Split Personality

As I've been scouring the interweb (love that word....kickin' it old skool today) for inspirations in design and color for our upcoming remodel and addition, I've come across a lot of clever and artistic people out there.  Incredibly talented people who make interior decorating and DIY projects look easy enough that even simpletons like myself think they can do it.  These designers can assemble a room with just the right mix of old and new, classic designs mixed with punches of contemporary elements and pops of color.  Long gone are the days of everything being matchy-matchy. Hallelujah!! ("My mauve couch needs to match my floral mauve curtains that are just a shade darker than my mauve carpet."  BLAH!) My eye is really drawn to rooms that are unique and unusual yet classic and beautiful; rooms that don't scream, "I've been decorated by a Mormon housewife!"

{Let it be known that I have absolutely nothing against Mormon housewives.  I, myself, am one. However, as Mormon housewives, our homes do not all need to look the same.  We can be individuals and don't have to rely solely on Super Saturdays to give us things to be put into our dwellings.}

I think I'm going through a home decorating identity crisis right now.  I'm still drawn to the vintage and historic because my home is just that - vintage and historic. Yet, a part of me wants to branch out of that realm and experience a more contemporary vibe.  I'm sure there's a way to mix the two, but I've just got to figure out how to do it without making it look like IKEA and The Cracker Barrel had an ugly bast@#$ child.  (No offense to either business.  I love you both.) 

Basically, I want to live in a quaint, old British bookstore (with dark woods and heavy tapestries) and a New York loft (with an airy feeling and a large Chevron stripe rug) at the same time.  

See?  A decorating identity crisis, people!  

(And true to {my} form, I'm already worrying about this stuff and there's not even a hole dug yet.  Talk about putting the cart before the horse.  There's not even a danged cart nor a darn horse in my present view!!)

It's amazing I don't have ulcers.

(Deep breath.  Moving on.)

I came across this 1940's inspired paper that I've fallen madly in love with.  

I knew I wanted to use it somewhere, somehow.  I told Jeff what I had in mind. He hesitated. He doubted.  He wasn't convinced.  But for less than $20, we had a mini-makeover in our front room.  I don't pride myself in being cleverly crafty (I choose mixing bowls and saute pans over glue guns and paint brushes) but I do think I came up with something unique and pretty cool.

This may not have been in a quaint, old British bookstore but, perhaps, in a charming old mercantile?