Sometimes, you need things to go wrong to realize you want a change.
I think that the experience that follows was an important reminder for me of the power of reframing and perspective. The power of turning something seemingly bad into an opportunity to be something so much better. Our mindset is so impactful and being able to shift the way we see "bad" situations as lessons learnt, opportunities, or growth potential can allow us to live more thoughtfully and happily.
So, story time...
I was away for 3 weeks in January, and of course, because I was away, my dishwasher decided it was the perfect time to leak into my basement. So, after a long flight, I was greeted by a nice puddle of water and a crumbling ceiling in my bedroom and bathroom.
I will start off by saying that the universe was on my side for this one because none of my personal belongings got ruined. BUT, the ceiling, walls, and floors got destroyed which meant...construction. Now, I rent, so my landlord was the one dealing with all of that, thank goodness! It meant, however, I was living in chaos for over a month and a half while we figured out the scheduling for when construction could happen. For me, my home is my sanctuary, so my anxiety gets heightened when my space feels out of sorts. In fact, my space is so intrinsically tied to my mental health (you can read the science behind this here), that for the first few days I was having panic attacks, couldn't focus, and wasn't sleeping.
For reference, here are some photos of what living in my place has been like the past couple of months:
Although, it was stressful, inconvenient, and a strain on my mental health having to go through this, I decided that I was going to reframe the experience and use it as an opportunity to redecorate my bedroom and bathroom. It was in this moment, that a simple shift in how I was looking at the situation allowed me to find peace in the chaos.
For a while now, both spaces felt unreflective of my style and after the initial reaction to the flood, I got excited about the potential of these spaces.
I am typically one who gravitates towards all white, clean crisp walls, but I decided for this bedroom & basement redecoration project, I wanted to really lean into the dark, cavernous vibe of a basement by painting with dramatic, rich, dark colours. Often, we believe that if we paint an already small or dim room a dark colour, that it will look even more claustrophobic or small, BUT sometimes leaning into those aspects will actually enhance the space. When the basement was all white, it looked sterile, uninspired, and unintentional. Although the redecoration process isn't finished yet (so stay tuned for the full reveal), the space already feels more purposeful and decided.
For the bedroom, I wanted to go with a rich, dark green because I thought it would go well with a lot of the furniture I already had in the space. Here are some of the inspiration images for the bedroom's vibe:
I knew that the green was going to look good, something about it just felt right. The bathroom on the other hand, felt like more of a risk. It is a tiny space and it literally gets no light. I saw an image of this really beautiful powder room on Pinterest in a rich aubergine and I threw all caution to the wind and decided I had to use it. I am not 100% sold yet, but I think when all the accessories come in and I start styling the space, I will have a much better idea of whether it works or not. But, the best thing about paint is that you can ALWAYS change it. Here were some of the images that inspired me to really step out of my comfort zone and into purple???? I truly never thought those words would leave my mouth, but here we are.
I think what this has taught me is that it's so important to be willing to take risks and try something different, especially if it's something that you feel inexplicably drawn to. And, if it doesn't work out then you STILL won because you learnt something. That's the beauty of taking risks.
I am so excited to be in the styling/decorating phase now. I have ordered ALMOST everything for the bathroom and am waiting to order a few more things for the bedroom. The spaces are still quite far from being finished, but I am getting there. In the mean time, here is a source guide of the purchases I made for the two spaces. I will do a full source guide for the bathroom and bedroom when I release their tours!
1) TOWEL SET 2) VINTAGE ART (This art print is from ETSY) 3) VANITY MIRROR 4) AUBERGINE PAINT COLOUR 5) PLUG-IN WALL SCONCE 6) MARBLE BATH CADDY 7) LINEN ROLL-UP CURTAIN 8) OASIS RUG
9) SHOWER CURTAIN ROD & RINGS 10) BATH ROBE 11) HAND SOAP & CREAM 12) GLASS VASE 13) LINEN SHOWER 14) WICKER LAUNDRY BASKET 15) BRASS TOILET ROLL HOLDER 16) TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER
1) FULL LENGTH MIRROR 2) VANITY TABLE 3) ALBASTER VASE 4) LINEN SHEETS 5) KISMET PAINT 6) LAMPSHADE 7) BRASS DOOR KNOBS 8) STRIPED PILLOWS
I hope you enjoyed this and were able to find a little bit of inspiration to reframe hard situations, step out of your comfort zone, and try something different. I feel right now, there is a huge trend across interiors being a lot of white and a lot of minimalism (both of which I undeniably adore), but it can make one feel unconfident to explore different and new things. Take this as your sign to be bold and dare to be different.
