So many people ask us how we know we’re going in “the right direction” in the middle of a project. We try to describe our method as one big study in trial and error, with course correcting and tweaking along the way, but we also haven’t talked much about how we try to at least come up with a general plan in the beginning of a project, and then we try to stick to it loosely as we go, since it gives us a “path” to follow. Why? Because (sing it with me): the middle makes no sense.
It’s a phrase that John and I toss around a lot as we go and we realized it might be helpful for you guys at home in the middle of something who are pulling out your hair and worrying that something is “off track” or “might suck when you’re done” (which are both things that we fear throughout most of our room makeovers). The truth is, even if you’ve been doing this for years, sometimes when you’re halfway through a room upgrade it looks crazy. Obviously this is clear in a situation like a kitchen reno, which always gets waaaay uglier before it gets better…
… but sometimes it’s a little harder to realize (at least it was for us) that normal room makeovers that don’t involve tearing things down or rebuilding major things can also completely throw you off in the middle. So we’ve generally learned to just try our best to be confident that “it’ll all work out in the end” because in the beginning we allow ourselves to tweak and change things a lot, as well as in the end, but the middle… well, it never makes any sense anyway.
So we’ve learned never to rush to judgement when we’re dealing with only half of the changes being implemented, major components that are missing, half of a color scheme going on, etc. In the middle (which is a good long time in many cases) we may silently question something (and our readers might not so silently question something, haha) but we try to remain calm and keep going. If we end up hating something in the end, we can usually course correct (repaint it, sand and stain it, rearrange it, move it to another room, craigslist it, etc) so most home related choices aren’t irreversible at all, which is really comforting when you stop and think about it.
Oddly enough, even though the middle never makes sense, in most cases we end up loving something in the end, simply because we try to make choices in the beginning (after putting lots of thought into things) that seem like they’ll “click” at the end of the tunnel. So I guess the lesson is that if you’re frozen with indecision forever you’ll never get somewhere, but if you rush into things or are constantly changing/second guessing things before a room comes together- it might never come together at all. Which is why we like to take some time thinking about the end product right at the beginning and then just follow through on enough things to get past that weird middle phase and into an end phase where it’s easier to judge/evaluate things when the room is more complete. Of course you don’t need a totally fleshed out vision of the room the first day you get started (we never have that!) but you definitely should try to consider some main ideas before diving in, like: what color scheme am I considering, what layout would be the most functional, what do I want to get from this space, what vibe am I going for, etc.
One good example of this concept would be the opening that we added between the kitchen and the dining room. Again you might say “of course a wall with a gaping hole in it makes no sense” but this is more about a concept/shape choice than the finishing. When planning the opening between the dining room and the kitchen, we worried that a half-wall was a really weird choice. But we reasoned the whole thing out and drew floor plans, and used Google Sketchup to picture it, and decided it was our favorite option by far. So then we committed to it. Wholeheartedly. And even though the middle looked downright crazy (and definitely made us sweat when it looked like this)…
… we vowed to press on and keep the faith. There was a reason it was the plan we loved most after thinking things through a lot in the beginning, and it definitely looked crazy until we polished things off by fixing drywall, adding trim, and then bringing in furniture/cabinets/counters along with lighting and other finishing touches in both areas so all of the focus wasn’t just on a gaping hole.
Sure enough, the half wall was the best choice for us, and it wasn’t until the end that it all finally came together. But if it hadn’t, we could have rejiggered things then (ex: drywalled the area above the counter to create a more traditional doorway). But had we jumped the gun and changed courses in the middle, we never would have made it to the end and realized that we love it as-is, and it was the right choice for us after all.
But what about decorating a room in a less hardcore manner (no wall-removal or kitchen renovating)? We find that it’s exactly the same concept. Finished rooms have balance and a variety of finishes/colors/textures and things like scale/balance often don’t come together until the end. So when you look at a room that’s half done… it usually doesn’t make any sense. Most definitely not to people on the outside, but even to the people with the “vision” (excuse me while I titter at the idea that John and I have a “vision”). What I mean is that even if we know exactly where we want a room to end up (or at least have a pretty good idea when it comes to the color scheme, layout, which specific items of furniture we’ll be using, what function and vibe we are going for, etc) sometimes when we’re halfway there it still looks crazy – and we used to not know if we should bail, keep going, cry, start over, or what. But over the years we have learned to just take it one step at a time, continue on, and constantly repeat “the middle makes no sense.” In short: keep calm and DIY on.
For example, when we took our chipped black secondhand office chairs (scored for $35 each at a thrift store)…
… and painted and reupholstered them in a bright green tone with patterned fabric, they looked crazy bright compared to what our eyes were previously used to.
More than a few people even commented to say they were too loud and that they competed with the stenciled wall, and we agreed that they might look unbalanced and a bit too loud for the rest of the room at that point, but we still had other things to add (aka: the middle makes no sense). In the words of $herdog: we had plans, yo.
We totally could have been wrong (goodness knows we’ve made a ton of mistakes and course corrections over the years) but we just kept putting the room together, with the hope that some bright cheerful art and other happy pops of color would balance things out, make sense of the green chairs, and help the room come together as we continued to let it evolve over time. The middle = a judgement free zone for us. Sure enough, once we added some art, brought in a green artichoke planter to tie in the chair color, and painted the area under the chair rail a darker gray tone to ground the room, it all started to make a lot more sense to us. So we’re definitely happy that we went for it with the chairs, and then added the art and accessories to balance things out, or the room never would have evolved from this less “happy” look…
… to the personalized cheerful spot where we spend most of our waking hours.
Yet one more example of this concept might be the mirror that we hung over the window in our bedroom. It looked like this when we moved in (creaky old bifold doors, a medicine cabinet at a right angle to the sink which made shaving rough for John, etc).
We removed the medicine cabinet and I demoed out the thick stone backsplash to make it look more like a granite topped piece of furniture and less like a sink on the side of our bedroom – and we shared this picture of the mirror when it was its original color: black. We mentioned we might paint it white but just wanted to live with it for a hot second to be sure.
Secondary hint: take your time in the middle – it’s nothing to rush though but also not usually a good place to make total plan deviations or do anything impulsive. Live with things, see what you think of them before you do something like paint or repaint at that stage. But once you think about things a bit and form a plan that you think makes the most sense, obviously the only way to move forward is to get ‘er done. So onward and upwards! You just gotta keep moving towards a more finished product, which is usually when things finally gel anyway.
In the end, we took our time and definitively decided to paint it white along with painting the walls a moody gray/tan (Rockport Gray). And that little sink nook evolved into this, which we now think is one of the most charming corners of our partially unfinished bedroom (we still have an entire side of the room with no furniture and a big bare wall):
But do you see how we (or our readers) might look at the middle pics of all of these projects and say “whatchu talking ’bout Willis?” We totally get why we receive so many “wait, have you thought about ___?” or “why don’t you undo ____?” questions when things are still mid-progress. We’re usually asking the same questions ourselves! But we have just learned not to panic, to be patient, to have faith, and to keep moving towards a more finished stage since that’s usually when things finally come together (or when it’s a lot more obvious what will solve the issue – like repainting a wall, changing the layout, switching out some chairs, etc). In the middle it truly is nearly impossible for us to see what’s wrong or what’s right, so we like to let things shake out since it’s usually waaaay clearer a little later in the game when the room comes back together and enough balance and order is restored to fully get “the whole picture” instead of judging a half-baked makeover that’s only 47% complete.
So there’s my big, long, Tuesday afternoon brain dump. Do you guys have any sayings that you tell yourself during a renovation or room overhaul that help you get through those tough parts in the middle? Share and share alike.
Psst- For more posts of the it-just-takes-time-and-it’s-all-trial-and-error-but-you’ll-get-there-someday variety, check out this post about how our first house looked after eight months of living there and this post about how we do our best to try to relax and enjoy the ride.
Emma (Broke Ass Home) says
This is a great post! We often have to have talks like this and I completely agree it’s important to think during the middle. During our bathroom reno, I bought rubbed brass pulls for the vanity, everyone thought “uhhh…why when the room is so gray” But then once we laid oak flooring and put up a multicolored curtain it was like an Ah-Ha! Moment.
My biggest hint is when you’re getting frustrated with something (like my recent vintage TV gut) I just kept saying to myself, “They put it together, there has to be a way to take it apart without ruining it.”
After saying that to myself we got our hollowed out TV and were ready to move to the next step.
Everybody, remain calm! :)
Here’s the TV link for anyone being like “What in the Hello is this lady talking ’bout”
http://www.brokeasshome.com/2012/11/a-little-side-project.html
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it!
xo,
s
Casey says
You are SO right about all this! We’ve spent more than four years finishing our previously-unfinished basement into a family room, and while it looks done to most people, we’ve been “in the middle” for a looong time. For Christmas this year we’re finally putting cabinets and a countertop in along an 8′ stretch of wall, which seems so monumental to me because it’s the last thing from our original master plan for the space. Obviously the accessorizing/evolving will continue, but I’m so excited to really stick a fork in it. :) It’s hard to live in the middle sometimes, but things definitely have a tendency to grow on you that way.
Carmen says
I love that your IKEA chandelier/light fixture in your master bedroom is centered in the mirror above the sink. I just noticed that, and if it were my house, I’d be so happy to notice that every once and a while.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that was the luckiest accident ever! Haha! Thanks to the original owners who kept things centered!
xo,
s
lizaanne says
Sometimes when I’m in the middle of a project and I start to panic – I repeat to myself (sometimes I even use my outside voice!): Don’t think about it, JUST DO IT!!! Sorta like the Nike ad, but with a slight panicked edge to it.
Like when I painted my new bathroom screaming lime green – I really started to freak out when that color was going on the wall. But I KNEW I had a solid vision and a plan for the whole thing to come together – so I breathed in and out with my mantra….Don’t think about it, JUST DO IT!!
Here is my pretty new lime green bathroom: http://pinterest.com/lizaanne930/our-new-bathroom/
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I love hearing all of your sayings guys!
xo,
s
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
I just love that bathroom nook….
and the office…..
and the kitchen…..
and the bedroom…..
hahaha just kidding, you already knew i loved it all!
Caitlin @ Desert Domicile says
Thank you for this post! It’s always refreshing to know that I’m not the only one out there having second thoughts about my house decisions! When I’m stuck in the middle of things, I tell myself that it gets worse before it gets better. That phrase has saved me from a few meltdowns haha
Chris says
Thank you for putting things into perspective for me. I do things on an impulse without thinking a project all the way through. Yesterday I had the wall between my kitchen and dining room torn down to open up the area but have no idea of how I want it to end up looking. I’m going to take it one step at a time and not make any more impulse decisions. I posted a before and after picture of the demo on Facebook and everyone seems to like what’s been done so far. I’m just hoping by taking my time and thinking things through that I end up with a beautiful space.
Megan says
Just heard a quote from I think the Amazon CEO – “We’re stubborn on vision and flexible on details” sounds like it sums you guys up too! Inspiring post to those of us in the middle. Can’t wait to see you in Minneapolis tomorrow!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that quote!
xo,
s
Laura @ Chaotic Domestic says
This is a great post. I am constantly going through that “oh no” phase in the middle (and often beginning, but hopefully not end) of a project. I have a tendency to second guess myself. I’m glad I’m not the only one.
Sara says
We moved into a new house about 3 months ago, and I’m definitely in the decorating phase where it doesn’t makes sense! I thought I had a plan and started working on it, but lost momentum when it wasn’t coming together. Thanks for the encouragement to keep going! Just have to remind myself that pillow covers, wall art, and paint can always be re-done…
Andrea says
This is great, folks. Thanks for the wisdom. We have multiple BIG renovations coming up soon, and now I have a mantra to chant!
Alyssa says
This post reminded me of how pumped I was when the hole was chopped between your living room and kitchen – that reveal (completely unfinished, just chopped out) was your best post ever! Okay that might be a hyperbole, but my roommate and I could not get over what a difference it made!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Alyssa! I remember John coming home that day and being Like “woah…. this is major.” haha!
xo,
s
Sam says
I get what you mean! We live in a rented apartment and we have very little furniture to call our own, so we’re buying pieces slowly. At the moment our living room in a combination of a green sofa (not ours), white coffee table and yellow walls and it drives me nuts! But to make something beautiful it’s takes hard work and TIME!!
xx
Julie says
I just like to give myself a time-out. Right about the time I’m ready to kick my project, or throw a hammer, I need a time-out (usually with something sweet!). I’ll take a walk and bore the dog with my frustrations, help the boys with a Lego project or football, cook something, read a book. Anything to step away for a half hour or day or whatever I need to get focus and clarity. I actually just had to take a 2-week time-out from the headboard I’m doing for our room. It hung out on the back porch all that time, just mocking my husband, leading to snarkiness. It was not pretty.
BUT, I found my mojo last weekend, along with my remaining “lost” supplies (we moved 2 months ago), and got back to it. Almost done now!
mollie says
Really, really love this post, Sherry! You put words to what I often feel when I’m in the middle of a project and really doubting my choices or vision that I had that I THOUGHT would look good. Remembering that there is more to come that will round out the ugliness of the ‘middle’… accessorizing, more color, more pieces, etc etc. I don’t know …. this was just really helpful and gives me confidence for next time I’m in the middle and freaking out a bit!! I almost always love the end result… so I need to just push on through this awkward, sometimes discouraging stage. THANKS!! And btw… am loving your book, and am buying another copy to give to a friend who’s in the middle of renovating their home and feeling kind of discouraged:)
Aimee says
Wow, incredible how you guys can be going 90-to-nothing and come up with one of your best posts EVER! Thank you for this very timely post. The entire time I was reading I was not thinking DIY at all I was thinking about life and being in the middle of what seems like confusion and chaos. Like most DIY it’s not necessarily bad; life has a “middle” that sometimes has so many unknowns you want to turn around, undo, cry, run, etc…
I really connected to this on so many levels, thank you John and Sherry!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Aimee! So glad.
xo,
s
mary says
nerd alert: i thought i recognized that pouf in the book! (the one in the bottom bathroom shot)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! Yup it moves around a lot!
xo,
s
Melissa M says
This is a great reminder. I just recently painted my first room ever and I almost had a heart attack every time I looked at it for a week because that was how long the middle was. Now that it’s done and I’m starting to get an idea for curtains and art, I feel much better about the whole thing.
jeannette says
i have inlaws the matriarch of which is — let’s just say, she’s got a lot of energy. they send out a christmas letter every year which we would cringe to get. one year it described how mama helped (or singlehandedly) move her daughter, son in law, three kids into their new house over thanksgiving weekend, hung all the pictures, cooked thanksgiving dinner, and per the family tradition put the christmas tree up when the turkey dishes were done.
no middle there.
i love it when you express the deep coolness of y’all’s approach. thank you.
Jeanna Walton says
Just watched the link from another fan, and I thought you both were very natural and approachable! Great job :) I just wanted to say thanks for the reminder about the middle. That’s when I panic and worry if I’ve made the right choices; I’m glad I’m not the only one it happens to, lol.
PS: The UPS man brought your book today!! I was so happy to finally see it. Good job on that, too :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jeanna!
xo
s
Momcat says
Totally off topic– but did you know you’re “On the Cover of the Rolling Stone” !!!
Okay, not really THE R.S., but you ARE on the cover of Richmond Magazine’s R-Home for Nov/Dec.
Congrats! We have this on the counter at work, and every time I glance at it, I think, “hey, I know them!!”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh yeah how funny is that? We’re just psyched that Clara’s in the shot since they took some without her and then let her in on some. The behind the scenes thing is that she’s reaching for an ornament that we hid on the shelf which looks like a tiny Burger- so he’s in there too (in spirit). Haha!
xo
s
Georgia says
I drive my husband crazy because I can “see” a room with it’s changes before I start. When I try to describe it/draw it etc, he still doesn’t get it, but thankfully he trusts me and loves the finished product. Sometimes he second guesses my “middle” too. And yes someitmes, I’m wrong and when I think something will look perfect, it soon becomes obvious that I wasn’t right (but thankfully not too often and I can usually fix thiings with a bit of tweaking). But I do think the most important thing is to have a vsion of how you want the end product to look. Use pictures/mood boards/scraps of fabric/sketches etc to form the most solid picture in your mind before you start, then you are able to tweak as you need to go. BTW it took me totally by surprise when I first learned that that was a mirror in front of the window in your bathroom. From afar it totally looks like a big etched mirror (and I love it!)
Sally says
A new movie that just came out – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – has a great quote “Everything will turn out in the end. And if its not alright, its not the end.” Words to live by.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that quote! You’re the second one to share it – I think we need to see that movie!
xo
s
littleoakcreations says
Loved this post. I often find myself stuck in the middle, frustrated and confused how a project will turn out. I do often find myself afraid to pull the trigger when it comes to decorating, and a small budget does constrict a lot of that but I need to learn to just give things a try and if I hate it, like you said: it can be repainted, stained, etc. Thank you for the confidence boost! :)
Debbie says
Love the video. You all are real. Please drop by Philly if your visit to New York is rescheduled.r
Wrenaria says
This post is so encouraging. I’m perpetually in the middle.
Sometimes I think I’ve figured out what works and then it hits me that (for example) what’s missing from the bedroom is some hits of warm natural materials like wood amongst all the painted furniture. Then my boyfriend is going “but didn’t we just get these?” when I’m talking about replacing the lamps, etc, when I realize they aren’t working for me but it’s been far too long to return them. Ah well. Live and learn.
Also, in regards to people thinking your nook mirror looks smaller after it was painted white, I think it’s mostly the difference in the back lighting and the lower color contrast (white vs black) that’s playing with people’s perception.
Lisa in Seattle says
Not only is your post timely and thoughtful, but there’s a lot of wisdom in the comments too. I will try to channel you in future projects because I am a professional worrier – I could worry for England – and can never remember that so far everything has turned out OK.* Also I need to remember to trust my husband’s eye. For a guy who claims not to really care about decor stuff, he has the knack of swooping in at the critical moment when I’ve totally given up, staring intently at the situation, and saying something like “swap those two things right there.” And he’s always right. Dammit.
*Except for buying the wrong rug that time. Oops.
Wendy says
There are several lines or reminders that my hub and I use when things are in the middle or a bit challenging to help us remember what’s important.
“It’s only life after all”- Indigo Girls- Closer to Fine (This is usually combined with our singing parts of the song.)
“We didn’t hit anything. Nothing hit us.”- me after a particularly scary moment driving cross country in a UHaul with an auto transport on a tight, winding, mountain road.
“Well, it could be worse. You could be laying nearly dead on the side of the road.”- Perhaps a bit blunt, but true. Hub was in that position 2.5 years ago when a car hit him accidentally. Thank heavens for random strangers and EMTs!
“You can only breathe at this moment.”- Just a gentle reminder of what needs to be done. After all, nothing can be improved/changed/other if one is not breathing.
Rebecca S says
Oh man, thank you so much for this post. I have been absolutely paralyzed by choices lately. I have been feeling like because we are in the middle of decorating that things look totally odd. I need to learn to stick to my guns and go for it, because I keep thinking “this looks wrong!” and going a different direction. My house is so bare right now because of this exact problem!
Jenny says
Love the brain dump. You guys are certainly masters of vision… you have great eye for the finished project and a wonderful sense of humor which makes this blog so much fun to follow!
Joy says
Ah, this post is SO needed today! The “middle” always feels like crushing regret, but the finished product usually washes away all frustration. I just read this after taking 3 hours to do a 30 minute project, prolonged because of one annoyingly stripped screw. Thanks for the lift!
Haley says
I can’t get over how much I love the new stools in your kitchen! The strike the perfect balance of warm with white. I hope you guys are having a great time in Canada! Loving all the Instagrams!
Jenn Leigh says
I just finished a small project…a quarter of the way in I thought “oh this is a big mistake”…but it wasn’t and these have proved themselves true once again.
Thank you for putting it into words!
lauren says
Love this, Sherry! It applies to life, too– transitions and other life changes often make me think, “oh my gosh, what the heck am I doing and why did I think this was a good idea?”
But we just have to trust that things will make sense in the end. Incredibly hard, but a worthy goal to aspire to, both in our homes and our lives!
Maureen says
Thanks! Needed this reminder to step back and enjoy the process, especially this week!
Julie says
This makes me feel so much better about being awkward while in the middle of all projects…or just all the time! Haha.
Kara says
Just thought I’d send an early, “Welcome to Minnesota!” I’m guessing you don’t have a lot of time in MN, but hopefully you’ll be able to see a little of the wonderful place I call home. Here’s some quick recommendations in case you get the chance to explore a little tomorrow…
Roat Osha – 27th and Hennepin for awesome Thai food
Isles Bun and Coffee – 28th and Hennepin for the best cinnamon roles ever
The Sculpture Garden/Walker Art Center – Vineland and Hennepin Ave. for a fun walk through the outdoor sculpture garden – complete with the iconic spoon and cherry and downtown Mpls views from the balcony of the Walker Art Museum.
A run or walk around “the lakes” – Calhoun (Isles, Harriet)
Probably a bit cold for a tourist ride, but if you return, biking the wonderfully large miles of trails around the Twin Cities, including the Greenway, River Road trail, and Cedar Lake Trail around downtown.
If you don’t have much time to cruise around town, Pinstripes (across from West Elm) is pretty darn good too, especially their dessert flight. Mmmm! If you’re looking for any suggestions, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to give you my biased opinion on the best of the Twin Cities! Looking forward to meeting you in person tomorrow night!
Safe travels,
Kara
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Kara!
xo
s
Meghan says
Two things:
1- sometimes I think Richmond must be an awesome furniture place because I never find cool stuff like you have gotten on Craigslist!
2- noticed in these pictures that you have different hardwood floors in your house. How do you like that? Considering a different flooring route than the rest of my house for my family room/kitchen but it borders three rooms with the other hardwoods in my house (similar to what you have in your office).
YoungHouseLove says
We would love to refinish them so they’re all the same mocha color (a deeper but not super dark finish looks rich but isn’t too unforgiving when it comes to pet hair, dust, etc). That would tie them all together and make it feel more seamless, we think!
xo
s
Kristy@SeeMyFootprints says
Yeh, life’s a bit like a continual reno isn’t it. Sometimes you’re in the middle of everything and it looks like it would make more sense to take the easy (safe) option or to opt out of whatever the ‘thing’ is at the time, but then you get to the end, come out the other side and go hey… (a) I made it and am in one piece and (b) I achieved something and it was worth hanging in there.
sometimes ;)
katalina says
my question is not about the mirror looking smaller but it looks really neat like the window is a frosted square?
did you add anything to the window around the mirror?
looks like art now instead of a window plopped there– was it hard to attach a mirror on top of a window ?
YoungHouseLove says
We actually didn’t frost the window but in photos it always looks frosted! We could, but we like peeking outside sometimes (that’s the only window on that side of the house in that room, so for now it’s unfrosted). As for attaching it, we just used a nail and some 3M velcro to keep it from wobbling and it has been nice and secure!
xo
s
Margaret says
This is why people love home dec shows. The “middle” is maybe about 7 minutes long, and that seems to as much as people can take. I think Sarah Richardson said something about how, visually, it’s better to load everything in at once so the homeowner gets the whole vision right away. Or else a chair or a plate or the paint colour gets all the attention when it’s the only thing introduced and people start a lot of second-guessing.
Michelle says
This post is awesome! You not only articulated the process of DIYing, but a philosophy of life as well! Vision, function, form, reflection…..ahhhhh. These are the things I need to remind myself of every day. I love how you take the time to share your thoughts and feelings while going through the creative process. I feel not so all alone in this crazy DIY world :-). Thanks for all the hard, incredible work you do and the inspiration you provide with your GREAT posts. I’m looking forward to the day when I can watch you guys on your own TV show. Hey……keep the faith…..it could happen! All the best. M.
Anne Weber-Falk says
Fabulous post. It’s the scary stuff that will prevent me from starting or properly finishing off a home project. From now on I will charge ahead, thinking of my goal and end result. It’s really true that quite often it gets worse before it gets better. I just need to remember that the end result isn’t always perfect but, rather, polished. Thanks for all you do. Anne WF
Teresa says
What a great perspective. You are right, it is only decorating. I’ve been on the home remodel effort for years and it feels like we will never be done. So, my motivating statement is “it may not be perfect, but it is going to be clean!”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it! Thanks to everyone for sharing your mantras!
xo
s
Sarah says
First, thanks for the tip on the middle! Two days ago I was telling my husband how I hate our bedroom and it just doesn’t look pulled together and blah blah (add more negativity here). Then I read your post and realized, DUH! The middle makes no sense. And instead of changing the entire design plan, I need to just keep trucking along, and EVENTUALLY it will all come together (hopefully?).
Second, I just watched the video posted earlier in the comments and you guys are ADORABLE! Great interview.
Lauren says
This is seriously inspirational! My husband and I are starting to look for our first house and I know I will be re-reading this as we go through rennovating and redecorating projects. In fact I just showed this to him and his exact words were “you should print that out and frame it!”
Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re welcome Lauren! Good luck with everything!
xo
s
heyruthie says
Sherry, I love this post. I have a question about a similar topic. When you’re at your “beginning” how do you decide which items to keep/save money on, and which things to demo/splurge to change? This part of the “process” is the hardest for me. It takes “guts” to finally cut the hole in the proverbial wall, when others (or even you) can’t *really* see the finished product yet. It’s those scary/expensive decisions that get me “stuck.” I stay in the indecision mode, and can’t move past it, when faced with a “bigger choice” that I can’t make without feeling scared of a mistake.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s such a good question, and I’d love to dive into a deeper chat about it in a post, but I think my short answer is that you just have to make a list (either mental or on paper) and decide what your priorities are. For our kitchen it was “openness and light” – both of which were lacking and could be solved by opening that wall up into the dining room. So after setting our sights on that goal we just dove into doing sketches and taping off the wall and using programs like SketchUp to “imagine” all of the possibilities and pick the one that worked for us. In another setting, for example, a bedroom makeover, you might just want to write down goals and all the furniture you love and then list items you wouldn’t mind craigslisting to earn money towards other items you really want (which you can also just save up for over time if you don’t have anything to craigslist that no longer works in that space). It’s all sort of a puzzle, so take your time and try to set end goals and identify what you love so you can clear out what you don’t and move closer to a space that you’re enamored with!
xo
s
Jen E. says
I find I learn the most from your middles (and the occasional flop).
You know which post first did it for me? It was your guest room. I closed that “progress” post thinking, “WHAT are they doing, its such a mess I can’t even picture where Sherry is going with that?!?”
And the very next day, it was the same room but it was completely different. That was my “aha!” moment. It was such a simple illustration of “the middle”, I could see from pic to pic how just pulling together the focus on the bed, separating the two chairs, hanging the mirror, etc. changed the room and pulled the whole thing together.
Now when I’m in the “middle” of a project and my husband walks up behind me and says, “Um, are you sure….?” I just take a deep breath, remind myself that I know where I’m going with this, and that the room doesn’t have to be “finished” the second the paint is dry. This isn’t a 30-minute TV show, if something doesn’t work, keep tweaking, keep evolving!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Jen! That’s so funny! I think a lot of people (me included) wondered where that guest room was going, but it’s sometimes just those last minute tweaks and shimmies that help polish off a room and balance things out so they finally “click!”
xo
s
Jen from insideways says
I looooove projects, making all kinds of things, and am usually so excited about what I’m doing that I can’t help but share the project (mid-way) with friends or family – “look what I’m doing. Isn’t it great!?” But more often than not they can’t see where I’m going and it just looks strange. They’re feedback can make me second guess myself or feel really discouraged.
The point of me telling you that is – thanks. Thanks for sharing that you have the same feelings and get the same reactions. It makes me feel less crazy in this big world.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re so sweet Jen!
xo
s
seansmom says
Glad you brought this topic up. I’ve heard so many people say “Oh I’m afraid it won’t turn out” so they don’t even try.
If I get to the middle of a project, and I start to second guess myself…”did I make the right decision on color etc”… I always have to remind myself that “this is NOT brain surgery” and if I don’t like it in the end, I can always go back and change it.
YoungHouseLove says
Amen!
xo
s