The beauty in imperfection!!

photo: source unknown

It seems many of you share my belief that our homes don't have to have the best of everything to be beautiful and welcoming. In fact, most of us would rather be surrounded by our treasured collections that we choose because they make us feel a certain way, than simply accessorize with what should be added to the mix. We gather up bits and bobs from around our homes and make them work, and paint that which has seen better days. Sometimes we improvise with fabric and make our own "no-sew" window treatments and slipcovers. We tend to splurge only on things which make us draw in our breath with want; and even then, only purchase it after perhaps throwing a yard sale or two of our own to raise the cash!

In essence, we create pockets of beauty within our homes as we can afford, and look at our homes as a canvas that will take time to fill in all the colour. It is not about the end result, but rather this process of nesting that makes us feel good inside. We are creating homes, not masterpieces, and seeking perfection to display to others is simply not on the agenda...

Take a moment and check out these like-minded home-owners who are proud of the imperfections of their homes. They fix what needs fixing, of course, and many plan to change things they truly dislike...but they revel in the beauty they have created in their "perfectly imperfect" homes and have kindly opened them up for us to share. Thank you ladies!!
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Chris, at Just Beachy: Those of you who know Chris are not just visitors of her blog, but undoubtedly fans! Chris is the "go-to girl" for beachy style and inspiring projects that she needs no man to help her with. She is tireless in her efforts to make her home unique and custom, and while she is continually upgrading, she does so on a budget, does it all herself, and seeks out bargains at every opportunity. If HGTV ever needs a "shop girl" to host her own show, Chris is the gal!!

Leann at 2 Nuts in a Shell: Leann has a flair for furniture make-overs, hand-made art projects, and creating a lovely home for her adorable, young family. Check out her fantastic table make-over and more!

Jen at The Most Important Work: Jen has taken a quick trip to the hardware store and created a window treatment that takes a common item and elevates it to a whole, new level!! Check it out...you won't need much money for this one!!

Melanie at Monday Thru Sunday: Melanie had two great ideas, one is a fabulous make-over of her patio floor, and the other is her $7.00 headboard...you will love this one. For those of you who enjoy a little dumpster diving, this will be right up your alley!! Melanie's blog is full of great ideas and inspiration, so have a peek through her archives while you are at it!

Cindy at My Romantic Home: You all know Cindy, she is a master of creative make-overs of furniture and finds, and she offers up her list of her top projects. Get ready to be inspired, and have your paint brushes ready!

Sarah at A Beach Cottage: Well, Sarah says this outdoor sofa was a cast-off find, and hosts some not-so-pretty cushions underneath, but when I first clicked over to her blog, I could not believe this beauty wasn't plucked from some fancy schmancy outdoor furniture store!! The transformation of this settee is complete, and completely beautiful! Her blog is, too, so you may be there awhile!!

Linda (nice name, huh?) at The Lime in the Coconut: If you like bold colour, great artwork, and fun, unfitted kitchens, you are in for a treat. Linda talks of her lack of organization, but if you ask me, it has inspired some really great decorating...happy accidents!!

Julia @ Hooked on Houses: If you haven't been to Julia's fabulous, fun, smart house blog, well...you're going to thank me! Julia has created a photo wall in her lovely home and did so using some great, cheap picture frames (you'd never know it), and some perfect (yes) photo placement. The gorgeous photos of her family and kids, in particular, make her smile every time she passes by. Now that's decorating with meaning...

Liz at Mabel's House: Besides absolutely loving everything about this girl, I especially love the makeover of her entry-way cabinet. I mean, honestly... robin's egg blue, red baskets and a vintage typewriter (which I covet unnaturally)...what's not to love? In fact, when I look at the whole picture, I feel the tiniest bubble of jealousy at the back of my throat...good thing I like her so much!! Also she has the original, pink-tiled bathroom that was birthed at the same time her house was, and she is currently wrestling with it. I just know if anyone can pull it all together, Liz can!! Oh, did I mention she is also a wonderful writer?? Enough said...

Nancy @ Flower Mound Studio: Nancy is a talented artist who is unnecessarily humble. She paints beautiful paintings and I would love to have her talent!! Even the tiniest bit...

Laura @ Shorehouse Chic: Laura has recently completed a wonderful master bedroom make-over and personally, I think she nailed it! The colour is beautiful, the "second-hand" furniture elegant, and she has a certain pillow that I would wrestle her to the floor for! If you live in her area, she also reveals a gem of a spot to find stylish furniture at a fraction of the cost!

Tara@ Random Acts of Home Decor: Tara has also redecorated her master bedroom and is thrilled to bits with the outcome. It just goes to show that a lick of paint and some great accessories can be just the "lipstick" a room needs to spring to life!

Janet @ Housepeepers: Janet is a sweetie, and she has great taste and a thrifty nature to boot! She made over a previously out-dated dresser and brass bed and brought them up to speed with ease and flair. Go give Janet some love and check out her talents...she's funny, too!!

Mary @ Dear Little Red House: Mary has a gorgeous home that, to me, oozes coziness and a feeling of welcome. She decorates with an eye for the bargain, and has set a beautiful table using thrift store dishes. She makes you want to just pull up a chair and join her!!

Vee @ A Haven for Vee: Vee is one of the funniest, warmest, and smartest people I have encountered in a long while. She shows us a few imperfect things around her home, but visit Vee to hear her wisdom and experience on the topic of the fruitless quest for perfection. A sneak peek: this quote on her blog - "Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing." ~Harriet Braiker. Smart girl, that Harriet...

Tanya @ Sunday Baker: Well, if Tanya says something in her home is imperfect, we'll have to take her word for it. Personally, I think it is so inviting, and her home is one that is filled with love and delicious smells...all the time!! Tanya decorates with things that have great meaning to her, and it shows. Oh, and while you are there, be sure to scroll down and choose from one of the umpteen yummy and decidedly easy recipes she posts for our culinary inspiration.

Buried in Legos has devised a quick, no sew, concealment for her linen closet. Too bad some rascally kiddos are trying to thwart her attempts at decorating...

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality likely needs no introduction. She does the most amazing face lifts to her furniture and yard sale finds, and everything always turns out (dare I say it?) perfectly! The imperfection is where she begins, but she can certainly turn a sow's ear into a silk purse!! Check out this make-over of a tired, vintage lamp into an object of pure beauty!

Megan @ Cottage Bluebird: Megan just completed a complete "refreshing" of some of the main rooms in her home. It is amazing what a different point of view can bring to a room, and her style of decorating will certainly appeal to those who love beachy, cottagey style, yet is definitely not penned into that description. Have a look at her before and afters, and you just might find yourself eyeing your own spaces and rolling up your sleeves in anticipation of a little furniture re-arranging...!!

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Oh wait...There`s more!!!!

Jerusalem at My Little Life: Jerusalem is busy with all the lovely chaos of summer, but offers up a photo of her "summertime living room"...well-loved and filled with the inevitable side-effects of summer living. Jerusalem's home is indescribable...pretty, unique, artistic, and one that can't be type-cast to a specific style. Browse her posts under the title "My Home" in her left side bar- you'll see what I mean...

Sarah @ Misadventures of Mama and Jack: Well, everyone loves Mama and Jack, but Sarah is not only a wonderful mum, but is also an expert thrifter/yard-saler, seamstress, and decorator. Sarah has perfected the art of buying what she knows will find a loving place to land in her home. She buys what she loves, and somehow it all falls into place. In this post, she shows us some great things, but what made my jaw drop and inspired me to gasp out loud was the most incredible, robin`s egg blue, chippy door at the end of her hallway!!! I am green with envy over that little baby!

Hmmm, this exercise has brought that feeling out in me more than a few times....

Cindy @ Cute Pink Stuff: If you love pink, then you`ll love this blog!! Cindy is a wonderful decorator, and shows us how she turned a ``mistake`` into something that is even more lovely than the intended result! Go check out her pretty picket fence, and see if you can spot the mistake before you start reading. I think it was meant to be...

Cielo @ The House in Roses: Cielo shows us that a little white paint can make virtually anything pretty. Go see what she transformed to create the most beautiful, shabby chic living room! There is always something pretty to look at at this blog...

Deb @ Life's Little Pieces : Deb shares my love of painted cabinetry and tooke her kitchen cabinets from traditional to fabulous with a great swath of black! New hardware completes the look, and I got a thrill seeing such an amazing transformation...you will, too!!

Joy @ The Joy of... : Joy is a marvel to me. First, she always leaves me wondering where on earth she finds such treasures, and secondly, how she comes up with the wonderful ideas to re-work them!! Joy, to me, is the epitome of class and creativity. She can turn anything into "gold" and her style is so good, I feel gut-wrenching pain at the thought of not owning one of everything she makes!!! Check out her post and then check out her shop...you'll be sooo happy you did!!

Shimmy Mom: Shimmy Mom (I couldn`t find her name) is a young mum who enjoys the challenge of decorating her home on a budget. Stop by and see how she puts thrift store finds to glorious use in and around her home. She has her priorities straight and has created a welcoming home in which to raise her family.

Vosges Paris: This Norwegian blogger will appeal to those of you who love white, dreamy interiors. She shows us how she improvised to create a beautiful, beachy way to hang necessities at her beach house. Check out her blog and all of her great links!

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That's finally it! Thanks everyone!!

The quest for imperfection...

(a photo of my mum's garden shed...taken by my talented sister-in-law)

I'm starting a new style movement! I figure it should be called imperfect style. That doesn't mean it is ugly, or cheap looking, but it does mean it is unexpected, and not designed with perfection in mind. It will work for those of us on a real decorating budget, and it will be affordable, pretty and definitely not plucked from the pages of a design mag or catalogue. You see, there are a lot of things in my home that could be done better. Flooring could be higher-end, furniture more purposely gathered, more "architectural interest", blah, blah, blah...Couldn't we all have chosen something better than what we have? Of course we could, but (ding dong), two things often get in the way of the perfect choices: money and accessibility. Without oodles of both, you had better hop onto my side of the fence and revel in all that is as good as it can be at the moment!!

photo: Country Home
Luckily for me, I don't want perfection. When you have perfection, you have nothing left to aspire to. You don't get that little thrill in your belly when you stumble upon a great accessory at a yard sale or in a thrift shop. Not that you have to get everything from a discounted source, mind you. But, I do roll my eyes when I read articles in decorating mags where the homeowners proudly reveal that they got this or that in "a big box store". Hooray for them...and welcome!! They eschewed the fancier, more exclusive shops to actually save a couple of hundred dollars on a light that is (virtually or actually) identical in a home building store. I sometimes wonder how the rich get rich in the first place, when they overlook great deals unnecessarily!!??

Another downside to perfection is that it often leaves out the creativity living inside our souls. I get a thrill when I see a really great style makeover of a room or piece of furniture, done on a budget. I love seeing creative solutions to a style dilemma; one that is solved because we are forced to think outside of the box. I also am inspired when I enter a home and see elements of whimsy living amidst the necessary. I applaud those who display their own art, handcrafts, children's paintings...I want to see fabrics that coordinate, not match perfectly.

My own sister is a perfect example of decorating that is perfectly imperfect.

She came up with this ingenious way to make her "unloved garage windows" prettier by hanging older wooden window frames in front of them!

She displays artwork of friends, lesser known artists, and even the beautiful watercolour paintings of her own, talented children. She loves taking you on a tour through her home, pointing out all the incredible finds she got at a yard sale, and she decorates with ease, flair, and in her own words,"lipstick."

I am joking, of course, about my starting a new style movement.I could never achieve that on my own; but I do, however, want to further the movement here in blog land. I figure we should designate this week "Perfectly Imperfect Week", and show off our imperfection for all to see. I want to see your furniture makeovers that took them from plain, old shabby (0r ugly) to unveiling the beauty within. I want to hear about your favourite yard sale/thrift shop find, and/or I want to see your artwork or artistic creations that you proudly display in your home. We all want to see it. It makes us feel better to see real decorating...decorating that we can all achieve if we are willing to put in the effort or do the legwork (literally)!

Here are the details: To participate, just post your "imperfect" make-over, artwork, decorating tip, you name it. Make sure you include a link back to this post so I know which post of yours is to be mentioned in my list. Then, leave a comment here with a link to your post. I will post the list of links as soon as I have a good (large) sampling of imperfection!

Meet Peter Fallico...!!!

all photos: HGTV.ca

Peter Fallico is the designer who defies all designer stereotypes. He is unpretentious, a do-it-yourselfer, seems to actually know what a realistic budget is, and can deftly put his hammer where his mouth is. Not only that, Peter Fallico is sweet. I mean, really, really nice. Not that I've met him of course, but as one of the loyal fans of all his television shows (past and present), I have certainly got a good idea of who the real person is after the camera stops rolling. Not only does Peter Fallico quickly put his clients at ease and involve them in projects as much or as little as they wish - but he genuinely seems just as excited as they are about the beautiful spaces he and his team create.

Even though he is the star of the show, he eagerly seeks out the opinions of the designers and head carpenter on his design team... even letting them seemingly lead the way at times. This speaks to his modesty; and yet we, the viewers, all know that the outcome is exactly as he envisioned. Peter definitely has a modern, hip vibe, yet he respectfully carries out more traditional styles with ease. His projects always seem easy and doable, and you get the feeling he would thumb his nose at swank, all the while balancing the fine line between elegance and comfort.

More prominent Canadian designers (think Sarah Richardson and Debbie Travis) seem to steal most of the media limelight. Not fair, I say. In fact, if you google Peter Fallico's name, it is difficult to get a more detailed synopsis of Peter`s career history. Of course, HGTV offers up the perfunctory rundown on Peter's shows and credentials, but if you want to know more, check out this link (which also provides details about his new, upcoming show, Home to Flip): http://www.celebrityeventsnetwork.ca/cgi-bin/front/daytimeenterprises.cgi?display_page=yes&page_id=24 . Peter is incredibly successful, yet we hear more of the Sarah Richardsons and Linda Reeves of the industry, who, talented as they are, aren't the only successful Canadian designers. True to his nature, I doubt the lesser media accolades concern Peter...

According to HGTV :
" Peter Fallico is a familiar face to home decorating enthusiasts in both Canada and the USA. His decorative home projects have appeared in Canadian Select Homes and Style at Home magazines and on City-TV’s Cityline. Peter is the DIY guy on HGTV’s This Small Space and the host of Home to Go. This fall Peter is hosting a brand new show for first time homeowners called Home to Stay. Home to Stay picks up where Home to Go left off as Peter helps first time homeowners make the right budget conscious renovating and design decisions about making their very first home look amazing...

...A renovator and furniture design graduate, Peter has quickly become a television and magazine personality best known for his simple easy-to–do projects that not only look great but are practical as well. Peter’s approachable personality and easy to understand project instructions make him a sought out favourite for presentations at home shows and conferences."

Indeed, check out the website and have a look at some of Peter's completed spaces. If you like a good hands-on project, check out this shortlist of some of his inspiring do-it-yourself projects: http://www.hgtv.ca/hometostay/hts_project_plans.aspx

Most importantly, check out his shows and watch out for his name. Peter Fallico`s design skills may be rocketing him to stardom, but it's his down-to-earth, easy going personality that will keep him there!!