February 6, 2014

What is inside the Box?

Think of your house as 'the Box.'  What is in your box?  Is it cozy, cluttered, spare, dreamy, what?  Do you want another box?  A different sized box?  Do you entertain in your box?  Can you change your box?  Can you afford your box?  Can you afford to do anything with your box?  ...This sounds like a Dr. Seuss book, right?!

When I look at a project of any size, on any home, I always ask these questions...and more.  Even if you just want to paint a room, I ask a lot of these questions.  Chances are what you do to your home is predicated on the answers to these questions, both short term and long term.  These answers are unique and constantly changing, so it is a moving target for people like me (whose job it is to help define the answers and bring them to life).
This is a home that was up for sale!  Really, people list their homes for sale and do nothing to make them appealing.  Not only would I not like to purchase this, I would not want to call it home in it's current condition.  The 1990's called and they want this box back!  

  
With paint, clean-up and new carpet this home catapulted into another era...entirely.  If this was my box this is how I would want it to be.  So, my point is to live in your box in a way that suits you.  Most of us would rather live in a home that has some semblance of order.  If your home is cluttered, chances are you are frazzled and can't seem to catch up.  If your home is clean and organized (not perfect!), you feel at ease coming to it each day.  

We can dissect your box one section at a time or look at the overall picture and create a long term plan.  Planning is the key to all of it.  Failing to plan is planning to fail!  This can not be emphasized enough.  If you are painting your bathroom there are many things to consider.  Of course, color is what we all go to first but, it is only one part of the plan.  Your bath box has 6 sides.  Four walls, the floor and ceiling (plus all of the other horizontal surfaces like counters, toilet, bath).  All of them need to be addressed as a part of the project.  All six sides need a cohesive and congruent plan to make it a successful project.  It is so sad to go to the time and expense of updating or renovating a room and not get it right!  Below is a bathroom that needed paint and editing, not much more than that.  These pictures are the same bathroom...
can you believe it?

White walls with a little stenciling on a wall.  Lots of stuff (I cropped the yucky stuff out)...again, this house was listed for sale!  It is a Jack & Jill bathroom, so it is a little tricky to keep it functional for everyone but, that is what the cabinets are for.  It's crazy how under-utilized those darn things are!
Here is the same bath after it was painted and cleaned.  No comparison in look and feel.  It does not have to cost a lot of money to do this!  I will share a picture of one of the bedrooms adjoining this bath.  I don't have a before because it was just a storage room with lots of boxes.  You'll get the idea though.
It does not have to be complicated or expensive to integrate pieces of design and decor from one room to the next, if you plan for it. 
It is your box so, how do you want to live, work and play in it?  
Ask for help because there are people like me that want to help you live in 
comfort and style, your style! 


geniseplessasdesigns.com

  

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