My daughter's bedroom has been pink since the first week we moved into this house, over a decade ago; at the time she was four. As you can imagine, pink lost its allure somewhere around the age of eight and she's been gunning for a color change ever since.
Having spent the first ten years of my marriage buried in the realities of renovation, the idea of any kind updating or redecorating that involves more than a change of bedding, makes me shudder.
Of course, it's not always about me (although it should be). I have a teenager who has ideas of her own, a creative muscle to flex and, who despite my best attempts over the years to make it work, hates pink.
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| This was my last attempt to make the pink work. Over the years I have paired it with white, turquoise and gold. The kid was done! |
This weekend, I just couldn't stand to listen to the whining and the crying, the tantrums and the bargaining anymore. I decided to grow up, shut up and let the kid paint her room.
I admit I pouted my way through the entire process and loudly proclaimed to anyone within earshot that I wanted nothing to do with this project and I was not helping out.
"This is all you," I told my husband. He and my daughter listened to my rants and just said, "Ok."
So what is it about renovation that I hate so much? I mean nobody likes the mess and I get that, but like I said, after so many years of doing, I just want to be done.
It's not the painting or the shopping or the conceptualizing that I detest, I actually like that process, it's all the other stuff that I just don't have the energy for anymore. When you renovate one room, it affects almost every other room in your house and for a long, long time.
This is how my living room usually looks, but not today.
Today, it looks like this.
It's everything from my daughter's room, thrown in there, all over the place. It couldn't stay in the room, it had to move into the sanctuary of pretty, my living room. Now, two rooms are a total mess and completely out of commission.
Oh, but wait, where will she sleep? I know, the family room couch. Great! Now there is bedding all over the couch and random items she needs to get ready on the coffee table and desk.
You can't really make a couch and since her stuff doesn't actually belong there, it can't be put away, so that room is a disaster, too and essentially, out of commission, as well.
And what happens to all the stuff that she no longer wants, when she's cleaning out and putting things back? What do I do with the old bedding and lamps and curtains and blinds and rugs that no longer work with the new decor?
Do I donate them, sell them, shove them in a closet hoping that someday we will use them again (we won't)? I don't know, I can't decide just yet, so they sit in a pile in the kitchen and it overflows into the hallway until I can get my act together.
Two more areas of my home disrupted from a simple bedroom paint job.
I know, I am probably being overdramatic. It's really not that big of a deal, but then again it is and it doesn't sit well with my decorating OCD. There is no way to tidy this mess until the construction phase is over, until the room stops smelling like paint...low VOC paint still smells, by the way...and all of her belongings make their way back into her room.
Her newly painted, white room.
White.
For now.
And if I have it my way, forever.
This is why I still haven't touched the office. I hope it's over soon, because as an OCD person myself, I TOTALLY get it.
ReplyDeleteThe room was really cute though :)
(((hugs)))
rue
Thanks! I think it was cute, too, but I bribed her into that the last time she wanted to repaint and I said no way! The kid is way closer to moving out than she is to kindergarten…or middle school for that matter. Time to paint! ;-)
DeleteThe office, huh, yeah, I get it. Bookshelves…lots of stuff!
Kim,
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you. Once you paint something or change up something it starts a whole thing. I love the change and the challenge but not the everything everywhere part. I know the room will be fabulous for your daughter.
Soon it will be over and back to normal.
Kris
It’s getting back to normal, Kris and yes, it is fabulous! She’s happy, so mama’s happy!! ;)
DeleteAww I wish you luck with the painting and remodel of your daughters room. Boy I know what you mean about how it affects everything when redoing a room or home improvement in a house. Just stay positive and how happy your daughter will be when it's all over! Lol.
ReplyDeleteJulie
The bulk of it is behind us now, Julie, so I am much more positive! ;) She is already beaming and that does make me happy!
DeleteI know that remolding can be such a mess but have found when it is all said and done that we are usually very happy with the outcome.So I hope you will be happy with the transformation and that you will be sharing pictures of your daughters newly redecorated room really soon!
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right, the result is all worth it, it's just the during that I detest! ;-) I will share, soon, I promise!
DeleteJust sending you a hug!!! I know about the domino effect....when hubster starts a project, it takes over his whole shop....my shop......the patio......the porch......the den.....
ReplyDeleteand sometimes overflows into the kitchen!!
And don't look at the bathroom sink where he cleans up......
oh my......
Blessings to you and prayers for calm!
J
Thanks J, I'll take that hug!! :) Yes! That sink and the brushes, thank you, I forgot that one! Ugh.
DeleteOh for fun. I was hoping that you would give a hint before ending your post as to what the new color was and I have to admit that white was not what I expected. Our kids' bedrooms went thru maybe three colors each while they were still living at home. And their bedrooms that they still sleep in when they are at the farm are still their choice of color. It is always fun to see what they pick and get a peak at their budding style. We had some interesting choices over the years but I wouldn't have changed it for a minute. My youngest is wanting to paint her pink and black room a nice calm gray so I might be following you into that 'everything in the other rooms' stage this winter. Wishing you calm in the days ahead. Post pictures of the finished product!!
ReplyDeleteI was not expecting white either, Lorri. I thought she would go with a color and she's had such a long time to ponder! I guess white was the default and I am fine with it, it goes with everything, looks clean and was cheap!!
DeleteMy husband is the painter in this household, and when doing a bedroom he moves the bed and mattress and box spring out of the room and leans them against a wall in another room or hallway, then all other furniture pieces get moved to the center of the room with a painting tarp draped over them and it makes for so much less to move out of the room and then back in. Of course there's always the pictures from the walls and other decor items..... this house has pretty much all been repainted since we bought it two years ago, but I STILL want to do the master bedroom. This year we seem to be doing outdoor projects. It's always something. Sorry you are having a tough time with this, but white does sound like the way to go as far as paint color. xo
ReplyDeleteSounds like you guys have done a lot of work! Summer usually takes us outside, too, winter we focus on the inside. It's not really all that bad, the idea of it has been worse than the actuality!
DeleteAwww, she should have at least painted it red for you!! I feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteThat’s what I said, AnnMarie! She said no way, mom, no red, never red! I think the kid’s had enough! ;)
DeleteI feel for you. Sometimes I hate the thought of painting a room simply because it means I have to clean it out. Having done our office, den and guest room in the past 6 months, all the excess stuff we don't want is down in the basement. I can barely squeeze into the laundry room.
ReplyDeletePlease share when the room is done-I'm sure it will be cute. And love your living room!
Jane x
I will share, Jane, thanks! We are still working on the finishing touches, but soon, I hope! :)
DeleteI totally get why you don't like redecorating...the mess is EVERYWHERE and there is no escape...except to go stay in a hotel or something. But then all you will do is obsess about the mess at home. :-) I loved her room, it was adorable, but kids grow up and want their own taste and ideas surrounding them. At least with the white paint, you can have any color accessory and those things can be changed out without the mess all over the house. You are brave, I would be nuts! By the way, your house is still gorgeous, even with your daughter's stuff all over the house! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe white is very nice, Benita, you are right. She has definite ideas about the decor and I’m just going with it! :) And thank you, the house is a complete mess, but you are nice to say otherwise!!
DeleteI feel for you....but you sit her down by the midday Saturday, and hold up every piece, and determine keep or get rid of. Create trash or donate piles. then use big black bags to pack it ALL up, right then and there. then move the bags to the garage or the side of the house or somewhere, until you or hubby can drive them to where they go, or trash day. Easy peasy. Over and done.
ReplyDeleteMarie Kondo's book-great, fast read that can help you and the daughter. :)
good luck!
I have heard of the book, I have never read it. Thanks for the reminder...and yes, we did just that. Easier than I expected! ;)
DeleteWe need to start a support group for renovation realities. ;) I totally get this. My kitchen reno is in it's 8th month and I am usually a fanatical neat freak. The mess is driving me insane. Here's hoping you get your rooms back...soon.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, eight months would send me into a tailspin. I did that with toddlers...twice. Never again! Good luck my friend! :)
DeleteI see that Kailani recommends the Marie Kondo book. Beware! I read it a few months ago and the amount of work that followed! She'll make you want to re-think the whole house.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Uh-oh, maybe I'll stay away from the book! I just purged and simplified, not sure I want to do that again!! ;)
DeleteLOL! I have felt that exact way too many times to count! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAnd yet we keep renovating, Gina! ;) Haha!
DeleteHey Kim!
ReplyDeleteI can feel your 'been there, done that...to death' frustration with this bedroom renovation, but can't wait to see what that white will look like, (wondering if our red will be a complementary hue!), as it can only enhance the view, right?!
Voted for you fellow colour gal and hope you win!!
xoxo
Poppy
Thanks for the vote, Poppy, you are too sweet! Funny enough, she was considering a bit of red. I think she was, too! ;)
DeleteOh Hon, any work done, anywhere in a home, causes havoc in other places. There must be a 'saying', which covers this. But I don't remember it. -gigggles-
ReplyDeleteTessa
Yes, there must be a saying! :)
DeleteOh, I feel the pain! That is how our dining room looks right now, since we started a craft room makeover. Actually our room looks a lot more messier, since all craft/fabric are stacked up, and I am still working on my projects in the mess ;) Living in a mess can be very frustrating! BTW, the purple room looked very pretty, my daughter would love that!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the purple, Annie. I even made those sweet curtains to match the PB duvet cover, but nope, she was done with it. That’s ok, it’s a girl’s prerogative to change her mind, right? ;-) Good luck with your craft room, sounds like fun!!
DeleteProbably a good day to leave the house and go on a nature walk or something : )
ReplyDeleteYes, Deb, or a good week! Camping anyone? ;)
DeleteKim, I am not laughing at you by any means, it's just that this sounds so familiar. I always had in the back of my mind that my daughter would have one of her own someday and then she would get it! But, she had to have a boy instead and he could care less so there goes the payback. At the young age of 70+ I still have one room done and messed up again because the next room is in progress. Maybe we never learn! Happy Weekend..Judy
ReplyDeleteI laugh Judy, because my mom used to say that to me...you'll get yours when you have kids. Boy, did I ever!! ;)
DeleteLOL, I am so the same!! I hate the mess. As you know we had our basement wall replaced this Spring. It just about made me go crazy. The mess, no laundry room, the men in and out of my house.
ReplyDeleteBut I survived. ;-)
I love how you write, it is well done, I can feel your pain. LOL
Carla
I remember your wall and your lack of a laundry room! Our mess is not that bad, no men in the house and I can still wash the clothes. Funny how that's a good thing, huh? Ah, the little things! ;)
DeleteI understand about the mess part.....I have had to deal with it by giving myself deadlines. I think it's great she picked white...now you will never have to repaint that room. I'm looking forwards to seeing the completed bedroom.
ReplyDeleteWhite was a good choice, Ronda. She’s making a very pretty space for herself! :)
DeleteIt often has looked like that here for the past three years. I said to my spouse please put the library back together before I get home. He came through. White... My daughter's room is white too with one pale green wall, but it started out blue, and it has only been three years! I can see why she wanted a change. xoxo Su
ReplyDeleteThat sounds beautiful, Su! I bet your library is lovely, too!!
DeleteI'm kind of giggling, but in a commiserating way. I know exactly how you feel, even when I'm usually the instigator of some project. In my mind, it is so much less complicated and moves much quicker....."who needs to eat?" or "What do you mean you are taking the day off?" Just tell me, do you like wine? It could really help!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for your nomination and have already voted!
Haha! Yes, when I want something done Carol, the script in my head is so much different! I can deal with that…sort of! Thanks for the vote, my friend.
DeleteI totally understand! I'm quite OCD about my house and when things are all over the place, I go crazy. We're in the middle of re-doing our bedroom right now. We've lived here 25 years and we lived with builder grade white for years, then had it painted baby blue, which was hideous but I was too tired/lazy to do anything about it. Hubby recently painted it gray and I love the color but his cutting-in technique at the ceiling level left much to be desired. Put it this way - there's gray paint on the white ceiling. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved in our house, there was so much to do, we did it right away. It was a crazy time and the major construction lasted for months with toddlers under foot. One of the only rooms that didn’t get done was my master bath. I needed a sanctuary, so I said no way, not now. It was a terrible, mismatched, dingy looking yellow and green number and it bothered me every single day, but I was not willing to go back to that construction phase. It stayed that way until about two years ago, when we bit the bullet, moved into the living room and the hubby redid it. It’s white and will never change! ;) And I hear you about the gray paint…my husband would tell me to go to sleep, you can’t see when you’re eyes are closed…or something to that effect!!
DeleteI call it the ugly before the pretty. No matter how hard you try, everything turns into a mess when you are focused on a big project like that. It will be like a breath of fresh air when everything is all pretty and put back together. :)
ReplyDeleteSO ugly Stacey!! It is getting pretty though, the kid has a good eye!
DeleteYour beautiful living room will be beautiful again before you know it. Your daughter will be happy and all will be well again. And then you'll be done - for a while anyway!
ReplyDeleteYes, Susan, for a while anyway! ;)
DeleteI know what you mean about getting your life back on track. I shared my Chaotic home during my kitchen renovation too, but in the end, I think your daughters happiness will make it all worth while!
ReplyDeleteYes, Vel, she’s already over the moon, so I am, too! :)
DeleteThank you, Teri! It does help! It's almost done and most of the mess has been wrangled, so that is always a good thing!!
ReplyDeleteHi Kim! :)
ReplyDeleteI hear you...we've been in a state of renovation for over 20 years now, except in different homes...so for us, it never ends! I'm with you, it's the mess of the renovation that drives me crazy, OCD is not my friend either! ;)
In the end, I say let her pick her colors and decorate her own room, she'll be gone away to college before you know it and that is time you can't get back! :)
You are so right Kimberley and college is looming large, so we are redecorating. After all, I want her to want to come back and visit (or live here) and feel happy and at home.
DeleteI totally understand! I painted the living room this summer, but now the ceiling needs painted and the rug needs taken out and, and, and.... I'm sure her room will look very nice and the rest of the house will be back to normal before too long!
ReplyDeleteI hope so Pam! Thanks so much for weighing in and I hope your living room redo is almost done, too!!
DeleteHi, Kim! I'm so glad you visited my blog today and left a comment -- it allowed me to follow you here and look around your lovely blog. Totally get that the mess and disorder of redoing a room has a ripple effect on the rest of the house, but your daughter, I'm sure, is going to be so happy with her updated bedroom. And I think white is a smart choice! She can change colors in bedding over time and it will always coordinate. All best!
ReplyDeleteJoanne @ Sea Glass Cottage
Thank you, Joanne, your home is lovely! White is working out well, I am excited for the end result!
DeleteI hear what you're saying - renovating takes so much energy. The room looks great by the way. I've been in the middle of a remodel for almost 6 years and I'm beyond sick of it. Just ready to sell and let someone else finish it. However whenever I do finish an indoor project it feels good once it's done!
ReplyDeleteCarole @ Garden Up Green
Six years? Oh my Carole, you are a brave and dedicated woman!
DeleteHaha. Well, you wouldn't want to be in our cottage right now. I just keep moving messes from room to room until they eventually work their way out to the breezeway, and then Dennis deals with it. Gotta love that man! Good luck with your daughter's room renovation. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy, we’re getting there! I remember those days, the whole house reno, so well, I still have nightmares! From the look of your kitchen, your mess is very worth it! Just a little bit longer…then you can put your feet up and enjoy the fall. I hope anyway! :)
DeleteAny type of redo creates a bit of a mess. I know it's not fun, but won't it be wonderful to see her so happy and no more complaining. White is great and should last for eons! lol! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
ReplyDeletehugs,
Jann