Welcome to my eclectic journey of my life and delights. This year my theme is surrendering my writing pen to the true author, Jesus Christ, while looking forward to the future, reflecting on the past and dancing through my journey.




Thursday, July 21, 2011

Come On In - You are Welcome


What happens when you pin up a decorative mind for three years then give her the keys to her cage....she goes flipping design crazy.

Well welcome to our new temporary home.  As I extend my decorating wings again I have decided...why not?

Objectives in this project -

  • Design to my own taste, not a magazine or trend
  • Have fun, it is temporary and will be changing before the end of the decade
  • Do all of it in the cheapest fashion and still look good
  • Do all of it as fast as possible....making this new dwelling feel like ours faster
As Mary said, "who paints a front door beige?"  So the front door needed attention, inviting you in to join our lives. (Mary is a wonderful artist and shares her work and spiritual wisdom on her blog)
Notice my paint swatches on the side of the door.



Hubby wanted a red door...He got a red door!
Now does that shout out "WE ARE HERE! Come on in!"

Next problem.  I was use to a lot of sunshine...I mean a lot of sunlight, to the point of fading my furniture.  Oh well, live and learn.  Along with the sunlight were very high ceilings.  So when we visited this house it had small windows and lower ceiling, knocking out the sunshine.  Then the walls were painted with a warm gold, a color I had used in my own house 13 years ago, when the walls were flooded with light.  As I walked in, the combination made me feel  like I was walking into a cave...not good.

Solution - Make the ceiling feel higher and the room feel like it contains more light - without spending a lot of money.
PAINT
Here are pictures of what you would see when you entered the door...excuse the mess we didn't clean up.

The gold was painted on all the walls going up the stairs and all over the adjoining family room.

Well the saying "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"....I am going to have diamonds!
The large diamonds give you the sense that the ceiling is higher.  The lighter color brings light into the room.
The remaining walls will continue to be in gold.  The hotel vertical blinds will be replaced with economical faux wood 2" blinds in white.  There will be valances across the windows mounted at the ceiling to extend the ceiling height visible.  The undersized light fixture will be replaced with a "treasured-find-deal" in oil bronzed, to fill the large expanse table.(shown here without extensions) The gold mirror will be bronzed. Yes, knobs are missing on the dresser which holds all my table linens...I am will be finding some jewelry (knobs)  to adorn the 60-plus-year-old family dresser.  All our art work that was stored for three years came out of their boxes for our enjoyment.  Yea! pictures on the walls!!!


Here is the room.  No tablescape at this time Debbie...I will have to do one soon and post after unpacking all those boxes of dishes.  I feel this room expresses my years of attempting a more formal look.  The chairs weren't bought with the table, they are chairs from my first dining table. My dream is to have eclectic chairs all around the table representing the different personalities of my children.  I plan to collect them from different sources.  Yes a formal table, but with a twist. The two parsons chairs are from when I had my own business and I upholstered them myself...they were finds from Salvation Army then I got a hold of them.  Yes, there could be some updating....but that isn't in the budget...so using what I have with joy.

To lighten up the stairway the walls were painted in Accessible Beige, with a picture hanging through the opening.  The large wall entering into the family room was also painted to reflect the light.

Here is the piano we had to find a room to fit...Rebecca and yes Lea, the bench can seat two.  It was my husband's mother's dream to give her children a grand piano...a true family treasure.


So welcome to the entry way and first room of our new dwelling.  There is more to come...some will be shocking.  My house tells my life story and I read it as I walk through.  It won't show up in the magazines or make for a number breaking blog, but it reminds me of the goodness of my God as I stroll through.  I hope you enjoy the tour as I guide you through in upcoming post.

42 Joining in with more words:

Debbie said...

Oh Janette I don't even know where to start...I LOVE it! How creative you are! I LOVE the diamond look, and what a good idea it is....You are obviously quite the decorator....I love the red front door. I have been thinking about doing that to ours for a while. You just may have inspired me to get on it. This is going to sound like a dumb question but I have been thinking on this like I said....what color is is on the other side? The beige? Just wondering how I would do that...OH, everything looks soo good...I want to come visit and see it all in person! Have a wonderful day my friend! HUGS

Lemon Lane Studio said...

It looks beautiful. How clever you are to add those diamonds. And I absolutely love that red door. What color/brand did you use? You may have a copycat on your hands!

Tanna said...

Janette, your diamonds are wonderful!!! Love 'em! You are making quick work of making this house a home. I love the 'welcome' on the door, especially on the red! Oh, boy! So much to look forward to! Don't work too hard. blessings ~ tanna

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

First, I LOVE red doors! It looks wonderful.

Second... the diamonds... brave, daring and outrageously great looking! YOU DID GOOD!!! I am so impressed. It's designer quality, and all from your head and a can of paint. Maybe you are missing your calling here... how about "Diamonds by Janette"... :)

I love it all.

xo

Farm Girl said...

I think it looks lovely already. You had your own business? Cool, what kind was it? Were you a decorator? I can't wait to see everything.
I am so glad you are getting to decorate again. God must have known you needed to be doing that again.
Isn't He such a good Father?
I can't wait to see the rest.

Kim@Seasons of My Heart said...

Oh Janette...I LOVE it. You are an amazing decorator...with great ideas.

I cannot wait to watch this transformation unfold.

Kim~

Karen said...

"The girl is having fun!" Decorating = Satisfaction. Some of us have it born inside and IT has to come out. Cannot be squelched. You have done an amazing job with thinking creative to enlarge & lighten. The color is very similiar if not the same of my bedroom. Hope you are not overdoing it. Calgon take her away each evening?

Mary said...

i can just feel the joy in you being able to create in this way coming straight through this post!!

having that same passion my heart is smiling....

i love, love, love the diamond wall, and the lighter color gives such nice contrast, light and punch.

and especially like your comment about using what you have with joy...contentment...

i just know our Father is looking down with joy as you create a warm, personal, inviting home for you and your family.

play my friend, play!!

oh, and am smiling big at that red door!!

xxoo

Crickit said...

I really like the diamonds on the wall and the red front door! You are quite talented! Can't wait to see what you do next! :)

Maryann said...

I love the red door and how you put welcome on it (we too have a red door but we weren't as creative) The diamonds were a terrific idea, and you did a great job with them. (I just know that had to involve some math, not sure I could have done as well.) Anticipating seeing more as you progress.
Enjoy your day and stay out of the heat!

Sandy said...

I love what you're doing in
making this house a warm and
loving home for your family!
I have always loved red doors.
Can't wait to see where else
your creativity takes you!
Enjoy!
Hugs~

Theresa said...

You are so talented. You should think about doing some outside design work (in your free time). I really would love to have you here to help me with my small home :)

no spring chicken said...

And that is what makes a house a home. Good for you Janette. Throw out the magazines, you have a wonderful sense of style, and the best sense of your own family! I love what you've done so far!

Blessings, Debbie

Lorie said...

When you get done with your house you are going to start your own decorating business, right? Your specialty will be helping people express their lives in their homes?

And it will be a traveling biz? Like to NJ? I know a beige door that needs some help. ;)

camp and cottage living said...

I agree with your decorating philosopy-do what you love.
Who knew diamonds added height to a room? I didn't.
I'm looking forward to seeing the end results. I'll be back to check on your progress!

Shanda said...

I love it!! It is so nice that you can decorate how you like. I would never have had the nerve to do the diamonds but they look great. And I noticed the grand piano :) Who knows, I may show up at your red door some day. It only says Welcome. It doesn't say to call first! like that.

NanaNor's said...

Hi Janette, I love all of your creative changes. I never thought of painting diamonds on a wall before-but it looks fabulous.
I have a question for you-not about decorating though...is that a miniature schnauzer is the background? We are looking at breeds for the future but I am concerned about this breed being barkers. Let me know o.k.
Have a wonderful evening. Hugs, Noreen

Christine said...

You have some really nice touches, that you added to your new home.
All done with paint,very clever.

Your little guy looks like he's been working hard, also.

Amy said...

wow!! It all looks awesome! You are working hard! I need to study your picutres and take lessons. Thanks!

Sally said...

What a great look you have going. Our home was a cave when we first moved in and my first job was having skylights put in. We have those tube/bubble skylights, much cheaper and plenty of light. Love them.

Wendy said...

Oh wow!! I love your objectives, to make it fun and make it your own, not to any magazine standards or designs. My objectives are the same. We also repainted out front door red. :)
But the diamonds-- wow-- that is fantastic. Now I'm looking for a wall to do diamonds. Thanks for the inspiration!

Simple Home said...

Oh, you're having fun, I can tell! You are so creative! You've done a wonderful job so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what else you come up with :)
Blessings,
Marcia

Unknown said...

Oh, I love it. I painted my door earlier this summer and it is a red-a deeper shade, more burgundy I guess. I love the diamonds and it all looks just wonderful. You can tell you are having such a great time being able to do this again, I am so happy to see that God blessed you with something like this, even though the move wasn't really what you had planned or maybe even wanted, God took care of little details to make it easier. So glad you are getting to make this home! I hope to get to see it in person some day.
Hugs,
Love you
Jill

Sue Anne McKinney said...

LOVE the diamonds!!!! GREAT idea. And of course, I'm all about red doors. Mine is red, too. Looks like you are getting all settled in! You've dona a lot in such a short time. Ok, I missed how many boxes you actually packed?

Alice said...

I really like the idea of different chairs at the dining room table:)

Rebecca said...

Yes - the red door catches one's attention and says, "Welcome!"

I would never have thought of diamonds - but it appears to have done the trick...

In addition to the work involved, I think you're having some fun, too. Right?

(Want to tell you I ♥ your idea of underlining the "I wills". What a great idea.)

Susannah said...

Breaking away from my own (numerous) decorating projects to comment on yours! LOVE those diamonds. Well done!

Fortunately, the colors on the walls in our new place are perfect... I just don't have enough artwork to fill them. (Interior spaces in Arizona are much bigger than what we're used to.) I think I'm going to paint a few of my own canvases... a first!

Yesterday, I hung four sepia-toned photos across the wall in our office... oops, I mismeasured and they're off center. Must go now and rehang them. Aarg!

Love your splashy red front door. Ours needs refinishing too. It's a heavy Spanish colonial panelled wooden door. Handyman said a coat of shellac should do it.

Hugs, and enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Janette,
Your home looks beautiful! What a perfect look with the diamonds on the wall. I never would have come up with that idea, nor been able to execute it. It's welcoming and classy, all at the same time.

Cecilia Marie Pulliam said...

Janette, your home looks beautiful, and you are right, it should reflect your life and personality. I would term what I've seen so far as elegant eclectic. Can't see what you do with the rest of the rooms. And by the way, our home has a red door. Red on the outside, off white to match the indoor trim on the inside.

myletterstoemily said...

how in the world did you do this SO fast?
i am amazed, but then you ARE wonder
woman! i love your bold diamond attitude
and completely agree, that they are a girl's
best friend. :)

if i ever need an interior designer, i will
call YOU!

nothing new at my place. i was just
hoping for a glimpse of your new home.

love,
lea

Anonymous said...

How delightful the diamonds look! Very creative. What a treasure that gorgeous piano is. We moved in March and it has been exciting making the home our own. Have fun. It is looking wonderful Janette.

Kathleen said...

You are utterly amazing, girl! I love your "sassy", creative bent.

When you invest so much of yourself in a home (versus Big Bucks), it soon becomes a haven that's hard to leave.

I pray you have mucho-many fabulous family times in this new chapter. The red door guarantees it!

Hugs,
Kathleen

Elizabeth Dianne said...

Love the red door and am wild about the diamonds!

So, I Begin this Journey...... said...

Janette......hello stranger! Your photos' are awesome!
I like the red door.....good choice and the decor is all about you. I agree! I think decorating should capture your personality- give comfort and coziness to your home..... in each room!
Love it!

Hope all is well.
xoxo
Lis

Lisa said...

Janette,
I love the diamond treatment on your walls! It is so striking! I've seen that on a bedroom wall and loved it there too. I don't know if I could get the lines straight. I'll have to practice before I actually do anything. :)
PS The doors at our last 3 houses have all been red. Nothing says home like a red door!

Vickie said...

Hi Janette - Wow, you've been a busy gal! I love your red front door. I would never have thought about the diamond thing, but it works so well - that's just genius in my book!

I wanted to tell you thank you so much for stopping by with your kind words of concern and care for my friends who lost their daughter. God is SO good and is restoring them with His peace and comfort. Kayla's funeral was a celebration of her young life, her love for her Lord and her love of her family and all she met. She loved everyone and everyone thought THEY were her best friend. Oh how we could ALL learn that same lesson. Thanks so much for your sweet words. I've passed along all these comments from my bloggie friends to my friends. Appreciate you so much!

Finding Joy said...

I love colour, however I notice most people don't. I love looking at "for sale" homes and I noticed that so many are white or beige, which I find lacks character and emotion. I wonder why we have moved away from colour these days. Are people frightened of adding their own colours to their homes or have no imagination. So, I love your colour and imagination:)

A multi-dimensional life said...

Great ideas Janette! And I'm so glad that you are unleashed and set free to design to your own taste! What fun! I'm looking forward to more of your creative transformations and enjoying the tour! :) The red door says "there is vibrant life beyond this threshold"...love it!!!

Sue said...

Hello Dear Friend,
Everything is absolutely beautiful. I love the diamonds, after all they are a girls best friend!! ~smile~ I really relate to your list of priorities!! It is right on target. I too am so thankful for God's many blessings. And my home does express me so well, I say I am eclectic, whatever that means.lol.
May you continue to enjoy this wonderful blessing from the Lord.
Thanks for sharing your life.
Hugs,
Sue

Nancy said...

I see the efforts of a bold and gifted decorator in these pictures....Love the red door and those diamonds are awesome.....It's amazing what they do for that room.....

You are definitely making your home yours with your personal touches everywhere.....your personal nest.....
for you and your family to come in our of life's storms and feel secure......

Hugs and blessings,
Nancy

Crown of Beauty said...

You are so creative, and I love the way you have expressed yourself!

Everything looks great to me.

The eclectic chairs around the long table, what a bright idea.

So happy for you!

Love
Lidj

Debbie said...

This is such a great welcome home gift for me! I love what you've done already, and I really (I mean REALLY) need someone to inspire me to do something decorative around here. I'm crazy about those diamonds.

And this is what I'm thinking... I think you should do a tablescape with THAT as the inspiration. How cool would a diamond/harlequin themed table be?

Missed this blog and am glad to be home!

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