worn, old, and cheap

this is so peaceful to me. i don't know why. it's not fancy, it's not new. it's surely not everything you think great design would be.

but i think it's wonderful.

i've made a lot of personal journeys in the last 2 1/2 years. when you spend 4 years busting your tail to become what you think an interior design student should become, it's only natural for some of us to realize it just ain't happenin. for me, there was more that came into play besides just not loving what i once loved. my mind has been transforming. shiny, new, and expensive is not only what i don't love anymore, it's not even what i would want for myself.

kind of ironic considering that i sell high-end tile now. but that's not to say other people can't have shiny, new, and expensive. hey, do what you want with your money. it's not my place to say. but if i ever had the money for shiny, new, and expensive, i would not spend it on shiny, new, and expensive. so, as a designer by nature, i've had a lot of mental battles going on, trying to figure out "ok, so what do i want?"

and i think, right now, it boils down to this:

i don't want my floors to be shined and polised (or anything require polishing for that matter).
i don't want perfect 90 degree angles in my walls.
i don't want my comforter to be 9" thick.
i don't want silk window treatments.
i don't want designer pillows that cost more than what i can find at target.
i don't want new furniture.
i don't want my mullions to have anything short of 3 layers of paint on them.
i don't want a new house.
i don't want anything that would make me cry if my dog chewed it up (because she probably will).
i want leaves in my gutters, i want my doors to squeak, my windows to stick, and my floors to make that wonderful groaning that old floors make.

{is it obvious yet that you become who you are more by knowing what you don't want??}

can i have all this and still have a great looking space? of course! the folks above pulled it off. so i know i can.

and in case you're wondering where the "before" is, check it out here.