Decorating Fun | Operation Home

That’s right, folks! Madness, I tell you!!!

So, in order to really review the changes that’ve gone down as of late, let’s look back at the journey that our dining room has taken up to this point. Because I like journeys. And progress. Progress is good. So, when I revisit a journey it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something even though I’m not done yet. It’s like giving myself a pep talk. I guess that’s what this blog really is, huh? One giant pep talk. Plus, it’s fun. And I like it. I like to blog. I like a lot of things today. It’s a good day. Wow. #patonback

(*coughcough*) Anyways. Moving on… when we purchased the house, the space looked like this, complete with beige carpeting that was just BEGGING for stains…

So, we changed out the carpet for ebony laminate and plopped our furniture down on moving day…

…and added a rug, curtains and shelves…

I liked the space well enough like this, but it just wasn’t right. Something just rubbed me the wrong way. Annoyed me. Made me twitch. After much deliberation, I realized as much as I loved the rug, I couldn’t help but feel that it was competing with Drex (my beloved mid-century buffet) and our awesome 70’s stone fireplace. Ya know, the two pieces that really should’ve been stealing the show to begin with. There was just a lot of brown happening. Too much. I thought that maybe painting the table white would help change up the tone of the room and allow the rug to work in the space. So, I did that…

The process was pretty simple… I cleaned the table really well, wiped it down with deglosser, then painted it with a coat of Zinsser shellac primer followed by 3 thin, even coats of Sherwin Williams Proclassic Extra White in Semi-gloss.

Once the paint had cured, I tried the rug again…

But I just couldn’t do it. The white table didn’t take away from the orangey-brown tone of the rug at all. And I was having trouble envisioning the space without it. So, we removed the rug…

(Excuse the red chairs in the corner… I tried them in the space, but they didn’t work.)

Once the rug was gone, something still bugged me. And I was having trouble imagining the space with a different rug. The ideas just stopped. And that was when I realized that I needed to simplify further. The chair covers. Although I really loved them, the busy pattern really limited the other elements that I could add to the space. I needed something more neutral and simple.

So, I visited Ikea and picked up six of these deep grey covers….

I switched them out once I got home, and now the space looks like this…

(Note: I’ll be ironing them soon)

You guys. I finally feel like I’m onto something here. Things are jiving. I love how the cool grey tone of the covers makes the gorgeous wood of Drex pop….

And the subtle texture of the woven slipcovers add interest and depth without being too overwhelming…

And they allow the fireplace to shine from this direction….

(Now to paint those darn built-ins… Oh,yes.)

I feel like the room has been cleansed. It has a whole fresh new outlook (like me today, apparently). 😉 Now, I have a much clearer idea of what else the space needs in terms of a rug and other accessories. This clarity of thought is also bleeding into the living area as well. Now I have a much better idea of where to go decor-wise. Sometimes you just gotta strip to figure it out (wait…).

So, anyways, this is kind of how things go for me when it comes to decorating. Trial and error. I live with things for a while to see how I like them, change things up until elements start clicking. I think sometimes in order to figure things out, you just have to clear the space. Cleanse the palate if you will, to get a fresh perspective. More often than not, my first decor move doesn’t work, but it gives me a good base to work off of. And that’s all part of the fun.

So, with that, I hope you all have a great weekend! Tell me your thoughts on this… Do you ever think a room will go in one direction, only to strip it down and go another? How do you handle that?

Howdy guys!! So, Lucas’s room has experienced a few tweaks since last we spoke. And seriously ya’ll. I spent almost no money. I purchased a little picture-hanger thingie for around $4 and the rest I already owned. I always feel so accomplished when that happens. It helps un-junk our other spaces and gives items new lives in the process.

So anyways, the last time I showed you his room I’d just revamped his new bed…

And if you’ll recall, a fan of the wooden drawer handles I was not…

They just felt a bit too “little boy room” for my taste. So, I simply swapped them out for some pewter metal drawer pulls that were given to us by a friend who was getting rid of them…

And these beautiful little metal bundles of glory made all the difference. I love swaps like this that take 5 minutes, very little money, and make a big impact. Now, the bed feels more modern and less “lodge-y”. Success is mine!

Now, for the desk portion of the room. If you’ll recall, it started off here…

And now is here…

All it took was some of that leftover gorgeous grey paint on the walls (Driftwood Grey by Glidden mixed at 75% saturation), and some navy blue oops paint behind the desk area. I also swapped out the white ceramic drawer pulls on the desk for stained nickel versions. And really, it’s not done yet. I’d like to add some lighting and possibly some pattern behind the shelves, and either revamp his chair, or get a new, more funky chair. Plus, I’d like to style the shelves differently once I get his room more organized. It’ll all come together with time. This, I’ve learned. Ideas grow with time. I am Yoda.

Here’s what that side of the room looks like with the door closed…

Behind his door, I hung some awesome art created by my mother-in-law Mac, then I added a neat, white cork-board/picture-hanger thingie that I found on clearance at Target. From that, I hung a Ninja Turtle bulls-eye game that Lucas got for his birthday. Instant “game-zone” if you ask me…

My last tweak in his room (for now) was adding curtains. These are the same curtains from his room in our last house…

Just cheap, simple white Vivian curtains from Ikea (I hadn’t hemmed them yet in this shot). I’m considering changing them out for curtains with a subtle pattern. Perhaps a grey on white or something to add interest without being too distracting. For now, though, they work. And they’re free, so they’re hanging. Eventually, we will see. Patience I must have. #Yodaknows

So, that’s where Lucas’s room is at now. I still have some wall-art projects I’d like to get to for above his bed and dresser. And I’d like to spray paint the weirdly-colored blades on his ceiling fan. Plus, organization. Oh, the organization. So, with that, I dub this post: To be continued…