What type of person do you need to be to GC your home?
16 years ago
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Do you spend more on your house or your home?
Comments (34)In this house, we've spent a lot more on the house than furniture & decor. I bought it as a starter house four years ago, then after we got married (two years ago) and started looking for another house, we realized we were in love with the neighborhood and our street in particular, and decided to stay. It will not be a forever house, but realistically we should be here for the next 3-5 years or so, maybe longer. There are still many more expensive 'house' projects to be done. I replaced most of the flooring before I moved in, and all of the appliances. The heart of pine floors in the living room need repairs which require an antique floor specialist and I fear will be very costly. And we plan to remodel/expand the second story within the next year, which will be a huge expense. So we could put all of our extra money into the house indefinitely. But late last year I started working more on the 'home' aspect, because I was tired of feeling ambivalent about the decor, and tired of having so many rooms that are about 80% 'done.' Of course with the economy, my timing couldn't be worse! Since I thought I'd trade up in a few years, and had spent so much money on flooring, etc., I only purchased a few essential pieces of furniture, and otherwise used things that I'd had in prior rentals. So there are still quite a few gaps to fill, although several of my friends who do not care about decorating think the house looks quite 'done' and don't understand why I'm dissatisfied (and I suspect that DH agrees with them to some extent!). One thing I've learned with some of my recent purchases is that furniture can solve some of the functionality problems that the house has. Storage pieces can be very expensive, but they're worth it. And even the scale of our non-storage furniture can change the way that the rooms function, not to mention layout & furniture placement. So that makes me feel more comfortable spending money on the 'home' aspect, because some of these changes have really made the house much more comfortable to live & entertain in....See MoreDo you know your personality type?
Comments (34)Snidely I always find someone to talk to. I blend well. But I stand out. It's a conundrum. I'm not unhappy, nor am I unfriendly. But I have been told more than once I intimidate. I certainly don't look intimidating nor do I glare at or annoy people. I guess I mostly study them? I'm the one at the wall where I can see the whole room. On the flip side people find me extremely approachable. I smile and make eye contact with people and conversations start up everywhere with me. Standing in line, at events, everywhere. If you and I were in the same room, assuming your description of yourself is accurate, you would most definitely approach me. I don't know why. But I know it would be. I'm not exceptional in any way. Average looking, jeans and tees. Pretty nondescript. Now old. LOL My best friend is always laughing (shaking her head) at me. My DH is the same. He says he just doesn't know but it's real. Here's an example. One of the milder ones I can post here. Years ago my brother and I were dealing with my parents estate and he and I went to lunch at a diner in the city my parents lived to talk things over. When we walked in we were immediately seated, and an iced tea (without me ordering it) was placed before me with a "great to see you again". My brother remarked that I must be a frequent customer. Not at all. I had been there before maybe twice in the past but it was quite some years back. This has happened time and time again my entire life. As a teenager and beyond. People I hardly know also bare their souls to me. My best friend says I must have been a priest in a past life. She sees it and just shakes her head. It is what it is she says....See MoreInspired by Shades: what do you do with your smaller homes hallway?
Comments (12)Eld: first of all, thank you so much for your thoughtful suggestions! You are really educating me here. It never occurred to me that anything other than white would be the solution to a dingy looking area. But what you said makes perfect sense. Funnily enough, I was actually going to use Light Navajo White, because that is what I just used in my kitchen. Because my house is so small, I really want to use the same colors and materials throughout everything except two bedrooms and the bathrooms. So same flooring, paint colors, etc. in the library, LR, eat-in kitchen, and hallway. I thought it would help the visual flow of the space and unify it, while at the same time making it look and feel bigger. The light navajo white says it has a hint of brown. It is definitely not a super white white. Do you think it would work in the hallway? Also, Eld, yes, the door on the right in the picture is the back door of the house. It's actually located about in the middle of the length of the house. The hallway, if you measure starting at the Sterilite drawers on the left, is just over 16' long. There are three other doors off it besides the back door. The main bathroom is just before the laundry on the left, my room is on the left just after the laundry, and Joy's room is at the very end. I completely agree that better lighting would make a huge difference! Murraysmom, thanks for sharing! I love water colors! Your little hallway sounds peaceful, with the softness of a light green and the painting. I don't know if you've seen any of cpartist's colored pencil art--she posts on the kitchen forum and sometimes here as well, but her drawings are so gorgeous! She is to drawing what Shades is to glass mosaics. My dream wall would have a large cpartist work of flowers in a vase hanging up and Shades' glass lizard climbing up the wall! Eld, hahaha! Every time I write your name, my stupid phone changes it to either "Elf" or "Elderly!" If I missed any when I proofread, my apologies in advance, lol!! :-) Chris, if that mural is to cover up a "design mistake," then I say Praise the Lord for design mistakes! My comments are glowing because I truly love your art!! And I'm so glad you have this "therapy" to work on while you're caring for Joe in the sunset of his life. You are one strong woman, and I am so inspired by you. :-) If I get really industrious in the next few days, haha, I'll post a floor plan of my house. But I'd love to hear more stories about all your hallways or other awkward spaces you have or want to decorate! :-)...See MoreDo you have a person like this in your life? A rant
Comments (58)Hi again aprile, I've been considering your situation some, since reading your original post. You need some emotional space between you. Don't let him pull this passive-aggressive business on you. Don't let him push your buttons. How would he react if you began to rather laugh at these sillinesses? In something of a light-hearted way, not coming across as mean-spirited and bitter. I hope that you can find some ways to resolve some of these issues between you. Do you have some person who cares about you, and is level-headed and sensible, whether professionally trained or not, who can listen and be helpful as you work your way through this troubling situation? Maybe a faith-related person, who'll listen, consider your situation and you and not just offer a bunch of pre-digested nostrums, that are given as the answer to every person's need, regardless of their individual circumstance. I wonder some about your dad inhabiting his own little emotional cubbyhole - is there some way to help him get a larger view of life, and feel more at home in it? Has he dealt with counselling, or would he be amenable to such? Is there someone whom he trusts, to whom he might pay attention, were they to suggest it and encourage him? ole joyful...See MoreRelated Professionals
Martinsville Architects & Building Designers · New River Architects & Building Designers · South Lake Tahoe Architects & Building Designers · Woodland Design-Build Firms · Evans Home Builders · New River Home Builders · Aberdeen General Contractors · Albany General Contractors · Bowling Green General Contractors · ‘Ewa Beach General Contractors · Parma General Contractors · Pine Hills General Contractors · Stillwater General Contractors · Troutdale General Contractors · Waimalu General Contractors- 16 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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