Last spring I spent five months looking for just the right pair of espadrilles because cute shoes have this euphoric effect on my mood. My husband swears he doesn’t sympathize but he doesn’t buy the first pair of shoes he tries on either and he usually asks my opinion before he settles on a pair to bring home.
If you make the wrong choice in footwear (Remember those hot pink plastic thongs?) you can always toss them in the back of your closet. Things you buy for, or do to, your home are not so easily dismissed and are usually more expensive. Unless you’re economically comfortable, you’re stuck with whatever it may be for a while. Such things require much more thought.
Additionally, every individual household has a unique look. When you buy a home, you buy the previous owner’s style along with it. Unexpectedly, the paint scheme of our new home, which we had originally found very charming and artistic is now starting to grate on our nerves. I never knew I was conservative until I sat in my colorful home and yearned for the white walls of my old apartment.
Picking out a color scheme is delicate work. There is a fine line between style with personality and tacky eclecticism. I want to get it right. Our budget is small and the logistics are complicated so I don’t want to have to repaint any time soon.
My first step has been to research other period homes because I respect my home and its history. Ideally, I would love to outfit my entire home with salvaged artifacts and antiques. However, my budget and lifestyle is more IKEA than Chippendale. How can I blend the new (everything we have) with the old (house) without taking out a second mortgage?
I’ve been clipping ideas from magazines and books for years, creating a scrapbook just in case I ever had the luxury of decorating a space. Although I feel my tastes are all over the spectrum, in the end everything in the notebook, although eclectic, does work together. I feel I am close to a decision, much to my husband’s relief since he is tired of talking about paint.
Row House Living 