merry Christmas to us eventually!

If we go blue on the walls, the fireplace would probably be painted white. I feel like painting the walls just opens a pandora’s box of more things to do/buy.

We are also thinking about putting in some bracketed shelves on either side of the fireplace. But here lies the question, should they be all wood painted all white or should we modernize the house a little bit with some rustic metal brackets and stained wood shelves (a la Fixer Upper)? Think about it with the blue-gray vs white?

Either way I will  be so happy to have somewhere to put my books and smaller framed pictures.

Almost 100% positive we will end up putting the tv above the fireplace. I had the random idea to possibly get a smaller tv (the one you see was a hand-me-down) and set it up on a swivel mount next to the fireplace. This would allow us to pull it out at an angle when we actually want to use it. But still…might be weird.

Here is another conundrum I am trying to decide upon. Which art should fill the space between the windows? The awesome family name art that my friend hand drew (yes, she is amazingly talented) or that sweet tile mosaic that was in my childhood home growing up (the previous owner left it in the basement and there it stayed for many years). The family name or the mosaic could be a part of the art gallery wall that I plan to put above the couch but the mosaic is very heavy and has to be screwed in, so I can’t decide that until I decide on whether we are repainting or not.

See my problem? Everything is interconnected.

Also, our lighting situation is real weird. There are no overhead lights but it looks like there might have been at one point in time. We need to check that situation out and see if recessed lighting is an option or find a chandelier or something. Maybe just prettier floor lamps for now?

I feel like I know NOTHING about home design. Where is my Emily Henderson?!?

Moving on to our funky kitchen!

I realized I hadn’t given you guys a proper visual perspective of this kitchen. Well, here ya go!

She is all over the place right now and will be a part of phase 2 of house renovations (aka next summer/year) but here are some ideas that I am mulling over.

The wallpaper is cool but wouldn’t a chalkboard wall be cooler? Random fact about Gina, I hate chalk. Why is this not keeping me from wanting a chalkboard wall? Danny LOVES to color. In the past month he has colored his way through five notebooks that I bought for cheap during the school supply sales. He is an art monster that cannot be stopped. Would giving him chalk be a terrible idea or the perfect solution?

If we paint the living room blue-gray, I want to paint the cabinets a light sage green (kinda like our retro oven!).

No matter what the inside of the cabinets will be painted. Currently they all rest at a pepto bismal pink that does not help with upset stomachs.

In phase 50 of renovations we will update the oven, fridge, countertops, and flooring, but for now it all works so it all stays.

In conclusion, there are SO MANY DECISIONS!!!!

Help.

My style is a weird mix of traditional, classic, rustic and bohemian(eclectic?)). It is so fun in theory finding different ways to make this house feel like a home but I lack confidence in executing this space to match my vision for a cheerful, warm, bright space.

With all that said, I will leave you with my favorite pins on pinterest to give you an idea of the mess my decorative brain is in.

Obsessed with Stephanie Nielson’s living room. If I could copy it precisely without being a total weirdo, I would. Nimbus grey is on her walls and I love how she has warmed it up with rustic wood tones and bright, cheerful colors.

Oh Dear Drea’s dining area. Love the warmth and eclectic-boho vibe.

Fixer upper shelves?

or cottage white?

Pretty pretty. Reminds me that I should buy some plants.

Any and all advice, thoughts, decisions are welcome. Thanks in advance!