Wednesday, September 23, 2015

There, now here

We have all this stuff. Too much stuff, depending on who you ask, but I'm not asking today. The trick is making it fit. Not fit, like finding a place for everything, but finding what's right for this house. I'm having trouble using what we brought with us to decorate where we are now.

To be honest, it was all starting to feel a bit stale. A couple of years ago I realized that I hadn't redecorated in a very long time. It was as if I had finally found just the right thing for each space and then left it there. I was happy with it, and then, suddenly, I wasn't. Now I've brought it all here. I'm torn between comforting familiarity and the idea of trying to make this house into the one we left. (I tried to convince Kent that we should just sell all of it and use the moving stipend to start fresh, but he wasn't persuaded.)

This is the kitchen chandelier that came with the house. Meh.

This is the chandelier that we brought with us. It was perfect in the old kitchen. It has a sweet story. My mom found it at a yard sale for a song. Knowing how much I love blue willow, she thought it would be perfect for me and had it in the trunk of her car when we found the Saginaw house. Hanging it was one of the first changes we made when the old house became ours.

I can't decide. Wall color aside (it will be gone as soon as the weather shifts us from garden to indoor work), does it fit? Can I decorate the kitchen around it? (You have no idea how badly I'd love to paint the cabinets white. If they were real wood it would have already been done.) Does it stay, or does it go?

4 comments:

  1. Wait until you paint the walls before deciding.

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  2. Like the Blue Willow light...the room is way too dark. Not cheerful and welcoming (which sometimes is a good thing), like the person you seem to be.

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  3. I agree. If you aren't already familiar with Benjamin Moore paint, find a dealer and talk to them about how best to paint the cabinets if you aren't comfortable with painting whatever it is they're made of. We are in the process of painting our oak (real wood, but ugh) cabinets white. My husband has redone some of the doors in MDF until he gets his woodworking skills honed and even they look beautiful with Benjamin Moore's paint. I love the chandelier and think it should stay up for awhile.

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  4. Joanie10:07 AM

    It stays because you like it. It is your house and one you will have to look at when you can no longer redecorate. Make your house your own with just your taste and memories.

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