Abandoning perfectionism

Setting up this house has been a bit of a process for me.  As I wrote a few months ago, I found the modern design and aesthetic of the house intimidating, and I have been struggling to "make it mine." Many of my things have been easy to place, and I am happy with how they go with the house.

Others just don't match up in my mind's eye - usually older pieces that I have moved from house to house and never really looked at, if that makes any sense.  The bed, for example.  I have always loved wrought iron beds, something about the deep black colour with soft curves and curlicues.  I even did a post about them in 2009 (before I knew anything about referencing images, obviously).  When I bought my bed way back in I-don't-even-remember, my only real sources for furniture were my parents' house and Ikea.  Since my parents didn't have any extra queen beds kicking around, it was off to the that big blue and yellow store, and I came home with this:


(I went to find it on the Ikea site, but apparently it is no longer available - which means I must have bought it a while ago!)

It isn't too bad, but there are a few things that bug me about it:
- it is so obviously from Ikea
- the curved line on the top of the headboard - I wish it was straight like the footboard
- those round curly flower things - not sure what it is about them that bugs me, but I think they just seem too cutesy and busy.

The poor bed bothered me in the old house as well, but when we put it in the master bedroom in the new house, it just didn't work for me at all.  I feel like this room is begging for a big upholstered bed.

Now it would be lovely to put all the stuff that bugs me up on Kijiji and go out and buy exactly what I want, but sadly, they forgot to plant that money tree in our new back yard.  So instead I used some West Elm gift cards I had for the Steven Alan euro shams and long grey pillow, and splurged on an Ikea linen duvet cover and wool pillow from Winners.


Aaaand I still don't like it.  And there still is nothing over the bed.  And I am debating about curtains. And I still don't love the colour. I feel like this room will never be finished. (Cue the violins!)

However, it finally hit me this weekend that if I wait to share photos until the rooms are "DONE", I will never blog again! So instead of beautifully-styled rooms that I am proud to share, you are going to be getting a lot of photos of not-quite-there-yet rooms that I am not yet happy with. Maybe just posting the photos will spark a moment of genius and I will figure out what the heck to do. Or maybe you guys can give me some suggestions.

Either way, I am just going to have to decide to be OK with the bed, the sofa, the colours, and the bookcases in the basement. I am going to have to be OK with living in a partly-finished house. Which means, I am going to have to be OK with having a blog that is a chronicle of making this house my own, warts and all, instead of a fancy portfolio of my impeccable style. While I would love to post about putting a room together from scratch, that just isn't realistic.

Insert deep comment about embracing the imperfections in life, then post inspirational tee photo.
T-shirt $30 at Tees in the Trap

Thanks for sticking with me folks! :)

14 comments:

  1. Well, the only thing that sprung to mind was- can you turn the footboard into a headboard and have no footboard? havk that baby???

    You do good pillows!
    you have good pillow game!
    those pillows are delicious!


    where did the rug go. bring it back! it worked with the bed! and the walls are the same colour as the carpet. i think.

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  2. post as you go! eventually you will tweak your house into something you really REALLY love! and I bet you can do it with your stuff!

    uhpolstered bed wouldnt be any better and you would be back at square one in 5 years.

    good luck!
    s

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  3. I like seeing the step-by-step process anyway. Not many of us can transform a room all in one go - it takes way too much time, money, and energy (and nerve). Your new house is lovely, but I can see why it is a challenge to find yourself in it. Have you thought of making your own padded headboard? I love your new bedclothes.

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  4. Thanks for keeping it real, girl :) Every home is a work in progress...even when you get to the point where you think you're done, you're so not done. I will always stick with you!!

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  5. I think that t-shirt slogan will be my new mantra. I like the new linens - you're off to a good start! Slow blogging is where its at so no worries, I'll happily read along.

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  6. Thanks Jen! :) Yes, sometimes just one T-shirt says it all...

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  7. HAHA Pam, you know I'm nothing if not "real"! You are right, no home is without projects for people like us (i.e. the awesome kind). Thanks for your vote of support. xo

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  8. Thanks Sylvia! I did think of making the headboard - I thought about it a lot! I still may do it, but my husband pointed out that I may want to finish some of the other big things around the house before diving in to a huge project like that (he is afraid of my projects!) Thanks for the compliments, and for commenting. :)

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  9. Ooh - i did NOT think of that idea! I knew you would have great ideas Shannon. :) And thanks for the high five on my pillow game - I think I inherited it from my grandmother. She did pillows like no one's business. The rug is in the basement, as it is actually full of holes and wear. But perhaps I will lug it up and see how it looks - I hadn't thought of it! Keep coming back Shannon - your ideas are too good! xo

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  10. I don't mind the bed, maybe black drapery rods to balance the wrought iron? And then add some drapes? And I like the rug idea. And I think it might be the wall colour that is throwing you off? How about a warm white? That will make everything else "pop". I am with you on not waiting to finish rooms, we moved this summer and if I waited then I would never blog!

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  11. I think I understand how you feel. I've been trying to remind myself that there is a big difference between a room or a piece in a room that doesn't function right and one that doesn't look or feel right. Meaning, as long as the bed is comfy, take all the time you need to figure out what you'll really love seeing in the space :)

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  12. Good idea Barbara! I was wondering about drapes - there are none in the house and I don't there ever have been, but now that winter is upon us, I am starting to think they might be a nice idea...

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  13. Such great advice Amelia - it is foolish to get rid of perfectly good things just for a change. And the bed is super duper comfy (I could gladly spend much more time there!)

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Thank you so much for your comment - they always make my day!