In The Weeds, A Rant

The Introduction

It’s the time of year when I add spring bulbs, plant the potted mums, and complain to myself about how much I didn’t get done this summer. I know Rome wasn’t built in a day, yadda yadda, but you’d think two full summers here would yield more more, y’know? It’s another one of those times where I force myself to focus on what I have done, to think in terms of accomplishment and gratitude, because it’s way too easy to bitch about what’s still not done, and that escalates into fear those things will never be done, and I could easily overwhelm myself and start flitting about, freaking out, when in reality, these things are of little significance and I just need to chill the fuck out about it and focus more on eliminating these run-on sentence thoughts that scramble through my brain and spill out into my blogs.
Outside, it’s woman vs nature, and nature always wins, y’all know that, right? The unwanted weeds grow faster than the carefully chosen perennials. The apple trees don’t have the forethought to grow in a way that increases their bounty and avoids power lines. The house never rolls so the moss grows. I could go on, but I’m focusing on gratitude: Shut up, Joey! You have a house with gardens and apple trees!

The Transition

It’s also the time of year I turn inward and visualize indoor projects while the earth rests. Like finishing the trim in the back hallway. Ferreal.
Inside, there are also run-on sentences that would chase me and eat me alive if I let them, but at least inside my house it is woman vs herself and I always win.

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There’s a lot involved in decorating a house to fit your comfort and style, never mind your budget, but these aren’t serious issues. It’s like saying you’re working on your golf swing or you’re on a quest for the best burger in the city. People get mildly obsessive about those things, and I get mildly obsessive about decor choices. I probably wouldn’t read more than 500 words about golf, and I understand if you don’t want to read 1200 words about home decor, but I simply must write them.

The Body

Oh the woes of paint. Selecting a color palette for unity and repetition. Choosing colors that are livable in the long-term, that reflect the historic value of my home, that suit the light in each room, that fit the mood and boost the chi. It’s hard. Not like enduring a child’s illness hard or removing the behemoth microwave over your range hard, but hard.

I always laugh every time I read, “It’s just paint. If you don’t like it, you can change it.” It’s true. So is, “It’s just hair, it’ll grow back,” but you still have to live with it for a while. Given the amount of time and work it takes to paint a room properly, it’s not somethin I wanna do five or six times, thanks. Also, are you buying the paint?
Buying the paint is not my favorite, either. If the guy I like isn’t at the counter, I get disgruntled. I don’t like engagement in defense of my paint. The Deep Onyx is for Moo’s bow and arrow set, and Flemish Sky at 75% is for my ceiling, not that it’s any of your business, Mr-Who-Died-And-Made-You-Paint-God.
I swear the next time I order paint and some asshole benignly asks me, “Whatcha paintin?” Imma roll my eyes, lose my mind, and tell him, “My other sex dungeon.” Because their questions are not benign, they’re to open a can of worms wherein they tell me what they think I should use or to sell me more stuff, and yes, I know, I look too young to have painted three houses and a fuckton of furniture, but if I wanna paint my kitchen Flemish Sky with Deep Onyx polka dots, it’s really none of his concern.
“All the trim in your house? Wow. I don’t envy you. That’s a lot of work. It took me almost four months to paint all my trim.”
Either he paints as slowly as The Mister, or he lives in a big-ass house. I did all the trim in my last house in two mornings, and I had two little kids to deal with. This house is smaller, the kids are bigger. Paining trim is not climbing Everest, for fuck’s sake.
Gawd I hate small talk.

You know what else I hate? I hate how the entire world is being painted fucking gray. Gray has its rightful places, but the everything gray trend is killing me. Remember how everything used to be tan, beige, taupe and fawn because they’re classic colors? So dated now. Now everything is fucking gray. You simply cannot go wrong with a gray sofa against the weathered gray wall of reclaimed wood surrounded by three other gray walls, in your gray house. Until it’s all dated, anyway.

Right now, someone is shouting, “I love gray!” and that’s fine. Your house should reflect what you love and what makes you comfortable. But I refuse to believe that all that gray is a reflection of personal choice for so many people. To me, walking into a gray house is dreary, as I suspect it is for many, which is why designers are always saying, “add pops of color” and they tell you “yellow and orange” or “gold and coral” because opposite of gray, so people like me don’t feel like we’re dying to leave as soon as we arrive.

If your house looks like Restoration Hardware threw up in it, keep that liquor cabinet stocked. Do you also buy clothes off the mannequin and only listen to new music?

I must say, neither vivid brights nor an oatmeal palette are my thing when it comes to decorating, but I’m always relieved to see a home with notable personality, because let’s face it, layers of white on gray on ivory on bisque on pewter on ebony don’t have any personality. And lemme tell you, I freakin love white. I’m known for asking, “Does it come in white?”
Don’t paint it all white.
Don’t paint it all black.
Don’t paint it all gray.
It all says the same thing: I have no idea what I’m doing.
OH wait! Is it a cry for help?

And for the love of puppies, don’t paint all the wooden pieces. This kills me. KILLS ME. I understand painting furniture. I do it all the time. I get it. But it’s important to understand that certain pieces lend themselves to stain or wax, not paint. When people paint a walnut credenza, replete with inlay, I cry. It’s a fucking travesty. Now it’s not beautiful walnut credenza, it’s mediocre gray desk. Congratulations on ruining an antique. I’m sorry you were raised by wolves.

People with words all over your house, what is that all about? Can you not figure out the room’s purpose without directions? I love words, more than I love white. I’m not sayin a letter here, a word there, a stencil here, a sign there is a bad thing at all. I’m sayin that LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, BREATHE, EAT, DINE, REST, RELAX, CHILL, WINE, SLEEP, DREAM, BATHE, WASH, DRY & FOLD may have gotten outta hand. I’m waitin for the sign that reads POOP & FLUSH.

I blame Pinterest.
I have Pinterest. I have amassed more than 10 whole pins in two years, and I like Pinterest for the way I get to see other people’s creative ideas. I discover double-sided screws and that someone has taken the time to list all of the current white paint colors with yellow undertones — Yay! But too much of it is the same. I mean, room after room, versions of same. I look at the decor photos and my brain goes numb from lack of interest.

Everything has been ‘updated,’ which loosely translates to ‘Used to be warm, is now cool.’

Dated is a very strange word to me. Dated is old, but so are vintage and antique. Dated is old and undesirable. Can I tell you a secret? If you wait long enough, dated shit becomes cool shit again. If you like it, just keep it. I don’t care if it’s a fanny pack or a macrame plant hanger, if you love it, keep it! Be authentically you. Be cool or uncool. Or be uncool before being uncool is cool again.

(I really want some macrame plant hangers, by the by. I finally have a cat that destroys plants. You can all laugh now. Some macrame plant hangers would really cheer me up…)

When people walk into your house, they should get a sense of who you are. If I walk into your house and all I see is white, gray, and black, hanging words, and painted furniture, I’ll know you are a person who spends too much time on Pinterest, and that you do not appreciate the colorful flowers I’ve brought to your Basic Bitch abode.

It’s never surprising to see a ninety-year-old woman wearing a printed headscarf and bright lipstick. We say that look is dated, it shows her age. It’s true. Yet it’s always delightful to see a nineteen-year-old woman wearing a printed headscarf and bright lipstick. You know why? Style.
Style is real thing. Actual style doesn’t go out of style, it just is.

Hurrah for people who still embrace the sweet curves of their Queen Anne pieces! Hurrah for people who still buy Eichler homes! Hurrah for people who still love their Tuscan kitchens! None of these things are my style, but I honor them all the same.
The Conclusion

Basically, not to sound like some kinda Home Decor Hipster, but don’t take on every trend. Pick the trends you like. Keep them as long as you like them. They’re all going to become dated, but are they still your style?
Do not listen to your contractor when he tells you no one does this, or everyone is doing that. If you’re going to live in it, make it what you want.
Follow the rules, break the rules, enjoy the journey. Abandon popular opinion as needed.
Drive yourself insane with color choices and coordinating textiles and wood grains. Lie awake at night wondering if you should recover that chair in stripes or plaid. If anyone suggests gray everything, just slap them silly.

That’s where I am now, in the weeds, wondering if I’ll ever get anything just right, thinking about Oxford Gray for the master bath…

Still, homogeneous should never apply to your aesthetic.
The Inquiry

Do you have a good sense of your personal style? Do you have a single room that is now perfection? Do you love something uncool?

About joey

Neurotic Bitch, Mother, Wife, Writer, Word Whore, Foodie and General Go-To-Girl
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68 Responses to In The Weeds, A Rant

  1. Josh Wrenn says:

    My house has these original white metal cabinets with white appliances, and the original white metal counters with blue walls. I love it, but I want to paint art on the cabinets. I don’t think my dad would be too happy about that.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      Oh wow! Now see, I dig that. I love the retro vibe of metal cabinets. I could totally deal with that. I love that you appreciate them, Josh. I bet you’re right, and your dad wouldn’t care for you painting art on the faces, but then, have you asked? And if you’re moving, do you care?
      My house (1920) still has its original cabinets, I suspect 1930-40, because they’ve been white, green, red, and yellow before being white again. They’re old-growth wood, built-in. I have been painting them inside and out since we arrived, to make them look better, but I have no desire to replace them. Hell, I’m slightly afraid the roof would collapse without them, lol!
      If my house were to get blown away in a twister, I think I’d choose knotty pine, which is incredibly uncool and outdated, but I had them two houses ago and I loved them 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      • Josh Wrenn says:

        I don’t care because I am moving, but since it won’t be right away I just wish I could. Just for fun. I like the painted wood and glass cabinets of older houses, or the new cherry ones of newer houses (although they are too common).

        Liked by 1 person

        • joey says:

          Wood and glass is timeless, as is cherry. My MIL has cherry and they’re gorgeous! Very warm and homey 🙂 I don’t think of wood finishes as in or out. Some I’m less crazy about, but I think trees would be surprised to know they’re not in style 😉

          Liked by 1 person

  2. Soooooo funnny! Okay, so I moved into a senior apartment complex just over a year ago. We CAN’T paint. The walls are eggshell. Howzzat for boring????

    I do have my own personal style, but keerypes, decorating the walls was a serious bummer cuz I planned on painting them! And I certainly wish you lived closer because I could use some advice about furniture placement, picture placement, etc…, and I’m usually no slouch – and I read Real Simple! (sigh)

    We might have to Skype. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • joey says:

      It’s hard to imagine you’re in a senior apartment complex, Susan! What would happen if you painted them? Fines? Eviction? I lived in base housing, where we were not supposed to paint, but people did. As long as it was white when people left, nothin bad happened. I never painted, but if I had to endure another 7 years of white walls, I probably would have! They were awful Spanish lace ones, too. So much texture to suck in paint! $$$
      I love Real Simple 🙂
      I suppose I am available for consult, but I’m not licensed, bonded, insured 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Luanne says:

    Wow, this is very indepth. I am pretty good at decorating in a way that shows my personality (and good taste 😉 hahaha). Where I really show what I like the most is in my office which is black and ivory with a wall, file cabinets, and a couple touches of coral (it’s called grenadine by the paint company, but it’s really coral). I don’t like cool palettes for houses, like lots of gray stone and/or carpet. I prefer warm colors and usually have some version of red in a room.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      Your office sounds like it reflects you. It’s exactly as I imagine — clear, simple, and feminine!
      I think the best houses have a bit of both in terms of warm and cool. I feel overstimulated when the whole house is warm and bright, but I feel sad when the whole house is cool.
      My MIL says every room needs a touch of red in some aspect. I think she might be right.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Benson says:

    Brava. That was your best rant to date. You covered it all. Anxiety through resolution. I like interior design. If I had the money I would redecorate every 90 days. I really like many different “styles” and I think all colors belong somewhere. Since I am poor I am content with pseudo-contemporary blah. Oh I feel your pain about painted wood work. I would say Good Luck but you might track me down and beat me with a paint stick.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. You. Crack. Me. Up. I agree with you about decorating with words–don’t really get it.
    My house is pretty eclectic…mismatched antique furniture from grandparents, stained glass I found in the barn (my grandmother LOVED estate sales, flea markets, yard sales, and antiques stores. So, I’m lucky to have and some of her beloved things.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. meANXIETYme says:

    OhEhmGee…the design shows are all about gray kitchens. Gray cabinets with green walls or someshit like that. I loathe it. It makes me ill to see it. I run from those programs now.

    On the other hand, my house is builder beige because I’m lazy and hate to paint (and it’s painful for me). We asked the builder to put different colors in different rooms but he nearly had a coronary then tried to charge us up the ass for it. So we didn’t do it then and can’t afford to have a painter come in an do it all now. So we like to hang stuff on the walls that represent us instead. At least it covers some of the beige. 🙂

    But our carpets are either dark brown (or animal print brown on my stairs!) or multi-colored gold. All very warm, so that and our furniture keeps the house from being TOO boring. Mostly.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. joey says:

    I get the vibe of it from the animal print carpet 🙂 Art really does reflect personality, so I’m glad you have that goin for ya!
    I have nothing against beige or greige, but rather the unlimited use of them! Mercy! Those home shows, UGH!
    When my in-laws bought their house, it was the same. An arm and a leg for anything but flat, and more limbs for doing rooms differently. My MIL picked the deepest hue, one of those earthly, moody tannish greens, and it looks good in every room.

    Like

  8. jan says:

    I’m always redoing my garden – it’s an addiction and the “volunteers” always defeat me. Rain is my friend because it forces me inside to write. I’ve given up on interior design. Who cares about sofas and end tables? Not me!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Love this post – you are a funny girl! I have to agree with the whole Pottery Barn/Restoration Hardware style. It’s fine to have a piece here and there (I happen to love my RH coffee table!) but you can just tell when a whole room has been purchased out of their catalog. It looks nice but lacks personality! Also – the word signs!!! Enough! I do see them and think “that’s cute” but then I think “No, can’t do it.”

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      Thank you very much!
      Oh sure, any home decor catalog has merit in its individual pieces, and RH does a great job with textures, but I can’t abide an entire room of it. Nope.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. cardamone5 says:

    First of all, the previous owner’s daughter had signs affixed to the wall that read live laugh love. Now the outline of those words lives on, which is very annoying.

    Now, you know me and mcm furniture, which is old, and went throu cool to uncool to cool again. I definitely have my own style, and am unafraid of expressing it. There are moments when I consult pinterest, but then I feel my ever-present perfectionism kick in, and feel compelled to choose independently. It’s a fine line, but it’s great to be able to choose: vanilla or coconut rasberry fudge swirl!

    Fondly,
    Elizabeth

    PS: F bitch basic!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Anxious Mom says:

    I’m proud to say that there is no gray or painted antiques, but I have shit taste anyway. I do have some kickass blue cabinets in my kitchen (courtesy of the previous owner). They look awesome against the white tile backsplash and countertops.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Prajakta says:

    Oh my !! I agree with the colors and gray part. Why is everything chrome?? Same old colors, same “abstract” lines and designs – I don’t like this so-called “clean and zen living”. Mom & I have an obsession with antique and wooden stuff. We like quilts and kitsch and stones and brass 🙂 I could go on.

    Liked by 2 people

    • joey says:

      Your home sounds charming and homey! I don’t know why everything is chrome. Is everything chrome? I don’t mind chrome, I don’t mind brass, I don’t mind bronze, gold or silver — Shiny things are good! But I did laugh recently watching a home show where the man couldn’t wait to remove a ‘dated’ gold faucet. I just shook my head.

      Like

  13. Dan Antion says:

    I love this rant. I have almost no sense of personal style. Combine that with being colorblind and a general lack of awareness or caring about trendy stuff, and you get a sense that I’m not into decorating. That’s not to say we don’t have stuff. Too much stuff. I love: “If you wait long enough, dated shit becomes cool shit again. If you like it, just keep it.” I have lots of that 🙂

    I do like gray, but I’m not painting everything gray. Painting walnut – more than a travesty, that’s a capital offense.

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Norm 2.0 says:

    “Painting furniture” – to someone who’s passionate about woodworking those words grate worse than fingernails on a blackboard, and yes Pinterest is full of that stuff – yuck.

    Liked by 2 people

    • joey says:

      I enjoy painting furniture, but limited to old beat up things, not old beautiful things! And never something where the wood’s been carefully crafted to bring out the grain!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Sammy D. says:

    Whew! I had to get my raspberry bandana out and wipe my brow I was so sweaty after nodding vigorously and slapping my knee through this one. The whole home decorating thing with Pinterest (I have an account but haven’t used it once!) and the home improvement channels are OVER THE TOP. As if we don’t have enough anxiety, now we’re constantly aware our colors are out of date! Our Association refused to go with anything but beige last year when they painted exteriors and two-tone was a Total No-No. But that’s ok because they probably would have chosen gray as the alternative!!! My interior walls are earthy, deep, coppery briwns; luscious forest greens; and dark dark cherry. I live my house even though people tell me the light fuxtures, kitchen and door handles (yes!) need ‘updating’.

    Like I’m gonna spend my remaining years caring what they think. About anything.

    Rage on, Joey 😊👍

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      Your house sounds warm and cozy, Sammy. I definitely get a sense of what you like!
      I hate HOA’s. When I lived in HOA, in the suburbs, I had a beige two-tone home in a neighborhood of neutrals. They were our only options. I really didn’t care. I was happy to be out of our second-floor apartment.. We painted the inside green and we had a lot of old pieces, so it really helped warm the place up.
      I don’t find fixtures to be ‘dated’ — the fixtures should go with what you’ve got, and you should like them. It seems to me that people have confused old with awful. If your handles are so ‘dated’ why are they still sold, hmm? Prolly someone huntin the internet right now, lookin for handles like yours!
      I’m glad you enjoyed this post 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  16. You have more than one sex dungeon? I don’t even have one. I must say you live a very full life.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. garym6059 says:

    Preach Joey! Here is to hoping you can put Pinterest out of business!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Jewels says:

    So feisty, Joey! 😉
    My bedroom is the only room in the house that truly reflects me, and I love it in here. Don’t care much about what’s in style or what the “professionals” say about home decor, I just surround myself with things that may me happy and I don’t care if it “goes” – it goes with me. 🙂
    I can’t wait until I have the money to “update” the rest of the house, it’s all harvest gold 70’s decor and I hate it. I don’t care if it comes back in “style” I hate it.
    I’m hearing ya with the yard stuff too.
    I have too much crap to do right now and all I want to do is be outside and look at the trees…

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      I wake up in the morning and see the yellow tree behind the house, and when skies are blue, oh Jewels, I could lie there all day! It’s soooo pretty!
      I’m glad your bedroom is pleasing to you. It’s nice to have that one room where you feel it’s all put together. My living room is very close to that. (Which is good, since I’m here a lot!)
      I dunno how well I’d cope with Harvest Gold, either. I might could endure Avocado Green or brown, but not that gold or orange. I feel you on that.
      MY thing is the flooring. Oh when oh when will we be able to redo the floors?!? If we knew what the state of the sub floor is…how much more complicated will it be when it’s all up?how much more expensive will it be? But I don’t HATE them, so there is that!
      Thanks for sharing! I never pegged you for conformity, Jewels!

      Like

  19. kirizar says:

    I went bold in my bedroom–deep aquamarine in a tiny space. Hung all sorts of marine/fantasy-related objects: a fabric art piece depicting the ocean floor and a unicorn painting purchased at an art auction years ago. Now I just need to get the mermaid framed and I will be living in my underwater grotto.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. You are so funny. 🙂 Funny thing, I just painted one section of our living room a grey, but actually looks silver blue, so I love it. I have color throughout. The grey is replacing the “tan” which I am sick of seeing. Plus, previous owners did a touch up painting on the walls and guess what, they did not match the color and now there are splotches everywhere. Grumble. But hey I hate the tan anyway. 🙂 I have splash of color here and there. Nothing bright in this house, I save that for our other house. 🙂 Which has a bright red in the hallway and looks awesome actually. 🙂 But no words on the walls and lots of wood everywhere. No painting of wood, yet…LOL….if any there will be little. I have 3 chairs I picked up from a second hand store and the vinyl is really dirty looking but the style is neat so I think I am going to have to paint them. OOps. 🙂

    I like all colors of the palette. 🙂 I am not much for white, it shows dirt too much. Our ceilings are all white and I am happy with that. I tend to do more blues and greens than anything. Yes, after painting two houses in the last fifteen years, I am getting tired of painting. I am getting pretty good at it. 🙂 It is fun to decorate when the budget allows. 🙂

    Like

    • joey says:

      Sounds great! And nice to have two houses! 🙂
      I know how you feel when you say the hallway’s red, like you hafta tell me it looks great. I believe you. I believe you because Moo’s room is Cantaloupe Slice and it’s awesome, and I had a dining room painted Eggplant, and it was also awesome 🙂 Bold colors have their rightful spots, too!
      I paint wood, I’m not against painting wood at all. But I don’t think beautiful wood, with great grains and colors, should ever be painted.
      I, too, am a big fan of the blues and greens!
      Thanks for sharing this bit about your sense of style. I appreciate your comments 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      • Thanks. Love beautiful wood too. Wish staining wasn’t so messy and smelly. Hubby recently stained trim a dark stain and the wood grains are gorgeous. We try a bit of everything.

        Like

  21. LindaGHill says:

    I read this on my phone in a coffee shop. Only got a few funny looks when I sprayed coffee out of my nose.
    Do you really think wood paneling will come back? Because if not, it’s not just paint I need. And believe me, even grey would be an improvement over all this dark dingy yet shiny brown.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      I’m glad you laughed, Linda!
      If you don’t like the paneling, by all means, paint it! I painted the sheets of vinyl two houses ago, all white in Bubba’s room. It was a basement and his stuff was navy and primary colors, so it really looked good when it was done. I warn you though, sanding, priming and three coats of paint. I was in that tiny dark room for almost a week.
      The real wood panels in the living room and dining room, I did not paint. They were beautiful to me. I love real wood paneling, I think it’s cozy and warm. I don’t think actual wood paneling ever goes out of style, it’s just not everyone’s taste. Now that paneled sheet pressed board crap, that shit is vile 😉 but you know, if you like it, it’s your house!
      Gray might be a good choice for your panels, it’s hard to say without seeing your decor WHICH I HOPE TO GOD IS NOT ALL GRAY!

      Like

  22. Donna Frasca says:

    I found your gray rant Joey and love it! The thing about gray, and I think someone here mentioned it, it’s replacing beige – which was horrible too. We DO need a neutral in the home, it has to be either white, beige or gray. UNLESS, we get creative and just use color – a lighter one. I think it’s just that gray has been around too long and it’s not used creatively enough.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      Thanks for stopping by! Yeah, I have nothing against beige or gray, just the unlimited use of them.
      “What color should I paint my ____?”
      “GRAY!” the townspeople cry.
      Ugh. I’m just over everything gray, bleh!

      Like

  23. reocochran says:

    You could have called this, “What’s Behind Your Doors?” Post and joined Norm’s collection, Joey!
    Tomorrow I am posting a selfie, I was heading out and I took a page from young people and recently, you. Anyway, in the background is my oldest daughter’s chalk drawing if 3 nudes in blacks and grays. I live in a rented apt with white walls but the photo will look like I decorated in boring gray. 🙂 I have a gray sofa but have the pillows that pop in color. My other paintings are much more colorful than the nudes. 🙂
    Once upon a time, I helped decorate our house with hand designed murals and all the walls except hallway were painted by myself. I tried hand painted borders, too. White was okay but colors were important to make our home more fun and less boring. You really organized this post, a lot of work went into this.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      You could never live in a cold, lifeless house, Robin. I wouldn’t even believe you if you said you did!
      I ranted on this post, which is why the spacing isn’t right. It’s long, but it didn’t take me very long, lol!
      I painted a mural in Moo’s room. She’s got a tree with a squirrel, owl, and birds and stuff. Her room is Cantaloupe Slice. Everyone thinks it’s gonna be hideous when I say her room is orange, but it’s not. It’s adorable, very her!
      I look forward to your selfie 😀

      Like

  24. Totally agree. I’m a new Pinterest addict, but I can see how easy it is to fall into a trend rut. Definitely important to be inspired, yes, but remember that you have to live with it.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Letizia says:

    I was cracking up throughout this whole post. My home definitely reflects our style (despite having mainly grey walls – I love grey walls and immediately painted them grey when we first moved in haha!). One thing I do love is our dining room which has our main library in it. The high main wall is just one big bookshelf: it looks really cool, it’s very practical and it’s fun to see what books our dinner guests gravitate toward.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:

      I’m glad you laughed. If you laughed, then you are certainly not in the group of people who have no sense of style. I knew there would be people who ACTUALLY love gray, and not as a fad! Glad to have found one!
      We have a wall of books, too, although it’s in the living room. I should call it a library, as people do borrow. I think the dining room with guests hovering around books sounds charming.
      Thanks for popping in 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  26. markbialczak says:

    Karen does the color picking and painting around the Little Bitty. I like the gold of our living room, and the pale greenish of the master bedroom and all of her style choices. As for me, I think I should get back to wearing that fanny pack I loved in the 90s when I was covering the state fair music for the big daily and I needed lots of stuff at my disposal. Although my out-of-style cargo shorts have enough pockets to fit my phone and sunglasses case without a struggle …

    Yes, I read every word of your decor piece, Joey, and enjoyed it. Hey, I know you’ve hung in there to decipher the life lessons I plant in my 500-word golf posts. 🙂

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  27. Oh, if we only lived in the same town – coffee, beer, wine and fantastic conversation. I laughed so hard here, I’m going to be in a good mood all day and for that I say ‘thank you.’ I really couldn’t care less what is in style because I just like and feel comfortable in what I like. I want to paint our bedroom this winter and the color choices are swirling in my head, and I’ll probably end up painting it close to the same color because I like it. LOL I painted my entry with cream on three walls and a cranberry red on one that has black shelves hanging on it. There is a chair and a small quilt I made that matches that red wall. I’m really happy, happy every time I look at that little space.

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  28. joey says:

    Thank you for the compliment 🙂 I’d certainly enjoy chatting to you about decor, gardening, and quilts.
    I am ALSO going to paint my bedroom another version of the same color. Although, that’s not high on my list right now.
    I like the sound of your entryway. It’s nice to have these little vignettes in the house, bringing us pleasure each time we pass. Especially in the wintertime, when we’re there so much more.

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  29. meg68 says:

    I chose “limed white” for our living room and that bitch came up light greyish! BUT in the evening light it takes on a beautiful lavender colour. My couch was meant to be “eggplant” – fucker came off the truck purplish grey.
    Can’t get away from grey even if you try…?
    And fuck the fact that our two country’s can’t agree on spelling “grey” and “colour”.
    Decorating a house made entirely of WOOD may change your perspective slightly about painting furniture AND you’ve just slapped the fuck outta my idea to paint the Edwardian dresser I’m planning on using for a bathroom vanity (one…. day…) ?
    I suspect you’re correct about that, and I just can’t live in a world where Joey doesn’t love my bathroom makeover! :O

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