HGTVing my Life

Early in the summer I tackled my bird retreat project. I consider it to have been a success, especially when I walk out to a million birds chirping in the backyard every morning.

Before fall hits us all like a ton of bricks and before winter begins to creep up, I've decided I want to get one more project in.

Making this room I reside in multi functional and pretty.

You see, I do not forsee living in this room in the years to come. I'll be off on my own, making some house my own. However, for the time being it's mine. And for the time being I hate it. My mother hates it.

Most days it looks just like a hodge-podge of things, where my formerly packed up in tidy boxes apartment exploded all over the room in a tizzy of books here, trinkets there, 14 old comforters on the bed and my lamps that used to cover an entire apartment, but now hold court in one tiny corner.

Bit a problem, don't you think?

I sat down to make a list of things I wanted out of the space.

1. Multi-Functionality: I want this room to transition into a room my mother could use to craft or watch television in when I'm gone.
   
2. Organized: Stuff is everywhere in this room, none of it where it should be.


3. Beautiful: Blame it on the free subscription to Elle Decor, but by God, I want this room to end up beautiful. I like statement pieces, and bright colors.

Things I currently hate about the space include:

This chest of drawers is HIDEOUS. I've been trying for 22 long years to rid of the damn thing, and it hasn't happened yet. But I've vowed to burn it in the backyard in a ritualistic cleansing if someone doesn't find somewhere else for it to be.

I also hate the tv. For obvious reasons I'm thinking small flatscreen.



This is the space behind the door. A cork board from when I was 12 and a book shelf that is overstuffed with only a small portion of my treasures (note to self: STOP BUYING BOOKS). I'm seeing all of this gone and shelves that go from floor to ceiling behind here.

Part of the area where my lamps have gone to die. What isn't wrong about this space? Ancient musical "THING" that nobody uses anymore. A storage thing for all of that crafting I don't do. Oh and a glimpse of the ugly awful desk that takes up space.

Gone. I want all of it gone.

What else do I want?

• I want aqua/robin's egg blue walls, with purple accents...possibly striped purple/green/blue kind of accents.
• A giant abstact on canvas with oil. Which I'm going to do myself. Yes, little ol' non crafty me.
• An old chair which hopefully I can find someone to reupholster for me in some sort of the stripy purple/green/blue fabric that I hope I can find.
• Curtains made from the same material.
• New TV.
• New storage space, IN CLOSET, rather than the chest of drawers.
• And a long countertop/desk sort of workspace across the wall where the desk and chest are now.

I'm going all trading spaces on my own ass.

Why am I doing this?

• Something to pass the time while I'm car-less.
• Insane desire to beautify things.
• I like to undertake the impossible.
• I hate that damn chest.

Mostly the last one.