Are You Searching for Perfect or Possible?

We aren’t talking about the search for a perfect mate. Yah, I hear your, “Awww, come-on!”. Relationships are not my expertise, nor do I don’t dare give advice on it, but as far as those go, one thing I do know is that PERFECTION does not exist, at least not here on Earth. The same can be said with your home and decorating. So many walls stay boring builder white and empty because the owner simply can’t decide on a vision for the space or because they are looking for the perfect piece of furniture, artwork, or color. Perfection doesn’t exist people! 

What does exist are POSSIBLITITES!

Let’s bring philosophy down to practicality, shall we? When you head out in search of a home décor item, my advice to you is to look at the BONES of an item. Nothing can beat quality structure or essential style. Remember, color, pattern, and texture are all elements that YOU are capable of changing. Let me show you a simple example of what I’m talking about.

Here is this beautiful, chippy, distressed wood and wrought iron, outdoor garden medallion that now adorns my daughters’ bead board bathroom wall. I love it! It’s big, beautiful, and unexpected for a bathroom.

This is what it looked like before.

The medallion is fine as is, but it didn’t live up to it’s full potential for my space. I didn’t have to make drastic changes to it to make it work in the space. The color was 1980’s emerald green and really, this piece belonged out in the garden, to be posted on a fence or patio wall. Let’s look at what does work. The medallion has 2 good features, shape and detail. The large, round shape is a nice change to the linear bead board walls. The rusted, scrolled iron is beautiful!

So what can be changed? The color! No problem.

So instead of passing by this piece because it isn’t perfect, I chose to look at the possibilities of the piece and work with what I had. I took the colors already existing in the space and painted over the green garden medallion with two layers of paint.

(Sherwin Williams Urban Putty and Sea Salt)

Next was distressing! Get the sand paper out and go for it. Don’t overthink the process! Just do. If it doesn’t work, then you can always paint again and sand again.

Lastly I took a darker blue paint (Benjamin Moore Atmospheric) and brown glaze and dry brushed random areas and blotted off excess paint with a scrunched up paper towel. Dry brushing is dipping a dry paint brush in a LITTLE amount of paint and blotting it off onto a plate or paper towel so that only a small, light amount of paint remains on the brush. Then apply with light strokes, bringing out the natural raised wood grain and texture.

The whole concept is to open your eyes to the possibilities of any piece and make it work for you.

Take drab to FAB!

Does it take effort? Of course it does. But any thing worth while takes effort doesn’t it?

No perfection people, just possibilities.

Kim

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