Manor Make-over....Let's Get Going!

I have a huge announcement.

WE'RE PAINTING!

I feel like this is an undertaking of epic proportion. There is only one person on the entire planet who is more challenged than I am in properly understanding the concept of the color wheel, and I am married to him. We have toyed with the idea of doing some work on the house for quite some time now, but when two color blind people who are intimidated by big decisions take on decorating issues there are bound to be some setbacks.

But ultimately, nothing provides the impetus for change like a daily dose of powder blue and mauve. I'm sure these blue taffeta drapes were the pinnacle of home fashion when the little old lady who lived here before me had them permanently nailed to the windows on huge wooden frames. I bet those little rosettes made her tingle with pride. Teasing aside, I was grateful that she was willing to sell us the blue floral couch that perfectly matched the drapes because we didn't have furniture for the living room when we bought this house. A friend of my mother's offered us two pink chairs that perfectly complimented the couch, as well as the pink vinyl grasscloth wallpaper covering my dining room walls. And thus the look of our living room was born.

It's a place the Easter Bunny could call home.

I don't mind the look of the room so much, because I've been able to showcase several antique pieces passed down from our Grandmothers, and many of the dishes I have on display have a lot of pink and blue in them. However, we knew we eventually wanted to steer away from the pastel scheme, and the time has come. Also, the room is very formal, and our lifestyle is not. We want a comfortable, cozy place where kids can plop, friends can convene, and life can happen without worrying about fingerprints or wrinkles.

So, stay tuned as I chronicle this wild ride over the next several weeks. I'm going to track our progress with before and after pictures, and am hoping maybe a few of you will chime in with your opinions or suggestions.

You don't think powder blue taffeta is coming back in vogue anytime soon, do you? Because if so, I'm headed for big troubles. :-)