Every woman has a story about some DIY project that she attempted and which, unfortunately, miserably failed. Sometimes, the fail can be quite funny and is something that will later be discussed by family members seeking to add a bit of simple humor to an otherwise mundane setting. Other times, the mishap can create dissension and stress for the individual having made the mistake. For example, those of us on a budget may not have the ability to undo something that hardly fit into our budget the first time we did it. That, friends, is where I begin my design disaster story for you.
I had the greatest intentions when I left my home one sunny Monday morning. I was headed to the fabric store in search of the perfect fabric pattern to recover my living room chairs. I had a very tight budget and tons of inspiration. My problem was, in fact, that I had entirely too much inspiration. I had cut out photographs of six or seven living room settings that I absolutely loved. Each one had a distinct theme and was very urban. Thinking that picking out fabric really couldn’t be all too difficult, I went to the store with my measurements and my photographs. I felt thoroughly prepped for the shopping process and, within seconds of stepping into the array of brightly hued fabrics, I found maybe 10 or 12 that I loved. After a few hours, I narrowed my options down and finally settled on this gorgeous, colorful pattern.
I left the fabric store feeling completely satisfied with my purchase and had no reservations about adding it to my living room environment. I felt like the “pop of color” would add great personality to my otherwise neutral setting.
Upon arriving home, I ran through the front door with my fabric in hand and threw a chunk of the stuff on one of my chairs. I stood back to take a look and realized, to my absolute embarrassment, that I had never actually considered the color of my very large sofa positioned directly in the center of the living area. Sadly enough, the rather imposing, very classically designed sofa was not a great fit for my more bohemian fabric choice. In fact, the fabric added an interesting design element to the room. The room almost seemed to transform instantly into something out of a bad Tim Burton film. At first, I laughed. Then I cried. I began to realize that the small fortune I had spent on the fabric could not be reclaimed. I had to put my funky fabric elsewhere and start the process of slowly hoarding away the cash necessary to recover the chairs in my living area.
To this day, the chairs remain a dismal brown; however, when I do return to the fabric store with cash in hand and hoping to find the ideal fabric for my setting, I intend to consider ALL of the major elements in my living room. More than just complementing my wall color or rug and a lot more than adding a “pop of color” to the space, the fabric will have to create a sense of flow amongst all other large furniture pieces in the room. Seriously, ladies, how could I have forgotten to consider the color of the couch?
I hope your design experience goes better than mine and that you, unlike me, remember to consider all of the elements of the room prior to transforming any particular part of it. Happy designing, fellow DIY-ers!