Kaviare's Profile

I grew up in a house that my parents built, mostly by themselves. I should note that they started when I was one. I'm 27 and it's STILL not finished.

Anyway, that gave me a good skill set for DIY, although only in specific things. I am super confident laying flooring and building brick walls, but anything involving pipes or wires is just beyond me. It's important to know your limits - but don't be limited by them! I know that I don't have the knowledge for those things, so I get someone to help me or do LOTS of research. I'm a crafter, too, so the idea of making things from scratch - the idea that I CAN do that - comes natural.

You'd be surprised what you can do when you put your mind to it. I'm often terrified right before I start a new project. Do lots of reading - on the internet or otherwise - and check out youtube. Make sure you have a good idea of what you want, but also know that nothing ever turns out quite how you want it. It's not that you're doing it wrong, just that that's how the universe works. If you're going to DIY, sometimes it's going to look a little... rustic.

And also I try to remember that learning new things is hard. These are skills that people spend decades perfecting. Of COURSE I'm not going to be perfect at it the first time I do it. Doesn't make it not worth doing.

Sorry if that sounded rude with the 'is it an American thing'. I just have only seen it on US sites, and it surprises me every time.

Actually, I would be super interested in this topic. I was my be linen once a week, otherwise it starts to ick me out. Sometimes I don't get time, and it goes two weeks, but by the end of the second week I am seriously over it. I have to do it on the weekends cos I hang my quilt out to air and have to be there in case it rains, etc.

I never had any say in house colours until this year when I bought my own house. So I've had a while to think about it ! (I'm 26)

However, in a more general sense, it wasn't until the last few years that I worked out what I actually liked. When I was a kid, it seemed like everyone just picked their favourite colours - I picked yellow. I don't mind yellow, it's ok. But I live in the blues and the greens. When I started crafting I started thinking about colours and what I like, and what I want around me. The supplies I bought when I first started are all muddy colours - kahki greens and maroons. I just got rid of them all. I like the colours but they are not ME. Now everything is jewel tones and saturated, 'clean' colours. My crafting friends kid me for being so predicatable. If it's sea green or peacock blue, I will like it.

Given that I had that long to think about it (and many years living in white or beige apartments) I spent months while we settled on the house looking at AT and finding the colours that sang to me.
My living room is aqua (red and white accents), and happy and light.
The kitchen is bright yellow with poo brown cupboards that soon (please, soon) will be white outside and blue inside.
My bedroom is peacock blue (I'm CONSISTENT not predictable) and cozy and inviting.
My craft room is apple green - soothing and inspiring at the same time!

I love it a lot, and it's perfect for my first house. But if I had a different sort of house I would want charcoal walls and dramatic dusky ochre. One day.

I really like the first kitchen (although I'm not a huge fan of orange) but I feel like it will also look dated, in a few years. There's a bright pink display kitchen in my local ikea that was designed for a contest a couple of years ago that's pretty similar - and it is looking a bit dingy and dated.

I'm not a SUPER fan of the rest of them, although I would be pleased to have all but the avocado one for myself. But even though I normally really dislike pink, I love that kitchen! I think it's fun and funky.

I guess my point is, while all of these will date, if it's YOUR colour and you love it, then even to outside observers it will date less. It will be a lived in, loved place as opposed to a slightly unsuccessful display kitchen that is now off trend.

I think it looks like a hotel.

If there was storage space, things tucked away behind doors, I would feel like it was less echoey and cold.

I love his patterns of vegetables. So beautiful and pragmatic. And of course, the quote about 'have nothing in your home that you do not believe to be either useful or beautiful'. Very helpful when cleaning out closets!

Also, can't wait to see what you choose! Don't forget to update us, please.

I did this with my bed. I WAS sad painting over the wood, but it wasn't very nice wood and it had been badly stained. Now it is lovely. I have some nice natural wood pieces in my home that I wouldn't DREAM of painting (the thought makes me want to cry) but until I can afford really nice wood, painting is the way to go!

I agree with the others that handknits or cables would be cooler.

I like it, but I am a knitter. I would HATE a whole room of this, but maybe a feature wall, especially in a craft room! Would be awesome. Or as backing to a cupboard, etc.

I am about to do this with my books. I love my books, but a lot of them are aspirational. I am determined to go home tonight and purge. If I haven't read it in a year, and don't think I'll get to it in a year, out it goes. Sets and old favourites I am keeping. Yes, there will be a few I will wish I had kept. But there are libraries and if I decide I REALLY miss it, I can buy it again. It's worth it to me, not just the space but the feeling of owning my stuff, and not being bossed by it.