It all started when I was going back through old posts looking for a link to something when I came across this old forgot-about-it mood board of yore. It was made about a month before we moved into our second house (back in 2010) and featured this board with the words “we have no idea what our future living room will actually look like, but today this is what I’m loving.”
I thought it was pretty funny that 20 months later, after completely forgetting about making it, we have lots of gray and green going on, and even specifically have a big gray sectional, a green rug, and the exact same zebra pillows (scored about a year later on clearance from West Elm after I completely forgot about them from the mood board).
Of course some things are different, like the fact that we have yet to update our old media cabinet (we’re dreaming of finding an old thrift store dresser to tweak these days) and we ended up with a padded ottoman instead of two wicker tables for the coffee table area.
Our curtains also have a subtle white and gray print instead of being green (which is probably a good thing since a big green rug + green curtains might be a smidge too Kermit much green for our liking).
Then someone pointed out what’s possibly the craziest foreshadowing coincidence of all. Here is a post about some homemade art that we shared back in 2008 (four whole years ago!) which featured “blown up color copies from a decorating magazine of two graphic green wool rugs which I then snipped into strips so both patterns could appear in both frames.”
How crazy is it that I ripped out pages from a rug ad in a magazine, blew them up 300% at Kinkos, and framed them back in 2008 – only to buy a rug that was crazy-similar to that forgotten rug-turned-art four years later?! I never would have made the connection, so thanks to the reader who reminded me of that old art project!
Then of course we have the deer head from the mood board, who looks surprisingly like Ramsey (who used to live in our bedroom, until he met an untimely end during the last day of book photoshoots). Rest in pieces dear Ramsey.
And we can’t forget the other faux horned creaturethat I adopted from Hobby Lobby and hung in our kitchen during our little renovation (hence the scratched up paint).
He also makes a great fascinator in a pinch.
And in another planning post, written just four days after we moved into our current house back in 2010, we shared a few inspiration images, which included this page from House Beautiful:
Which featured an oddly similar quatrefoil mirror to the one we found at the home improvement store and hung above our sink in the main bedroom. Once again, we only realized the similarity after a reader said something like “so funny that the inspiration image you shared a while back had a similar mirror on the wall!”
As soon as we were reminded of that image it all came back to us! Haha. It was subliminal mirror messaging. And if you scroll back up to that page from House Beautiful you’ll also see a dark teal tone on that accent wall, which ended up being very close to the color that we chose for the back of our dining room built-ins (Benjamin Moore’s Dragonfly)…
… and our guest room (Martha Stewart’s Plumage).
Another sort of hilarious similarity was when we realized that those two oak trees that were growing in the left front quadrant of our first house…
… actually existed in almost the exact same location of our current house. It wasn’t as easy to see when we moved in since everything was bushy and overgrown…
But once we cleared stuff up it became a lot more apparent (although we do have that big magnolia out there too).
So what do you think? Do you believe that inspirational images that you rip out, art that you frame, and mood boards that you make before you even move somewhere can somehow end up subliminally influencing your decor choices years later? I guess you could argue that “ya just like what you like” (so the same thing that makes you tear something out might make you buy something that looks like that later) but it was just so funny to see that old forgotten mood board, homemade art, and tear sheet and realize that although they weren’t something I revisited regularly, they all seemed to contain some key things that weaseled their way into our house.
Oh and have you noticed any similarities between your first house and your second house that only later became apparent to you? We have a theory that some people buy the same house over and over again (with slight tweaks of course, like more bathrooms or bedrooms as your family grows). A perfect example of this is my best friend and her hubby, who had a three story townhouse (with a big media room in the basement, the kitchen/dining room/living room on the main floor, and all the bedrooms upstairs). They later looked at about a million houses before buying nearly the same three story set-up (right down to the large media room in the basement). Although they have two small kids, they don’t mind living on three floors, so they made that choice again – meanwhile we seem to be crushing on mid-century ranchers, so we’ve found ourselves in another one that even has similar oak tree placement. Haha. Maybe we’re all just creatures of habit? On the other hand, I’m sure there are folks who look for polar opposites when it comes to moving, so we’d love to hear about that too!
Christine says
Back in the day (ie 20 years ago) I took quite a few architectural drafting course in high school/college, and had to design some rooms, houses, landscaping, etc. A few years ago my husband and I had a house built….. Last month my mom brought to me all my old drawings and one of the houses I had designed was a mirror image of what we built. Except for maybe a small wall or two, same house. Creepy!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool. I love these stories.
xo,
s
Nicole says
I agree with others :) Manifesting!! Power of positive thinking, law of attraction. I have even read articles where people have, unbeknownst to them at the time, bought the SAME house from vision boards 10-20 years afterwards.
Wendy says
Absolutely agree!
Last year I did one of those at the end of Yoga Teacher Training. Several things I put on, clipped from magazines: “paging Mr. Right” and “child’s play” along with a few I snipped but kept on my dresser (perhaps too shy to put them bluntly where others would see them in class?)- “practice for your pregnancy” and “the mom sutras.”
That was July 2011.
Early October 2011 I met “Mr. Right” and 30 days later we married. Uh, we just knew. It cost us $500 including rings and we married on a pier at our favorite state park above water (2 Navy brats and he’s a fisherman= perfect!). 3 days before my birthday (end of March), we learned we were expecting our first child- a little girl due around Thanksgiving.
Now, backtrack 11 years ago. After doing my Master’s in under 1 year at the same univ. as my undergrad, I trekked solo across the country to hit the national parks I couldn’t before (Navy moves don’t allow for stopping time with my folks…).
I drove through SD and WY (Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, etc.) on my way to Southern Utah. As I entered Northern Utah, by Bear Lake, I prayed for the chance to live here one day, as the beauty struck me.
Um, we moved here less than a month ago. It was the easiest move of my life! We have trees that require water (not desert Utah), we have amazing mountains, we are walking distance from the historical center (with antique shops you’d love and DIs to dream of= crazy good finds for dirt cheap) and also to the university and mountains, and we have the best landlord ever (duplex situation).
So, yes.. when things are meant to be- be it by choice or foreshadowing, I believe they happen.
My 13 year old believes creativity is the key to life- along with knowledge. You’ve done them both proud.
Wendy says
PS We moved here because my husband is going back “home” to do his Master’s- at the same univ. as his undergrad. When he asked about moving from NoVa to here, I said, “Yes!” because I understood the connection of doing both at the same univ.
Also, if your book tour takes you to this area (Ogden, Salt Lake City, etc.), please, please consider doing a “Goodwill video” at a Deseret Industries. We found a little pull toy the other day for 75 cents for our on-her-way kid, and the finds there are amazing for dirt cheap! You’d have a field day. Plus, they are as clean and organized as any TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Home Goods, with dividers and prices clearly marked.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh sounds fun!
xo,
s
Seriously Sassy Mama says
That is too funny.
Rebecca @This Nest is Best says
I’ve definitely had this happen to me! One time was specifically when redecorating our master bedroom. We were walking through Target and I saw a throw pillow that I absolutely adored and bought it. Came home and was flipping through my magazine tear outs to see the exact same throw pillow in a bedroom I’d torn out months (a year?) beforehand! Used that tear out as inspiration to re-do the whole room!
http://thisnestisbest.com/2011/07/14/home-decor-adding-a-dresser/
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so much fun!
xo,
s
Laurie says
We, too, reside in a mid-century ranch which we have lovingly, and sometimes frustratingly, restored. After we completed our renovation I decided I wanted to move. After looking at probably 20 houses my husband finally pointed out that every house was basically our house prior to the renovation. I kept saying “I like it but I want to do XYZ to it…..” all of which were things we had already done in our house. He decided I was just having renovation withdrawal and was itching for another project. We kept our house but had another baby instead. Ha ha. I still think she is cheaper than remodeling.
MacKenzie says
When we first moved into our house, we repainted every room (it was really dirty so even if we kept it white, it got a new coat). But I wasn’t really happy with the master bedroom color as the room evolved and now that I’m 8 months pregnant, it has become my nesting sore spot so I convinced my younger brother to visit and paint. This week I went through tons of swatches and 5 actual paint samples only to discover the color I liked best was the same tone only one shade lighter than my living room! I should have just started there.
Lauren says
That’s so interesting! Back about three years ago, there was a guest on Oprah who talked about some kind of inspiration/future board–where you cut out pictures of things you want to happen in your life (job, move, clothes even) and they’re supposed to come true essentially (perhaps because you’re looking at them every day?). I almost did one, but I couldn’t figure out what the most important thing to me would be (the most important was supposed to go in the middle of the board), so I just wrote down some inspirational quotes instead.
Well done, though! I think it speaks volumes to your happiness if it’s something that you love over years instead of just weekly or monthly fads.
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) says
Shows how effective marketing probably is without us even realizing! Haha :)
Shannon says
We actually went polar opposite, but out of necessity. We moved from a suburb of a small city to a suburb of a big city (way more expensive!).
However, there are still similarities: open eat-in kitchen, wooded lot, bedrooms upstairs, nice outdoor eating area, lots of windows.
Amy @ a new old house says
Now that you mention it, our new house has some striking similarities with the house I grew up in… besides the fact that they are both old (late 1700’s and 1860) and always have some kind of DIY repair going!
Shannon says
I made a mood board for my bathroom and then forgot about it. We finally got around to the bathroom reno, then I came across the board and it was almost identical! I love how your house is similar to the old one but bigger. Etc and I love more that you went with bolder colors. I was sad at first but once I saw what you were doing I fell in love and I am now working on bringing color into my home. My house is my husband’s childhood home and not what I would have chosen but I am making my mark on it lol.
Gaidig says
There has been little similarity between all the places I have lived, but I have also lived with many different people. If my boyfriend and I were ever to buy another house, I think it would be pretty different from this one, but I think that is because when he bought this house he was settling for what he could afford, so it isn’t ideal stylistically. On the other hand, it does share certain characteristics with what we would ultimately be looking for, in comparison to where we both grew up, since it’s an older home, closer to the center of town.
Stephanie says
I’m still on my first house but I’ve noticed that I keep going back to the same things when I pin stuff or look online. I’ve discovered a few things – I like chevron and morroccan prints more than is normal. I have an unhealthy obsession with orange and green. Penny and hex tiles make me week in the knees. And grey is my favorite neutral.
But I’ve also noticed how my style has changed as I’ve grown up. I lean more towards a comfortable vibe with some modern touches. I love sentimental things.
Also, an odd thing… My grandmother passed away recently and we all went to her house to take stuff. Her and my grandfather loved elephants (they’re good luck!) and had them all over the house. I took 2 and since I took them… I’m OBSESSED. It’s a problem. I’m going to start adopting elephants.
Okay… long comment. I’ll stop now. :)
Erin H. says
Hey Guys! I am thinking of painting my dining room turquoise. In the pictures, it looks like the shelving backs are darker, greener, and more sexy (?) and that the guest room is more colorful and cheerful. Do you feel like that is pretty accurate?
YoungHouseLove says
I think in person both dark real colors are pretty dark and moody and sexy. Haha. The guest room just looks lighter in the pic (and the pops of color in there keep it playful) but both dark teals sort of have the same vibe. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jen says
Eerie – you could have saved this for a Halloween post! Haha.
Tracey says
Hey Sherry, I was on Craigslist and decided (for fun) to look up egg chairs and found a real beauty located near Rehobeth Beach. It has a stand so it’s going for $175, but maybe you could ask for just the chair. Check it out. Hopefully, you have relatives at the beach that could pick it up for you if your interested in it. I typed in craigslist rehobeth beach furniture and then egg chair. It came up with bamboo hanging chair with stand. Hope it helps.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks!! Someone else sent me the link! So pretty! Wish it were cheaper and closer though (no one in the fam is going to be up there for a while).
xo,
s
Jayme says
When are we going to get some actual DIY posts? Enough filler – let’s get to the good stuff!
YoungHouseLove says
Huh? We painted a giant room this week! And we did a little art project, got a new piece of furniture that we’re refinishing, are also building a deck, and drove 14 hours round trip to NJ for my aunt’s funeral. Can’t go any faster, sorry!
xo,
s
Penny says
Come on, I love the DIY posts as much as anyone, but John, Sherry and Clara have a LIFE and this blog is a part of it, not their whole life. Go back and read some of the posts about their “typical” day and you will see that they spend a lot of time working on this blog. And the DIY projects are DIY which means they actually DO THEM, which obviously takes time.
Brandi says
We didn’t intentionally do this, but when we moved from our townhouse to our single family home (and aside from some upgrades like a couple hundred more square feet, a backyard, pantry, main floor laundry and a master ensuite), we ended up with the exact same layout except the kitchen and dining room switched places. Even the main floor closets are in the same place! Weird, hey?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny!
xo
s
Megan says
I think that it’s all about the style you like! :) Obviously you like green and wanted to embrace color in your new house so you’re drawn to those colors. Plus, teal and green have been popular for awhile now and are great colors (I painted my hallway teal and my daughter’s room is green – so I love ’em!). And as for the quatrafoil mirror – it’s just an awesome piece that looks great in any room! I’m thinking about getting one for my tiny upstairs bathroom. I almost think it would be more weird for you to find completely different styles… but maybe that’s just me. I know my style has changed but for the past 4-5 years, it’s been roughly the same. I’ve been planning on pieces for certain spots of my home and as I find them (for cheap!), I snatch them up. I waited months and months for the dresser I had in mind at an auction, passing up pieces that went over $100 because I knew I’d find one. A few months later, I found a great piece for less than $75. Score!
Elaine says
What a cool post! Thanks for sharing that walk ‘back’ and pointing out all those neat coincidences. I only discovered you around the time you moved in to your new house (and read you EVERY DAY) so didn’t make the connection to the older projects and mood boards. This was really fun! I love your blog – my absolute favourite (which is kinda weird since I have my own blog – but oh well!) ha. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks!
xo,
s
Alondra says
It’s funny to hear that you totally forgot about that mood board because I haven’t! It’s my inspiration/reference for my future living room :)
Kerry says
I don’t think I’ve ever done it with decor, but after I bought my wedding dress (one of the first ones I tried on and I just kept circling back to it) I realized I had torn a picture of it out of three different magazines without knowing and saved them all in my “possible dresses” folder.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet! It was meant to be.
xo,
s
Caitlin @ Desert Domicile says
Our old condo had a semi-open floor plan that we loved but we eventually outgrew the space so when we built our current house, we made sure that it had an open floor plan on both levels. Those are the only similarities between the two places but I can see why people buy the same place over and over – change can be scary!
Arell says
I love everything you do, but the way you display things in your built in bookcases is to die for. You have a gift! If you are ever in CT… please come to my house, tear it apart, and make my built in’s look like yours! Every detail is exquisite!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re so sweet. If it makes you feel better I have absolutely no method. I just move things around, step back and survey things, and repeat ad nauseum. Haha.
xo,
s
Kim says
We did a major house Reno 2 years ago. We were looking for a place to rent for 6 months, which was almost impossible to find. The couple of places we did see just didn’t feel right, even short term. The house we ended up with was SOOO similar to ours pre-reno! 50’s ranch, similar layout, and the living room was painted an almost identical color as our kitchen! What was crazy was the things that were different (extra bath, playroom) were what we were about to add to our house. It really helped the kids feel like it was home, too!
I think you are attracted to what you know, and what you think about, even subliminally.
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
Oh I saw the article about you in the Home DIY Magazine at Target last night – very nice! I was flipping backwards so I saw the clothespin light first and thought it looked familiar before seeing the article on the page before.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thank Crystal!
xo,
s
Angie Lee says
We bought a new couch when our 10-year-old one was getting too saggy and worn. The sales person clipped a small piece of fabric for us to keep so we could look around for a complimentary chair. When we chose the couch, we knew it was the same brand and style as our old one but thought the fabric was a little different. When we got home and compared the fabric swatch and pics taken with our phone, it was an exact match! The fabric had a very slight change in threading but we just re-bought our couch! By the way, it was April Fools Day and we sure were feeling foolish. We ended up getting a great deal and spent less on this one than we did on the last one. 3 months later and we’re still loving our new/old couch and it obviously fits in well with our other furniture, including the chair of the same brand (different material though)! I guess our tastes haven’t changed much.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! Love all the stories everyone!!
xo,
s
Melissa says
I think I tend to keep things in the back of my mind and when I find them, or items similar, on clearance or at a thrift store, even years later, it is luck. However, we had an experience that was really weird when we first bought our current house, 6 years ago. We picked all the colors out for the rooms, cleaned the walls, and began to tape. As we taped around the woodwork on top of the windows and closets we found layers of paint from previous owners that had been missed being painted over because they were in hard to reach/see places. The living room AND the dining room had at one time been almost the same exact colors we had picked out. It was like the walls knew what color they wanted to be.
Erin says
We have the same sofa (different color), similar deer bust, same green hues, and natural basket accessories as your original idea board in our current living room. I feel so cool. Anyway, it’s our first home and we’re sort of decorating our living room with a outdoorsy/Hemingway motif. I haven’t posted on it recently, but here’s what it looked like a few months ago: http://diysquirrel.blogspot.com/2012/04/our-cozy-living-room.html. We’ve since upgraded the coffee table top to a diy-ed wood top (like the picture we reference on the blog post), among a couple of other minor changes. Just wanted to share! PS – I was really excited to read your posts about your DE beach shopping excursions! My family has a beach house in Rehoboth and I can’t wait to check out those stores soon!
Heather says
Thanks for sharing Sherry! This is a bit off topic but I was scouring West Elm’s website today and stumbled upon this pendant and immediately thought of you and your family’s trip! I hope you didn’t spend that much! What a great find for you!
http://www.westelm.com/products/hoyt-outdoor-pendant-w706/?pkey=call-sale
YoungHouseLove says
Wow! Ours was ten bucks!
xo,
s
Anna says
I’m sure we humans “revisit” again and again things we love, not only decoration but also clothing… usually with small tweaks because it’s very difficult to find the same exact thing along the years.
Unless you are my friend Anita, who after divorcing this year, has bought a clone version of the sofa she had in her first tiny apartment in England twenty years ago :-P
(well, it’s not really a clone because this is a little sturdier, more expensive and made in Spain. But still…)
Sue says
My new house is the 3rd 1 1/2 bungalow with hardwood floors that I have owned as an adult. I didn’t consciously TRY to have all three of them be so similar, but it’s true that we like what we like even if it seems unintentional.
I picked a pale blue and martha stewart green for my art studio walls, then painted that combo on an art cabinet, the green on a night stand and the blue on the porch ceiling. It all flows and everyone is surprised when I say it’s the same two colors. I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of two cans of paint. But we love what we love!
Viviana says
You know which would be a good dupe for your living room curtains? Ikea has some called Alvine Rund. Its a nice grey/white damaskish pattern.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds pretty!
xo,
s
Koliti says
do do do do, do do do do (sung to the tune of the old-timey Twilight Show)
or…Love makes the world go around (and around) :)
Mariah says
You guys are amazing! I’m sick about the rude comment above! You should be so proud of yourselves for how hard you work!! I’m currently nursing my 6 month old and it’s a full time job as you know sherry! Every time I feel overwhelmed I tell myself “sherry did this and ran the blog and sold a house and about a million other projects”. I really don’t know how you did it then and how you do it now. Amazing guys! Hugs to you from Chicago. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Mariah! You’re sweet! We just remember there will always be folks who would do things differently if this were their blog or their house, but we just have to do what feels right to us! Smooch that sweet little baby of yours. I know it’s crazy but I miss those days of cuddling up and getting my nursing on. Haha.
xo,
s
Koliti says
do do do do, do do do do
(sung to the tune of the old-timey Twilight Show)
or…Love makes the world go around (and around) :)
Angie says
From where did you get your living room couch? I am looking for a sectional with that same shape. Sorry as I’m sure this is listed somewhere on your site, but I didn’t find it with my quick search. Thank you!!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s the Karlstad sectional from Ikea (with the add on chaise). So affordable and still holding up great after a year of toddler and dog use!
xo,
s
Emily says
I bought the house I grew up in. Not literally, though. It wasn’t until my sister pointed it out to me that I realized my house has almost the exact same floor plan, levels, and architectural syle of my parent’s house. Maybe I found it comforting or something.
After living in it for 3 years now though, I realize what I really want is a mid-century ranch or tri-level with an open concept living/kitchen area. I am so over stairs!! Especially when your clothes hamper is upstairs and your laundry is in the basement.
how2home says
You guys have come a long way and honestly, your home has to be one of my favorites. Suits both of your personalities perfectly.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks!
xo
s
TJ says
Absolutely! I just moved house (and to the other side of the world) ironically I created a kind of mud room which I later realised I had pinned an almost identical entry/mud room (right down to the exact brand mirror and hooks etc.) over 12 months earlier (and when I had no intention of moing anywhere that would suit such an area.
It’s weird how it sticks in your mind somehow.
I agree with some other posters though, it is the whole law of attraction thing… I have always been dubious, but once we had a vision board we did, just for fun, and we realised that nearly 2 years later absolutely everything on that board was attracted to us in one shape or another, right down to us pinning a car that we could have NEVER afforded and yet a family member lost their licence and had the identical car right down to the colour and offered us that car whilst he had no licence as we only had one car – amazing! (luckily my husband didn’t end up liking the car much, so it was serendipitous – imagine spending that much money on a car you didn’t like?
This makes me think another vision board is in order soon!
Mwah xx
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so interesting! Wow!
xo,
s
Michele says
Hm.. My first house was a small renovated 30’s craftsman on a tiny lot in San Diego with ocean views. Second was a 4000sqft new custom brick ranch on 2 acres in Dallas. Third is now a dilapidated 1860s small farmhouse on 4 acres in the Blue Ridge Mtn foothills. I have started completely over more than a few times – no pattern. What does that say? lol.
While things like “The Secret” seem a reasonable explanation, synchronicity is a bit more science fiction that that. Ultimately though, like others say, we tend to gravitate towards different things that we believe make us ‘us’.
Absolutely lovely home, family, and must say, Burger is the cutest! :)
Stephanie says
I love your blog and find myself recommending it! Thanks for being so detailed in your posts and for letting yourselves shine through! I read as often as I can.
I wanted to let you know (you may already, but I was too lazy to go back more than one post to see if it had been mentioned before) that your blog isn’t playing nice with the Chrome browser. I promise I’m not trying to be a spoilsport; I just figured I’d like to know such a thing.
Thanks again for all of the fun to be had around here!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry! This is the first we have heard of this (we haven’t changed anything on our end). Anyone else having issues? Hopefully it’s just a chrome glitch and they’ll unglitch it soon! Once before this happened and an hour later they fixed something and it was all better.
xo,
s
Nevin says
Love the kawinky dinks!
Have you checked out Class and Trash on Rt. 1 for a piece of furniture for the tv? They oftentimes have long dressers, sideboards, or something like these that might work. Check out their postings on Thursday nights on Craigslist. If you see something you like, call and leave a message Thursday night that you are interested. The run over on Friday morning! Just thought I would pass along what the owner has shared with me!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that store and that tip!
xo,
s
Claire says
It really goes to show that some stuff about our personal style (for home and for clothing) really is inherent in your being. Trends may come and go but there are probably always certain kinds of things that you’ll be attracted to even if you don’t realize it until after you look back like you did in this post.
Ally says
$herdog, I remember automatically laughing when you first shared the outside pixs of your new home. I think my comment at the time was:
Does the lovely City of Richmond have a Bylaw requiring 2 large Oak trees in all front yards? CHECK! :)
xox
YoungHouseLove says
Haha it’s true! I guess they didn’t stick out when it was all bushy and leafy but now I can’t not see them! Haha.
xo,
s
Lauren says
Why didn’t you tell us that your book was available for pre-order??!! Just ordered it! I love your blog and like to support the blogs I religiously follow. Now I can’t wait till November! Yay!
We’re selling our condo now and moving to a house so it will be interesting to see the similarities.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Lauren! As soon as we finalize the cover we get to make the big announcement! So excited. You’re so sweet to preorder it!
xo,
s
Sara says
I really like how you guys put together mood boards and ideas! You’ve been very inspiring.
We recently purchased our first home and have lived here just about 2 months–I am feeling a bit terrified to tackle any room whatsoever (paint, fixtures, curtains, furniture, fill in the blank). I am thinking this is probably normal and I should start with something small..like a half bath. How do you pull the ideas you like together–do you use Pinterest, or other types of files? How do you stay ‘not overwhelmed’?
Have an awesome weekend and thanks for all the shots in the arm (in a good way, not a “I’m getting a vaccination” type of way).
YoungHouseLove says
Generally I like to wait to start a room until I have a good idea where I’m going to start. So it might be a paint color I love or a big sectional or rug I want to use and I’ll just sort of work one day at a time from there. Just take your time and remember you can always repaint and rearrange!
xo,
s
Heather says
I definitely don’t gravitate to one layout or another. I grew up in a tiny ranch and have lived in townhouses (only once by my decision as opposed to moving in with a partner), and apartments with some pretty quirky layouts. One had a great big kitchen and no living room, so we just put a living room in the kitchen and skipped having a dining room. Another one that had an 18 foot ceiling in the bedroom & living room but the hallway to the kitchen was only 6.5 feet tall–it had a storage area above it that was accessed through the bedroom. That was the same apartment where you had to walk in the bathroom, close the door, then walk down an 8 foot hallway to get to the actual bathroom–which didn’t have a door. We ended up putting a curtain in though because otherwise it was awkward.
I’ve had all sorts of decor and designs because I get so much of my furniture from the side of the road, hand-me-downs and thrift store finds, so they don’t always last through a big move. Or I’ll just leave them with roommates if my next place doesn’t have a spot for it that calls to me. Occasionally I find myself missing a piece here or there, but mostly it’s been fun to just make a space work with whatever that space needs, and not try to fit something in just because I already own it. That logic does not apply to many decorations and clothes though, somehow. I probably have enough decor things to decorate most of a house twice over, and whatever I’m not using just lives in boxes. I switch them around as often as I feel like it, just like you guys!
Elise says
I wish my house “accidentally” looked like all the inspiration I’ve pulled from catalogs, magazines and pinned to Pinterest. Someday, slowly but surely, it will!
Also, my cousin and I (both avid readers) had a disagreement, do you guys typically post twice a day or just occasionally twice a day?
YoungHouseLove says
We post twice on Mon, Tues, and Thurs and once on Wed and Fri (usually with 2-3 Young House Life posts added in there).
xo,
s