little7elf's Profile

Where to start! I agree with a previous poster that living with boxes is very different (and much more stressful) than not having a space decorated to reflect one's personality. Any empty space can be calm by being clean even though every surface may be begging for life.
After 4 years of saving and penny pinching, we FINALLY renovated a small kitchen. We initially thought to do it ourselves but quickly realized the trade off of time versus cost and mental sanity. We also felt that having a kitchen we could cook in sooner would save us by not eating out. We were lucky to find a very affordable, competent, and trustworthy contractor but that in itself took years of asking around for references.
Waiting 4 years to remodel a deteriorating kitchen was truly a blessing in disguise because I was undoubtably sure about every design decision that I made. Although I labored over the plans and nitpicked every detail (which can be exhausting), I can say that it was fully worth it in the end.
The decorating process wasn't actually too painstaking after the reno because over the course of the 4 years, I had very slowly and deliberately collected items that I truly loved. My possessions been edited down several times and now only the items actually worthy to me have a permanent place.
Yes, I'm a slow, intentional, and deliberate decorator. I am prone to buyer's remorse so I have to be able to justify even small purchases and while I am incredibly inspired by designers who can create curated looks on the fly, I have to wonder how much functionality can truly be supported by their impeccable aesthetics.
Oh, I'm also a cheapo who values quality which I think requires patience, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make since it's a rare combination to fulfill.