Coming up next in the room makeovers

No More Wallpaper!

I don't like wallpaper. It creates visual static for me, especially in a small space. Plus, no matter how classic the pattern is, it dates your home. I can look at nearly any wallpaper choice and tell you the decade it's from. (I am betting this is from the 1990s.)

As wallpaper goes, this isn't horrible, but I prefer a cleaner, simpler look. To earn spending money this month, my daughter and her BFF have diligently scraped off all the wallpaper in the master bathroom. With the wallpaper gone, the Man is patching and prepping the walls. Tomorrow I'll go to Home Depot and buy paint. I can't wait!

As I move through my summer of reshaping my living spaces, I feel more strongly than ever that these projects are born from something deeper than a desire to "redecorate." Each time one of the projects is finished, I feel better inside and out, as if I've been realigned and set straight, as if my psyche has been decluttered and brightened. It is my personal version of feng shui.

While I'm waiting on the master bathroom walls to be ready for paint, I've been tackling annoying tasks like clearing off my desk, going through a huge box of school papers, and attacking a backlog of magazines. I also have helped the Man with his closet, and weeded my book collection, all small steps that set the stage for bigger steps later on.

I have consciously worked to keep my summer home projects from becoming an excuse to bring more stuff into the home in the form of new accessories, decorative items, or furniture. I've focused on removing excess and using what I already have in new ways, from furniture to artwork to storage systems.

It is surprising how moving something from one room to another can revive my appreciation for both the object and the room. This technique leverages what you already own and love. Art and furniture in a different context and a different place become new again in your mind's eye.

Next week I should have some photos of the master bathroom makeover to share. Stay tuned!

Comments

[Melanie]

I'm happily living vicariously through all your home improvement projects this summer. I have a long list of things I'd like to do, but indecisiveness stalls them all. Because each thing is so much work and potentially costly, I want to make sure I get the colors and/or patterns Just Right. At some point, I'm going to have to quit standing on the edge of the pool and just jump in. Meanwhile, I'll just keep following your projects instead. ;)

[Rainbow Motel]

You know that room that I was going to spend the summer re-doing? I never worked on it. And now it's too late!!!

[Nance]

I'm no fan of wallpaper, either. Too worky, visually. And I like the idea of relocating for redecorating--moving things around from room to room is smart and refreshing, both for the house and for its inhabitants.

One thing I've embraced more is eclecticism in decorating. The Victorians were pretty good at this--blending exotic elements in with traditional furnishings. I like small elements of surprise in a room without it being tchotchkes (as you know, I detest dusting and clutter). So with my big, clubby-pubby leather furniture, I have smallish Asian-inspired tables. Sounds terrible, but with my urn-shaped lamps and other elements, my living room really works on a design level.

[V-Grrrl]

Nance,

The mistake most people make in decorating is being too matchy. Boring. Impersonal. I like the description of how you've pulled your room together.

[sarah piazza]

i hate wallpaper. i hate removing wallpaper even more.

[Susan Raihala]

Amen on the wallpaper hatin'. I removed a HUGE amount from the walls of our house in Rapid City. All 1980s. Urgh.

Can't wait to see your after pics.

[V-Grrrl]

Yes, the problem with wallpaper is that it can't easily be changed so it stays on the walls long after you've tired of it.