This Mama Wanted Drama

In all the decisions we've made recently about the house, we've really played it safe in terms of color and style. I knew this was a one shot deal, and that we wouldn't be changing things again any time this century. We wanted colors that would match everything, and wouldn't go out of style. (The Barney bathroom is a debatable exception, but I'm spreading the word that purple is the new beige when it comes to decorating longevity. I may have a new reputation in trendsetting.) I really love my Autumn Blond paint now that the furniture is in place. It is an easy color to work with and provides a cozy background.

BUT, the renegade in me wanted something daring...a little something unexpected and exciting to mix it up and keep it fun. After all, what if my visiting guest never has to visit the facilities and doesn't have a chance to see what a risk taker I was in the purple bath? Yes, I wanted something that would hit people right when they walked in the door and show them that this Manor really has an edgy side. I mean, sometimes we eat cold cereal for dinner, we wear pajamas that don't match to bed, and we stay up late watching HGTV. Emma even colors outside the lines. Clearly, this place screams wild and crazy and I just wanted the decorating to reflect that in some small way.

The staircase is my pop of drama. I opted for black carpet, then I double dog dared my white haired dog to go shed on it. See what I mean? Living on the edge.

Oooooohhhh. I loooooove it.

I think black carpet is decadent, and since it has a busy pattern woven into it, it will wear well in a high traffic area like stairs. If you've ever considered re-carpeting a staircase, you may be interested to know that you can install something called a "stair nose" at the top of the staircase to transition between the drama carpet and the upstairs, normal, basic beige carpet. A stairnose is a thick piece of wood that can be stained to match a banister. It looks great and provides a visual break between two different flooring surfaces.

Now if my family needs to find me they need not look further than the staircase, where I can be found vacuuming lint and pet hair. That's all part of being a drama queen. :)