Before my swap meet I had a pretty blue container that I loved that I just threw some greenery in. It looked...ok. The photo is an after photo, not before by the way.
I also had some wooden balls that I always thought were interesting. I purchased them but didn't quite know how to incorporate them. After a year, I gave up and put them on the swap table at my swap meet.
While there, Lysa came up to me and told me that there were a few items on the table that she thought would look good in my house. Lo and behold, I couldn't wait to see these hidden castoffs brought from someone else's home that would look so great in mine. Poor people, giving away all their great stuff. I'll show them how it's done.
She brought over three of my own items that I was trying to swap. Two wooden balls and a pillow. And she placed them in my house and I loved them. I loved my own stuff--in a place that somehow didn't think to put them.
Today's assignment, the next time you have a friend over, ask her advice. Hand her something that you are struggling with where to put it and say "put this somewhere where it looks good". And wait and see what happens. Maybe you don't love it there, if not, you don't need to leave it. But I have a feeling if you ask the right person about the right thing, you might get excited about your own stuff.
If you are really adventurous, clear out all of your accessories in a room and let her go to town. Or trade houses with a neighbor for an hour and each of you play designer in the other person's home.
When I had to sell my house, I invited a designer friend of mine over to help me. Remember, I am a home stager myself, I didn't need help did I? Yes, I did. Betsy did things to my walls that never even occurred to me. It was a stroke of genius on my part {I have to give myself a little credit} to have her come help me stage my home.
Sometimes, just by living around our stuff we don't see all the possibilities. Find some fresh eyes and see what happens.
34 comments:
So..... wanna make a visit to Tennessee to be my friend? :)
Great advice! Everyone can use a fresh eye when it comes to their own things, whether you're supposed to be an expert or not. I like the "house swap" idea. That would be fun!
pk @ room remix
Oooh, that does sound like fun...coming to Texas anytime soon? Or Pk can come, or a dozen other bloggers I'd love to come by and add their two cents worth to my nest!! Great idea!
Suzanne
Amen Sister!
These days, my middle name seems to have changed to "Fresh-Set-Of-Eyes". :-)
I love it though...it satisfies my obsession with decorating and seems to make other folks happy at the same time!
Layla
I think we get bored with our stuff and don't know how to put it back into circulation. Yes I think it's a great idea to get 4 or 5 bloggers together and house stage each others home. Can you image!!!
I LOVE this advice! It's so true - being too close to something and always using it in the same way can have it's limitations. And how wonderful that you got to keep your own "goodies"!
This is sooooo true...ask for help...it's really okay!
Blessings,
Linda
Sometimes when I 'think' something might look good painted or different, I wish I had the nerve to actually change it rather than give it away or sell it.
When are you coming over?
Have a bright sunny day.
TTFN ~Marydon
I'm loving this series, Nester!
that is great advice. i never would have thought of it.
Funny. It IS hard to see things from a fresh perspective after you've lived with them for awhile!
Have a great one! Janell
I just spoke with one of my neighbors last night about coming over to offer me a fresh set of eyes. :-)
The next time you come over I'm moving everything I own into the front yard and you can go from there!
Great post! I find that as a designer the hardest home to decorate is my own. I have a group of designer friends and we all will invite each other over and redo sections of our home. It's free and a fun way to catch up.
I have a friend that I give a house key. When I am gone, she moves my things around...love it!!
I know this is true! A few years back I asked my sister to look at my things and help me come up with a new look in my family room. It was amazing how her ideas changed the look in my room to something so much fresher and totally differnt from any look I would have imagined.
Now it is time to have her come back and help me change it again!
Your ideas are sooooo helpful to me. Thank you for your delightful blog.
Lee Ann
encouragement-is-contagious.blogspot.com/
Great advice!!
We often need to separate ourselves from our "stuff"
and let someone else help us bring new life to it!
Oh, sweet Nester, you are invited ANYTIME to my home. I will even cook for you!
I hope one of your upcoming tips will address the paper monsters piling up everywhere in my house. I guess I need to be more diligent.
All your tips are great!! Blessings!
Need a tropical vaca? Get your cute little self over to Hawaii and help me! :)
Great idea...I have several friends who are great decorators, but I have never asked them to just go-to-town on my own house. Now I think I will!
Have a great day!
Kristen
A fresh perspective can be priceless. I am very amused at your taking home your own things from the swap meet --that's pretty hilarious.
I once bought a dish that my best friend brought to a garage sale at my daughters' school. That's as close as I've come to swap meet incest.
Cass
So very true. I have ro relook every now and then and push myself to see things in new ways...
Such good advice, Nester!!! One of my dearest friends came over the afternoon before my last C-section and helped me move stuff around in the baby's room b/c I was overwhelmed and clueless.
That's kind of why I started the Decorating Dilemmas party (I just put the latest one up last night).
My friends "in real life" are all busy young moms and it's hard to get anyone together for a playdate anymore. I figured why not be honest about my problems and get some feedback from my bloggy friends? They don't have to travel to my house with their kids...they can step right into my Living room through their computer screens. ;) So far, it has been very helpful--to me at least. I love having advice from friends who don't look at the dilemma every day like I do.
Sorry to ramble...just wanted to express that I think you're right on track with the thought of asking for help instead of just doing nothing. :)
I have a friend that I think probably avoids ever coming to our house because I love her style and am always asking her advice.
Nester, if you'd like to make a trip to Chicago, I'd love your advice! :)
I love this advice. I just have the best time when my sisters ask me to come play in their houses. I love doing exactly what you posted about. Now I just need someone to come help me!
Love that you are doing this series. Having fun reading your great ideas. Can't wait for the Christmas Tour either. Last year, we loaded the internet onto the Wii and hooked it up in the living room so we could all browse at the homes. So fun. Can't wait!
I blogged about this exact thing today. I took advantage of blogger friends to give their advice online :)!
Am loving this series...so much helpful advice. Thanks!
~Jean
I love this blog. I think my husband thinks I'm going crazy. I run home at lunch, after spending my work morning reading your blog and getting today's assignement for 31 Days to a Better Dressed Nest, and spend my lunch hour running around the house gathering up the items I need. Or today's, calling my mom to have her come over after work and give me advice on where to put my newly purchased chest of drawers. And yes, this purchase was made after oogaling and adding water to my eyes from lack of blinking due to all the gorgeous pictures of your home and the things you do. You are amazing and inspiring. You make me laugh, out loud mind you, more then once a day. I have found myself over the past few days rushing to get to work so that I can jump online and read about my "new friend" (yes, you didn't even now I was stalking you..hehe! Kidding!)and her daily ideas. My goodness, like the house swap! Such fresh ideas and a wonderful take on life, thank you so much for sharing!
nfowler@loringward.com
I love this...my favorite post of the series so far!
Although, you should probably get the other person's permission to redecorrange their house before you do it. I was taking care of my parents house while they were away on a trip and I just couldn't resist tweaking a few things. Needless to say, she did not appreciate my random act of kindness. Next time I was there, every single thing was put back the exact way it was before. Good thing moms have to love you unconditionally, right?
~Amanda
Your words are so true...I came to realize this after a visit from my brother, who lived in another state. After he went home he posted a comment on my blog saying what a wonderful relaxing visit he had and how comforting my home is. He called my decor warm and inviting! I was seeing it as boring and in need of change and he LOVED it! Now I see my home in a new light and have come to see that it IS homey and inviting...isn't that what we all strive for??
I am honored that you thought of me today! Hope to see you soon.
I totally love this series. I agree with Gina, do you make house calls?
Loving this series! "I" did something new. I saw some old glass door knobs on a cabinet at a store I love, and then went to an antique store, bought some very old glass door knobs and when my husband came home I asked if he thought they'd look great on a big white double-door cabinet I have. (Translation - "would you put these on for me?") He wasted no time and, even though it was more work than he thought, installed them within an hour or so. Loving them. If I could figure out how to send you a picture I would. L.
Lol! How funny that she picked your own things! I guess you had the right idea when you got them in the first place! :) I'll be taking a poll the next time I have some ladies over!
Oh, and I tried putting my books together by color - as much as I could without taking them too far out of their categories (too particular to give that up) - so it didn't really work. :( Oh well, I guess my one half-shelf in the living area will just be a bookshelf
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