I Don't Like Salad

People tease me for not liking salad, but I actually do enjoy vegetables, and while I have a similar aversion to decorations that match, a beautifully symmetrical room will always make my heart beat a little faster.

Symmetry is the sigh of relief in a room; the elusive thing that often makes no sense, but can take a mash-up of unexpected pieces and turn them into the most exquisite combination of comfort. It's a small detail, that bounces and balances what you have around the room, in a fluid, joyful movement; a harmonious dance of design and personality.

A symmetrical room feels more interesting, and the trick is to balance what you have, without following straight lines.
Play with opposites, balance a heavy piece with several small one's on the opposite walls.
Try to think more about shapes and sizes rather than finding things that look alike.

DIY Paint Adventures

I would never profess to be a painter, but I am not afraid to open a paint can and dab away at a boring room or an old piece of furniture. The lack of fear doesn't necessarily make me do a good job, it just means that I am not afraid to try, and if I mess up, it is my own home, and I'll try my best to fix it.

From small picture frames to bedrooms and countertops, I have learned that painting is an unpredictable process (and there is a lot of "p's" in this sentence). Just when I think I have it all figured out, the color will not be as expected, a paint can will rust without warning, or I will accidentally spray sunshine yellow all over my new, black shoes.

Some things are best left to the professionals, but before you make the call there are a few DIY paint repairs and ideas that you really (really) can do yourself.

A Quick Bathroom Update

Whether we like it or not, the bathroom is the place that we have to visit at least several times a day, yet we often neglect it; which is silly really, because it is one of the smallest spaces we have, and can be updated with very little time and money. Okay, so not HGTV updated, but freshened up enough that you might even like it, and you definitely won't cringe the next time you need to spend a little extra time in there.
By the way, this isn't about replacing taps and tile, or pouring your own concrete counter-top, it's about the things that you can plan while sipping a cup of coffee, and do with barely any skill or thought .....

Visits with a Chair

I never took it flowers, or dressed up in my fanciest of clothes, but every week I would go to the old antique shop, say hello to the lady behind the counter, and walk upstairs to visit the chair. She said I was allowed to sit on it for as long as I wanted, but I never stayed more than fifteen or twenty minutes.

It was called a chair and a half; crowded inbetween the plastic flowers and the used books, the chair was covered in a riot of faded flowers and had seen better days. It was squishy in all the right places, fit me perfectly, and just seemed to teeter over the wrong edge of my budget.

She said that no-one would buy it because it wasn't new, and it wasn't as trendy as it used to be, but I still loved it.

Why wouldn't everyone want to put their feet up on a giant chair, and feel completely enveloped in comfort? Perhaps it reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, being a bit disproportionate for the average person, but delightfully dreamy for the rest of us.

One day, I went to visit, and the shop was closed.