Making it Personal

Saying I love to watch HGTV is without a doubt an understatement. Fresh ideas, latest trends and tried and true techiques are right up my alley whenever I'm needing inspiration. There is one particular show that takes three different homes that have had the same room renovated with the same amount of money each and two experts decide which reno was the best. The experts include a HGTV host and a local realtor. They end up nitpicking the room to death. This is after the homeowner explains why they did what they did and how much they love it. While the experts critique the room the homeowners watch via video feed. Makes for an iteresting process to say the least. Last week as I watched this show I found myself growing irritated at the *experts* and their *professional opinions.* (I have to say here that one of the experts is absolutely one of my favorite designers on HGTV.) But as they went on talking about all that was *wrong* with each room it just got so annoying. They were seeing it through the eyes of what appeals to the masses while each homeowner did the reno to be lived in by them and their families. Which got me to thinking about how we ought to be decorating our homes. Our homes should be a comfortable place to live in, filled with things that we love. And, yes, we do want people to enjoy our homes when in them but while one person may think an accent wall painted in a shocking red is the worse thing that can be done to a room, another may smile each time they admire that same wall. Now let me pause here to say that when one is in the process of selling a house I firmly believe in staging a house to appeal to the masses. Otherwise, we should be adding our own personal touches without worrying about "what if" we sell one day or "what if" so-and-so, whose house is nicer than mine, doesn't like my decor. Our homes are our sanctuary from the stresses of the outside world. We do best to surround ourselves with items that make us happy. Sometimes this means thinking outside the box when doing so. So gather your inspiration from whatever places you like but in the end, make them your own. And when inspiration hits, run with it! Such happened to me two days ago. Saturday mornings are notoriously lazy in my household (unless we are hitting yard sales) so as I was enjoying my morning coffee I surfed the web, hitting some sites I do not get to enjoy very often. Now, there was a neglected wall living in my house:



This wall was a tricky one to decorate. In the summer the setting sun shines on it so putting a picture up was not an option. By not being a fan of cork boards, that idea was out. So it just sat there for months on end looking all sad and lonely. Then I came across this idea:



Photo from CountryLiving.com

This photo from Country Living got the ball rolling in my head. I have been collecting picture frames from yard sales. Why? My husband often asked. Just because I like them. Wasn't sure of what I would do with them so they also lived sad lives, lonely and neglected in the closet:

Until Saturday, when, with spray paint in hand, they became the new decor for the wall:

By placing them further apart than what the inspiration photo showed I am allowing myself room to add to the collection which serves my intinct to hunt and gather. Want to know the best part? The summer sun won't fade the paint. And, it just makes me happy to look at them.

There are some people who will look at this wall and think it pointless to hang pictureless frames on a wall and that it is the goofiest thing they've ever seen. Others will be inspired to do the same, as I was after seeing the photo on Country Living's website. The point is that it makes ME happy. Which brings me to remind you that when it comes to your decor, make YOURSELF happy with what you have surrounding you. By doing so it makes a house a home. Your home. My home. The one place in the world that our family can retreat to. The place we are to serve God first in. The place that should bless our loved ones the most.