Our designer friend Gordon insists we change things up from time to time. Yesterday he came over determined to re-do our big room. We certainly didn't tell him no. His rules: nothing the same, no cost. Only 2 pieces of furniture stayed in the same place. We can live with it for a while, tweak it, or change back.
Let me just show you 2 walls. Here is the double-round-sconce wall.
Here it is now. You can make the pictures bigger if you click on them.
Gordon said, "Got anything round?" We searched and tried everything round. I remembered our broken $20 plant roller from Lowes. It used to hold a giant pot on our porch. I removed the wheels and now it's wall decor. Every piece has a back story. Everything was somewhere else: the mirror, the fish, the lizard, the ballet dancers, vases, the deco-flowers
Gordon is amazing. We don't always understand where he's going. He searches the entire house for things to use. He assimilates it in his head. We try everything out. You get to a point where you think it's done but Gordon isn't satisfied. It can get a little frustrating and testy.
Here is the fireplace wall at Christmas. Our huge $70 Van Gogh was beautiful but it was time for a change.
This is a more professional photo:
We went avant-garde and witty with two of our son's graffiti paintings, coral and fish bones. Both hung vertically elsewhere in the house. I'm not objective about my own children. But these paintings are 60" wide. When you are in the room with them, they are stunning.
We'll fiddle with the bookshelves later. I'm sure there are some tweaks ahead.
P.S.
If there is anything we've learned about ourselves, it's that we are not "searching for our style" at least in the sense you'd expect. We don't seem to have a style. We certainly don't have much cash.Thanks to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Every time I've thought, "I don't like this style," I find something in that style that I love. And I get tired of the same stuff, even great stuff if I see it every day.
So changing, if we can, pumps us up. It's great having Gordon: watching a pro work, his delight in doing it, his delight is pushing us, his delight in spending nothing.
More money would help though.
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Great 'after' over your fireplace. And the backstories? LOL. Because the pieces work.
ReplyDeleteHow often do you change things up?
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
I love the change (especially the plant roller turned wall decor) and I bet your son is happy that he replaced Van Gogh! Way to go, Gordon -you're another designer proving beauty is everywhere-if you look for it!
ReplyDeletePS I also like your striped walls, Terry.
If there is anything we've learned about ourselves, it's that we are not "searching for out style" at least in the sense you'd expect. We don't seem to have a style. We certainly don't have much cash.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I've thought, "I don't like this style," I find something in that style that I love. And I get tired of the same stuff, even great stuff if I see it every day.
So changing, if we can, pumps us up. It's great having Gordon: watching a pro work, his delight in doing it, his delight is pushing us, his delight in spending nothing.
I love to see such great changes with your existing things! I do like to rearrange every now and then!
ReplyDeleteThe graffiti art really amps up the more traditional space. I think Gordon did a great job. And having an artist in the family has its perks!
ReplyDeleteWell done! Your friend is amazing! And I love your son's paintings!! Is art his profession or a hobby?
ReplyDeleteWhat great changes - Gordon is one talented and creative person! Linda
ReplyDeleteHi Terry,
ReplyDeleteI love this Gordon guy...send him to my house, will ya? :-) I LOVE the changes! The paintings above the fireplace really energize the room and I love that they are unexpected. So clever turning the plant thingy into actual art for the wall. Ok, if you can do that...none of us have any excuses for not sprucing up our rooms! :-)
Susan
I'm sure Gordon would be happy to meet you. His clients who have moved away from Atlanta fly him to their new homes.
ReplyDeleteOur son has sold some art but he's got busy young man's life. An artist has to do everything to break out.
I love your son's paintings above the fireplace. Van Gogh is nice, but these are WOW. They are edgy and totally unexpected. A+!
ReplyDelete'Rearrange' is my middle name AND I love yours!
ReplyDeleteWow!!! These were the things you had around your house!! I'm going to have to do that soon. I'm getting tired of the same old same old!!!
ReplyDeleteI think it's great to move something from one room to another and get a different look. I do this in my own home from time to time. A nice option when there is nothing in the budget for any new accessories.
ReplyDeletethe room looked good before, but those simple changes really gave the room a fresh modern feel
ReplyDeleteI think this is so fun and the best is it is free. I like to do this sort of thing at my home because it makes me feel like I am in a new place....or new environment. I like that feeling. I do also like how changing things can make you appreciate some of the objects you move--sometimes you "see" them more after moving them.
ReplyDeleteI think it is wonderful to be able to display our kids' artwork. My oldest son likes to paint---when he was little he painted a few murals in our home --one was small --just a bird in a nest over our doorway. One was a big wall in one of our bedrooms. I also have pictures hung in different areas of our home. I have thought of painting over the big mural....but I don't have the heart to do it....to many memories.
I love the layout of the room and the changes that you made. Your son's artwork looks fantastic over the fireplace.
ReplyDeleteJane
I do change things around alot, I, too get tired of looking at the same things all the time and just MOVING things is EQSY! Gordon is very talented!!!! Pinky
ReplyDeletewhoops, meant to say "easy"!!!:):)
ReplyDeletewow great job, the fireplace looks great, love it
ReplyDeletehappy met monday
sarah
I love to change it up as well, in fact everyone kept saying why are you always changing things, so I began saying, "oh of course your have to change it up for the seasons", which made them rethink their own place...Love it
ReplyDeleteWhoa - I am diggin' it big time, Terry! And I am diggin Gordon.
ReplyDeleteTerry, I have heard you talk about Gordon before, how fun that he will come and do some changing up for you! It was so great to see some of his work --- there is nothing that I love more than a a fabulous redesign that costs nothing!!! Thanks for sharing the photos.
ReplyDelete-Angela
C O L D F E E T A L E R T !!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's been 24 hours, daughter #2 came over and spread doubt. I don't think we quite have the furniture placement (but I didn't show you that). The pictures above the mantle are a bit shocking to some tender sensibilities and both paintings really rocked where they were.
The new version of the former "double-round-sconce wall" seem to be a #1 hit.
If you could see the colors of the left-hand vase thing, you might weep. My photo doesn't do it.
We're going to ride it out for at least another 24 hours and see what daughter #1 and son think.
Stand by.
E N D C O L D F E E T A L E R T !!!!
I love the new wall look. Hard to believe that is all stuff you already had! How do you meet people like Gordon? All we know are people whose knowledge of decorating is how far the chip & dip bowl can possibly be from the tv and recliner!
ReplyDeleteNiece #1 likes it, if that counts for anything! We may need to commision David for a piece for our new place.
ReplyDeleteI really like what you've done. Your room looks so warm and cozy. Thanks for sharing these great ideas.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, NM.
I love the nudges to look around. As the parent of a college student, and without a penny to spend on decor, I am so "shopping" at home. Thankfully, we do have great pieces to work with already. But, the accessories are always my dilemma. Wonderful transformation and inspiration.
ReplyDeleteSuch a gorgeous home and all the changes are just wonderful. I love to see unexpected things used in such a creative way. Beautiful. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteYou have such a wonderful open space to work with! I love what he accomplished. Nothing like rearranging things so you have something different to look at. I do love those paintings over the fireplace. They just seem to "go" there, and fit the space perfectly. And I love his vision of taking anything and everything and seeing what he can do with it. Now that's true "repurposing!"
ReplyDeleteBrenda
I secretly want to do this to lots of rooms I visit. I love it when people are open to change and have trust in the process. A fresh eye is a great thing...and your room looks great Terry! I would say you indeed have a style...love the paintings!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Michelle
Michelle, Some whining, crying, b-------, and moaning by the owners (spousal-unit and me) are always involved. And Gordon still has to sell us and trusting as we are.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite exciting and a mini soap opera. With 3 people we have 2 on 1 fights (I mean disagreements).
It's very personal even though we've been married forever and Gordon is a very close friend, very personal.
It's now been 48 hours and it's still #1 topic of conversation. The story isn't nearly complete.
Terry, hold your ground. You like art too much to keep a boring Van Gogh print over your mantle. While I do like your sconces, the new arrangement is more interesting. In an act of mediation, I'll bet Gordon could find a way to incorporate those sconces somewhere. However, to compromise on the graffiti would be an injustice.
ReplyDelete....just in case you needed some more drama to your melodrama
The sconces are looking great on the opposite wall. But... the opposite wall was also the location of the purple/pink/orange graffiti picture, where it rocked like you couldn't believe. Until about noon sunlight shone directly on it.
ReplyDeleteI love the changes you have made - I get bored with the same things and I am always moving ornaments about just to refresh a room
ReplyDeleteVEry classy changes. Love repurposing stuff into new uses, so I'm loving the 'something round' over your mantle. Your son's artwork is stunning! Thanks for sharing the switch-up :)
ReplyDeletepeace.
Very cool! Love that you used your sons art!
ReplyDeleteTerry: The red chairs are in a family room now. They will be around the white table in there. It is a large enough room to have a game table over looking the mountains which will soon be covered with snow. Sounds so lovely, huh? Too bad it is Vermont. Anyway, I may take the trim off the bottom and replace it with a tailored skirt in a plaid. Then, the trim may go on a slip covered couch in our regular family room. Still thinking about this, but the chairs are definitely out of the dining room.
ReplyDeleteVery lovely what a few chages will make...send Gordon my way...May you have a great day...Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria
ReplyDeleteHey, Terry! I linked to you, today, in my Dutch Colonial post.
ReplyDelete-Trish
You are so nice Ms. OldPostRoad. He is the link to your post on Dutch Colonials.
ReplyDeleteLove the couch on an angle so much more comfortable with the vault!
ReplyDeleteWow - look at all of the comments! Sorry to be so late to the game.
ReplyDeleteYour Gordon sounds like an amazing designer, and an even better friend. He knows that you are inspired by your home, and enjoy it even more if it is shaken and not stirred.
Loved this post! And, love your son's artwork.
Love this- and I too am late to the game! Fun to see our children's artwork in use. Also, I would love to meet Gordon (like everyone else). Just great fun to see a designer at work.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of moving things around and creating a new space with the things you already have. I grew up as an army brat so I am very used to moving houses. After a year or so in the same place I start to get "itchy" and need a change. I'm sure my husband would much rather move some furniture around than move houses! We will have to try this!
ReplyDelete