Did I make a terrible mistake choosing a white fridge?!
Colleen Brind'Amour
3 years ago
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Beth H. :
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3 years agoRelated Discussions
Don't make the same mistake(s) I did thread.
Comments (88)Great thread. I've made many mistakes over the years. When I needed drapes for 5 very tall and wide windows, I thought I would save money by making them myself. I ended up buying 30+ yards of a synthetic moire on sale at a chain fabric store, along with drapery lining, and after making up one panel, found that even with lining, the light coming through the fabric made the color brighter and kind of gaudy. The bolt is still in an upstairs closet, and I found 96" crushed voile panels online that I like very much for about $20 each. Lesson: keep it simple. A couple of years ago, I hired a local designer mainly to help me choose paint colors and advise on accessories/tweaking. In the master bedroom, I had some custom green silk drapes that I never liked that much, and she talked me into spending the money to have them interlined and a printed fabric border added, along with custom shams with the same fabric. I had already spent $2000 on the drapes, and now I spent another $1000, and I still didn't like them. I took them down, and they and the matching euro shams are in the closet in the guest room. I put up natural linen-look semi sheers from target, and I like them better. Lesson: keep it simple, and don't throw good money after bad. We weren't using our formal dining room much, and the same designer suggested moving the dining furniture into one end of our large living room, and making the old dining room into a den and the old den into a home office, which was really needed. Since I wanted to replace the old LR sofa anyway, I moved the den furniture into the living room and had a custom ($$$)sofa made for the new den. It was not a huge space, and we tried to keep the sofa scaled down. When it arrived, the fabric was gorgeous, the style just what I wanted, but the seat depth was so shallow that it was not very comfortable. I had also slipcovered the old den chairs to go with the new sofa ($$). I ended up moving the new sofa to the living room, where it was more appropriate for perching ladies than lounging TV viewers, and now none of the colors I had chosen (with help paid for by the hour) for the LR and new den would work. Plus, the newly slipcovered den chairs (on swivel rocker bases, I love them) don't work that well with the old sofa color. Fortunately, I hadn't painted yet. Lessons: Don't buy furniture without sitting on it. Choose paint colors after you are certain of your fabrics. Don't let your designer talk you into stuff you don't really need. Keep your major pieces fairly neutral. The worst was the master bath update. I had chosen tile for the walls and floor, and the tile vendor gave me a couple of names for the installation. The guy with the higher quote was very highly recommended but I went with the other guy because he said he could also do some other work I needed done. Even though I had a gut feeling I was making a mistake. He did a horrible job on the tile, broke my toilet, and disappeared. I had to buy more wall tile and pay another contractor to replace it, and I'm still stuck with a bad job on the floor. Between the cost of doing the job, redoing the job, and buying a new toilet, I could have had the better contractor do the job, and replaced the vanity and sink as well, and upgraded to a better tile. Lessons: A jack of all trades might be a master of none. Go with your gut. Ask contractors for their license numbers and CHECK IT online with your state to see if it's in effect. I've made more, but these are the recent highlights, LOL. I feel better having confessed them here....See MoreDid I Make a Big Mistake w/Cabinets?
Comments (26)I think I have the same, if not very similar drawer faces. Even when I convert my cabs to inset, I'm keeping the drawer faces. Gotta figure that out, but I like them. Clean. Give your whole kitchen a chance as everyone is suggesting. It's very different when they're not sitting on the floor. And don't blame the KD. She gave you options, I'm sure. And you picked 'em. She didn't make the choice. I'm glad you made a good one, IMHO....See MoreHelp! I've made terrible mistakes with LR (pics)
Comments (66)I love the furniture you've picked out. It will look bright and cheery and just the feeling of the inspiration pics you've posted in your other threads...once you paint! Paint the darn room already! :) My last house had muddy mauve and no natural light (houses on three sides and a big porch on the other). As soon as I painted, it changed everything. Even my mood was better. And if you have a front porch, I suggest you paint the porch ceiling blue. It made a big difference looking out my window and seeing Martha Stewart's Porch Ceiling Blue. Almost as good as being able to see the sky. :) Let your room evolve. Don't feel like it has to be "done" right away. Take your time finding art and accessories that you love. You're doing great and you're going to have a lovely space to enjoy....See MoreDid I make a mistake? Appliances... Picture attached..
Comments (22)Thank you so much. You all are so sweet! I feel so much better about my choices. I lived without a microwave for 3 weeks to make sure I did my research, got the best prices etc...my husband always says it takes me 2 weeks to get adjusted to anything new so I guess he is right. A couple new accessories and it will feel like mine again :)...See MoreFlo Mac
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Colleen Brind'AmourOriginal Author