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The Moment When You Get the Vision for Your House

by | Oct 28, 2015 | Decorating Inspiration, Moving, My Books, My Seattle House

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The Moment When You Get the Vision for Your House

So in my last post I shared that I was feeling a bit disconnected from my house. I wasn’t sad or down. I promise, I ADORE living in Seattle. I just miss that connection to my home. Perhaps I’m overly sensitive about my environment, but I’m sure many of you can relate. Even though my house has so much potential, it was missing a little something that I need to feel like it’s MINE.

So yesterday I spent a little time pondering how I was going to find that connection. I have had quite a few ideas since we’ve moved here, and I’ve shared my vision posts to show how I’m seeing this house. Those vision posts have been really helpful. But as I mentioned yesterday, I really hadn’t taken the time over the past few weeks of living here to just zero in on what could be done and try some things.

I sat down with my new book yesterday and flipped through the pages, just reflecting back to when I felt kind of lost and stuck with my old house. As I was reading my own words in the book (something that’s kind of scary for me to do after a book is done, by the way, ha!) and remembering that thought process, it hit me.

The Moment When You Get the Vision for Your House

I needed to follow the same steps as I did in my old house! Sometimes I forget and I wander around trying to reinvent the wheel. No, this house isn’t the same as my old house. No two houses are. But there is so much about the process that is the same, I need to remember that.

I started just puttering around with some decluttering in my living room. A bunch of stools, baskets and random things had ended up there in the move and they for sure didn’t work or contribute anything to the space. Just removing things from a room does wonders for your vision and sense of the space! It’s funny how what IS there can block you from seeing what COULD be there.

Getting rid of the excess that had just landed there in this room helped, but I was still just not sure what to do next. So from there I was in the dining room and tried something I had tried before, but this time something new really clicked. I not only removed a few excess things and slid furniture around to try it in new ways, but my daughter Courtney started marking up the wall with painter’s tape around the kitchen door, so we could get a better visual of an idea that had been brewing since we moved in :).

It is a risky idea because it is not what is normally done. You know, it might not follow “THE RULES.” Who makes those rules anyway?

The Moment When You Get the Vision for Your House

I haven’t yet shared that full idea here, because we weren’t exactly sure yet if it would all work. This house is different than any I’ve ever lived in, but that’s OK. Every house requires a time of discovery. We didn’t know if it was even OK to do it at all. Yeah, WHAT? OF COURSE IT IS OK TO DO IT! Silly me, it’s my house.

This house has been trying to tell me something. I am listening. She wants exactly what I want! It took about five minutes of seeing the idea mapped out with painters tape on the wall and our rearranged furniture in the space before we just KNEW. This was IT. HOORAY! This house and I are going to get along great, I just know it.

Courtney and I were practically jumping out of our skin.

Once we realized what had made us feel disconnected to our space, we knew exactly what we needed to do to feel connected.

With that one new little vision, and by daring to see our room in a new way, we knew we could:

-give our dining room our own unique look

-give the house more of our own personality

-use what we have in a fresh new way

-make our house feel cozier

-make more sense of the space we have (as limited as it is!)

-feel more connected to our dining room

-make a design statement that would appeal to our taste and freshen up the look of the house

-refresh the space on a budget that seems manageable

-reimagine how to make the dining room flow effortlessly into the kitchen (without gutting the whole house just to get the look we love).

-AND, once we knew all of these things, we started seeing how the rest of the main floor would come together.

RIGHT? That’s a LONG list of developments for only one day, but we are pretty tickled. We actually already love our house so much more EVEN with the tape on the wall than we did without the tape. We think we will just leave the tape there for now, it really has changed everything about how we perceive the space and even if we can’t get to that project immediately, it will help us to stay on course going forward.

The Moment When You Get the Vision for Your House

We’ll share a photo of our dining room with tape on the wall next week, so you can see what we see :). We might scare some of you with our idea, but hopefully you’ll like it as much as we do. It’s not expected at all, but I think that’s what we love so much about the idea. Gotta shake things up a little, right?

A house is just a structure until layer by layer, you make it a home.

Now I’m extra happy to finally introduce to you the brand new video trailer for my new book, The Inspired Room! It is pretty ironic and quite surreal how in many ways this book reflects RIGHT where I am in this new house. Making any house a home is a grand adventure.

The Moment When You Get the Vision for Your House

If we don’t live in our ideal house, many of us go through times of feeling uncertain about how to get the look we want for our home, or if it is even possible to ever really LOVE it {nods head.} I still don’t have it all figured out, but I definitely feel like I have a more clear piece of the puzzle. It’s always a slow but fun experience to see a house transform.

This book has lots of photos so you can enjoy just browsing through or even just set it out on your coffee table, but I hope you’ll sit down from time to time and read it, too. I shared lots of ideas and stories about how my other house came together over time, on a budget, using what we had and gathered as we went. I offered a lot of advice on how to use what you have RIGHT NOW (YAY!) and how to gather as you go to create an authentic home you’ll love. There are helpful tips for how you can apply the ideas to your own space, even if you have limitations or challenges.

I want you to feel that same sense of connection to YOUR house that I love feeling in mine.

Here’s the trailer!

You can preorder The Inspired Room here at the new book site so you’ll be one of the first to get it when it releases in just a few days!

Also, I just noticed Love the Home You Have (Kindle Edition) is just $2.99 at Amazon!

I can’t wait to show you our taped up dining room and our furniture all moved around, so you can see how we reimagine it. It’s so fun for me to share with you all, thanks again for letting me ramble on about houses :).

19 Comments

  1. Lilly

    You tease! Lol! I can’t wait to see your taped up idea next week. By the way, is that your voice on the video?

    Reply
  2. Stephanie

    Oh Melissa, after reading this post and the preview of your new book, how I wish we were sitting across the kitchen table sipping coffee and sharing ideas of what our new/old houses will become. You are such an inspiration.
    I now know that I don’t have to recreate a “mid-century” style in my humble 50’s ranch, although there is so much that I love about the style.
    I cannot nor should I try to replicate what I like about my present house. I also lived in a new built with blah style, but little by little my I made it my own.
    Yes, I will be patient (okay, I’ll try) and let the house tell me what it wants to become.
    I can’t wait to see what you new dining room will look like, a bit unexpected a bit unique, I love that!
    So once again thank you for being that voice I need to hear. I am also going to throw in some of the unexpected and fun elements that will make me smile when I open the door.
    Stephanie

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      That would be wonderful, I would enjoy sitting down to coffee. I’m glad we are on a similar journey, I hope your house will speak to you loud and clear! :) I like that you won’t feel the pressure to recreate a style that might not be 100% you, that is such a freeing feeling to be able to create what you love, keep what you really like, and not feel pressured to do something that just isn’t going to make you smile!

      Reply
  3. Christie

    Can’t wait to see the dining room idea!

    Reply
  4. Sara

    Ok, now I just CAN’T wait for next week to see your idea!!! I love how inspired I always am after reading your posts! Your blog became such a vital part of my day. Thank you so much for sharing with us! <3

    Reply
  5. Melinda Young

    Love hearing how you’re shaping the vision of your new home! It’s exciting to follow along!?!
    I just sat down with your new book and LOVE it! Great job Melissa!!
    You saved my bacon too. Bought too short solid curtains, I will be going to the fabric store to “tape” on some length and add a little “flare” to the bottom. :)
    Thanks for your inspiration!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Oh yay! Thank you so much for your comment, I’m glad you love the book AND that it was helpful! :)

      Reply
  6. Karen on Bainbridge Island

    At the start of reading your post I got scared because I feel so disconnected to the house we moved to almost three months ago. And now that we will be moving again, I am even more scared…what if I made another mistake and picked the wrong house again? What if that feeling persists?

    But I too think I will find the rhythm of the new house. I will listen to what it tells me it wants to be, but truthfully I think I already know how it will turn out.

    The lightbulb that finally went on for you in your dining room is intriguing and I am anxious to see what you have in mind. Perhaps you will use that room in a different way than you originally thought.

    In the new home we are purchasing, there are three rooms plus the kitchen and bedroom downstairs. One has a fireplace. One currently has a dining room table in it. One has a built in bookcase. Truthfully, any one of these rooms could be a dining room. Two of them could be an office. All three of them could be a living/sitting room. Ah, the possibilities. I think I know how I will set up each room to start with. But you never know what might change over time.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      I’m sure you are going to love your new home! It sometimes takes awhile to get that rhythm, but you’ll settle in!

      Reply
  7. Eileen

    I just received your new book. It is really beautiful. You must be very proud!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Oh thank you so much, I’m very relieved when I hear that kind people like you are receiving it and think it is beautiful! :) It’s nice to have people finally receiving their books, so thanks for coming to share. Made my day, thank you!

      Reply
  8. joanne

    Hi Melissa,
    I loved this blog and the trailer. I too need inspiration you see I am in the process of buying and selling my home. I have lived in my present home for over 35 years (OMG). My new home will be a 1954 ranch style home. I look forward to getting your book that I am quite sure will give me great ideas on making this new house my HOME. I am wondering how my 2 beagles are going to react, I loved how Jack and Lily adjusted to their new home. You said something that spoke to me that you have to live in your home to learn about it I had planned to just jump in and start decorating but I need to feel this new home get to know it and learn to love it and make it mine. THANK YOU for your inspiration and sharing your life with your blog. Enjoy your new home and I will do the same with my new home. Have a great day!

    Reply
  9. Orianne

    It’s probably safe to assume that if we’re frequent visitors here to your blog, then we all adore rambling on about houses and do it often ourselves. ;-)
    This post was a good read, not only because your excitement and authenticity are inspiring, but because it reminded me of how much joyful living is involved when creating a nest. In so many ways the process has as much to do about nurturing ourselves as it is about creating a home with a soul.
    Thanks for allowing us to share in the fun of this particular journey. ❤

    Reply
  10. mdn

    OK…you asked a while back if we had any ideas for your updates…and one just came to mind: wooden floor vents. They take emphasis away from the vent and “meld in” to the floor, making the vent almost disappear. (Unless one’s going for the floor vent focus, right?) Got one for the entry when a wood floor was installed, and it truly makes a difference – your vision no longer “pulls” to where the vent is. Plus, dust doesn’t “seem” to accumulate like it did with the prior painted vent. Lots of floor installers don’t realize they’re available: you often have to request them. (Think it was $19 or so (less w/o open/close venting mechanism), but so worth it.

    Reply
  11. Pamela liebsch

    It’s funny how you were feeling disconnected to this house. I was also feeling no connection to it. When you showed it for the first time I thought that it was a nice house but it created no reaction either good or bad in me. it was almost too blank of a slate. I could not picture what you were going to do with it to make it your own. It seemed more of a place you might live temporarily while you look for your real house. When all of the houses features are looked at separately it’s great. Hardwood floors, fireplace, the view, the basement laundry, the neighbourhood, nothing that needs to be undone because it’s terrible. You’ve got it made. You’ve got the blank slate everyone wants, trouble is when you have a blank slate it’s not terribly inspiring. Now you’ve got me excited, my wheels are going to be turning this weekend guessing what you’ve got up your sleeve.

    Reply
  12. Cristina Festa

    I felt the same way when we moved into our current home. The bones were great, we had big rooms, lots of property, etc. But it took a while to make it mine. The walls were white, the floors were a lighter wood, the family room was covered in wood paneling and dont’ even get me started on the kitchen. It’s circa 1969 with avacado green linoleum, faux wood cabinet doors and old appliances that they don’t even make anymore. All I can say is a home is a journey. We slowly redid things, from staining the floors a dark color to painting the walls, to taking out all the wood panelling.. We still haven’t got to the kitchen but it will get fixed one day. We’ve had a lot of life happen in between also the birth of children, family illness to deal with etc. But one day at a time the home becomes you.

    Reply
  13. Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista

    I love what you said about feeling disconnected with your home. It is not so much that we don’t connect but rather it just takes time to feel like home. Wonderful advice for even my own home that I have lived in for six years! Sometimes when I change things I feel lost in my own home – but in time when I start getting things right, I feel reconnected again! A great reminder through some of those home struggles!

    Reply
  14. Autumn

    I’m so excited to see what you do with the diningroom! Also, can’t wait until the new book comes out!

    Reply

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