Not what I had thought...

There is one truth that has been glaring me in the face lately, as I have embarked upon numerous renovation and design projects for our home over the last year.  Brace yourself:  it is a sad truth, and one that many of you may be avoiding in denial.  Or perhaps you have already realized it, and now you are wallowing in a deep design depression.

And here it is:  completing a project from design concept to final details never happens like it does on tv.  Darn you, HGTV, for making me think that a renovation or design project can be finished in a reasonable amount of time, with minimal mess.  You have real nerve to make me think I can pull it all together, including accessories, and find exactly what I'm looking for from two or three stores in a week and a half.  Of course I don't just blame HGTV - that would be very narrow of me.  I blame all design shows, and I blame my naivety and my unbridled sense of hope.

Don't get me wrong:  I think there is some greater sense of accomplishment in a room when the details evolve over time.  Or at least that is what they tell me.  I haven't been in this game long enough to actually test that theory out.  But I can see how it could be true.  Sometimes when you try to pull it all together quickly it looks less like Sarah Richardson and more like a page from Ikea.  Only because you went to Ikea and bought everything there because it all matched.

And it's not quite the same feeling of evolutionary accomplishment when you are sitting in a mess of renovations, house in disarray, paint brushes in the fridge, and a lovely coat of drywall dust over everything.  Not the same at all.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is don't let those shows fool you.  It will take many paint chip samples that look ridiculously similar ("no that's not 'baby boy blue' it's 'little boy blue'"), a hunt for curtains that are not necessarily burgandy crinkly taffeta, and the ever present reality that there is no such thing as good looking bathroom lighting.

I wish I had a production team when working on my house (a carpenter, a seamstress, an electrician, a plumber), plus a slew of volunteers with t-shirts that say "Team Christine" or something equally as lame.  Hmm... now that I think about it, over the course of the past year I suppose I did have this kind of support:  Tim is my carpenter/electrician/plumber etc., I'm my own seamstress, and we have had many friends and family lend a hand.  It just took a lot longer than a half hour television program.

So remember:  no matter how much you imagine an easy change to your home, it won't be as glamorous as reality tv portrays.  I will know better for next time - although that may not stop me.  Maybe I'll just get those t-shirts for everyone.