So another transformation begins...

In the last eight and a half months, we've been pretty diligent in cleaning the out-buildings and the guesthouse. We've washed things downs and painted. Even on a natural level, we have spent a lot of energy chopping trees down, if they were in danger of falling or diseased, started our garden and added compost to our plants and so forth. And we're happy with our progress. One of the areas that we've not really paid much attention to since being here is the inside of our own house. The house itself is the perfect size for us and the layout overall works well. Our kitchen and living room share the same great open space; however, between the floor and counter tiles and the colour on the walls, everything feels like a complete hodge-podge (for our taste anyway). The tiles are not horrible, although not necessarily the ones we would have chosen if we were building from scratch, but they're definitely not offensive. I just think there should be more congruity: it feels like the previous owner chose tiles they liked on an individual basis rather than considering how the floor and counter tiles would look together (or maybe they did and we simply have different ideas of what works well). And then to top it all off, the walls have been painted in a 90s faux sponge effect with colours that have nothing much to do with the tile colour scheme. Anyway, since we're not in the position to remodel at the point of replacing the tiles and upholstery covers, we're opting to change the paint colour. I've picked three new colours that all work well throughout the entire house. The tiles, although they are different in each room, all incorporate dark blue, terracotta and yellow/beige, so I'm using those as a jumping off point. I'm going to paint the walls (no sponge effect) a nice light butter cream colour, which will be the base for all rooms, then add an accent wall colour for a bit of a punch (blue) to pull everything together. That's the hope anyway.

Our office area has bookshelves, a wood stove (which we never use), a desk which is piling up with paper. It's kind of a non-place really. We walk through that room to get to either the washroom, our bedroom or the loft. It feels more like a hallway (and dumping ground) at the moment. I think one of the reasons we've not really bothered with this space is because it's so dark. It's part of the old house structure and it's got wood panelling on every wall. The ceilings are nice and high, too, but are also wood. It feels oppressively somber, which doesn't match our lifestyle, let alone our personality. And then there's our bedroom, which suffers much of the same fate. There's a lot of wood panelling and some of that faux sponge effect. I love wood. Kevin loves wood. But sometimes, there's so much of it that it detracts from the feature it can be. So, yes, I will be painting over some of the wood panelling. I know, I know... but really, I believe it's the right thing to do in this instance. Once I'm done, I'll upload some pictures.

I love the transformation process... whether it be spiritual, physical... or environmental. Changing a space to match who you are and how you feel is a great way to bring comfort and serenity to your world. Well, our world, anyway.