Thursday, January 19, 2017

It Was A Great Idea Until It Wasn't

The shelf I need to decide what to do about is 7 feet long and divides the kitchen from the living room. The above pictures show what I did over Christmas which just doesn't work for me. I'm thinking that part of the problem is that everything was a similar height and lined up like they were facing a firing squad. Of course, I didn't realize that at the time, I just did things and then ignored what I didn't like.

I don't understand it sometimes. I lived in a home that was cluttered and crowded with too much stuff and I never had as much disappointment at how my things were displayed as I do here. What I tried to do was use furniture that I had before that had been used for other purposes and it didn't quite work. The other problem here is that everything is a neutral color. 

Wall color in all rooms except the second bath and smallest bedroom is taupe. In the bedroom there is a forest green carpet that somehow makes the walls in there look sage. I haven't done much in there except to purchase a throw rug for next to the bed to hide the holes in the carpeting. We will be replacing that in the future and the multicolor rag rug works fine to brighten the room even though I haven't gotten in there with decorating ideas yet. I'm still stuck in the living room.

I have depression, antique and vintage glass and porcelain treasures that used to be displayed on multiple small corner shelves in the old dining room Here I had to use a 7 foot tall bookcase which is dwarfing the items in the case because the case is too tall and has too few shelves.

See what I mean? 

I need to find a smaller case of some type. Something where the shelves are closer together and the empty space doesn't dwarf my treasures. I also need the case to be a darker wood color. The other thing I want to change in the living room is the 2 shelf cabinet that is next to the entrance door. I'm looking for a vintage round pedestal table for that spot. I saw one in a vintage shop just before Christmas and since it was right after I moved here, we had spent all that money on getting things hooked up and also paying the taxes, I didn't buy it. I'm afraid to go look and find it sold. 

The decorating issues I am going to address will be resolving themselves as time goes on. I will probably make mistakes but they're learning experiences and eventually I'll have things the way I want them.

My kitchen was the easiest part. I just have to stand in the middle of it and try to remember where I put things.

The backsplash is grouted slate tiles and the flooring is ceramic tiles that replicate slate. With the hickory cabinets and the black appliances, it's perfect the way it came. I love the ceramic cooktop on the stove, it's so easy to keep clean. I do, however, have to con someone into cleaning the oven. My knees will not allow me to kneel on this flooring. I tried, it hurt so bad I couldn't stay there. 


  1. I am sure you will get it looking just the way you want with enough time and a few mistakes. It's taken me years to get my place the way I want it and there are still things I find that I want to change. Sometimes you can get ideas in magazines or even online. Adding color always helps to brighten up an otherwise so-so wall or room. It's finding the right things that work, but you will get there.

    I am glad I have a self cleaning oven or mine would never get cleaned !!

    1. I'm going to have to invest in new frames for all the family portraits so we can hang them on the walls here. I just have to figure out where I want to put things. I think except for some of them they'll be hung in the hallway. Sort of a rogues gallery. lol

      I was prepared for the expenses like the new heating fuel tank, fuel and taxes, somehow I just wasn't prepared for the empty space I have here being so hard to work with.

      I don't care how out of fashion they are, doilies and table runners help to pull things together sometimes. I need to hunt some doily patterns down and see what I can come up with.

    2. Hey, I have some doilies and table runners myself so I am with you on that!!

    3. I was raised in a home where even the upholstered furniture had doilies on the arms and backs of them. I can live without all that, but something about expanses of naked wood makes me want to cover it. lol

  2. PS: Have you thought of putting plants on that shelf or is that a bad idea since you have the kitties? My cat doesn't hop up on things that are too high as he is getting very old and decrepit so I can put plants most anywhere.

    1. I have no light there to grow anything with but I am going to try my hand at arranging artificial ones if I can find what I want in containers.

      Precious gets up on there to watch me cook or do dishes. I'm thinking about 3 arrangements of some kind. Two taller towards the ends and one lower in the middle and maybe some resin knick knacks of the kind found in the dollar store.