Dreams are Free

Well, I'm back!!  I have several more posts upcoming about how exactly I spent my $75 in April & May, but for now I'm just celebrating that I finally cracked the login to sign back into my blog.  Yay, me!!  ( I will be writing that down so I don't get locked out ever again.)  Anyhoo...we've been hard at work here at the HevelHouse & have some big changes coming, I can't wait to share them.  

In the meantime, I will update you on our plans for our little "Project."  I'm always thinking of new ways we could decorate our home and LOVE doing mood boards.  It's like shopping without spending a penny, and it's so much fun to see how many different ways I can decorate one room.  It drives Shawn a little crazy sometimes.  He's always seeing dollar signs racking up, but I just remind him, "Dreams are free!"  The other day, I was looking at our living room mood board and thinking it was getting a little LOUD with all the bright colors.

LIVING ROOM BEFORE

1. Green Jute Roman Shade, World Market  2. DIY Starburst Mirror  3.  Paint: Sagey/Jogging Path/Yarrow, Sherwin Williams  4.  Waterfall Acrylic Table, ebay  5. Thom Filicia "Fabia" in Spa, Calico Corners  6.  Pier One pillow  7. Arabesque Rug, World Market  8. Teal painted piano, DIY  9. "Three Machines" Poster, Wayne Theibaud  10.  Manstad Sleeper Sofa, IKEA  11.  DIY Tripod Surveyer's lamp

I love color, but our apartment isn't very big and despite the open floor plan I just don't think I could live long term with so many "in your face" color choices.  So back to the (virtual) drawing board I went.  In the original plan, I designed the room around a print we purchased in San Francisco from one of my favorite artists.  It was Wayne Thiebaud's "Three Machines."  I just loved the way the paint seemed to change colors and how vivid it was on the canvas, but filling my entire house with those colors was like a sugar overload!

Wayne Thiebaud's, Three Machines

I was aiming for "fun & funky", but searching for fabrics & accessories to match the poster print made it seem more like "loud & crazy."    The colors in the Thiebaud print were very limiting, and everything I found looked like it had just come out of a child's toy box!  See what I mean?...

Ralph Lauren, Carolina Paisley via JoAnn Fabric

I quickly decided that my beloved Thiebaud print would have to go.  So for the living room re-design I picked our current living room/dining/kitchen paint colors as a starting point.  I knew I wanted something that was similar to my original design, but with a more sophisticated, grown-up feel.  Without the pressure of having to match-up my fabric to anything, I could pick something that I loved (something that I could live with for more than just the 30 seconds it takes to hang them up) and then choose accessories that would compliment the fabric.  I finally settled on this print:

Waverly, Wonderama (Toucan)

I loved the movement of the pattern and how playful it was while still seeming to stay sophisticated.  Once I decided on the anchor fabric, the rest of the process moved a little faster.  I hit up my favorite spots for pillows, accessories, and furniture and LOVED how it all turned out!

LIVING ROOM AFTER

1. Green Jute Roman Shade, World Market  2. DIY Starburst Mirror  3. Waverly "Wonderama", Fabric.com & Diamante "Seamist", Calico Corners  4.  DIY Tripod Surveyer's Lamp  5. Acrylic Waterfall Coffee Table, eBay  6. Flokati Wool Rug, World Market  7.  CB2 Pillows (discontinued)  8. Manstad Sleeper Sofa, IKEA  9. DIY Painted Piano  10. Mug Shot Pet Portrait, Manda's Art Studio  11.  Paint: Jogging Path/Sagey/Yarrow, Sherwin Williams

I learned two lessons through this process:

1. If it's not working, change it - Don't get too hung up on any one piece.  I love my poster print, but it just wasn't working for me.  If something you love isn't working for your design plan, give yourself permission to get rid of it.  
2. Start with the fabric - It's always easier, when designing a room, to start with a fabric you love; then pick the paint and accessories to match. 

So what do you think?  Have you had any recent "design disasters"?  Do you make a Mood Board before you start decorating?  I'd love to hear from you!