So, I promised you a surprise a while back... Everybody just loves before and after stories, whether it be an extreme home makeover, facial/make-up or clothing makeover...and I am no exception.
I'm excited to do a series on an old house renovation, in a tiny town. I will be following the renovation and decoration of this charming old Victorian home.
As I designer, when I come on to a project my clients start to excitedly talk about all their plans, ideas, visions, favorite elements, elements they hate, favorite colors, furniture tastes and more. Now, the husband and wife seldom agree on everything from start to finish. Most often everything, including budget, is fluid and there is an enormous amount of give and take in a successful project. Compromise on some items for each person is tolerable on some items, non-negotiable on others. I usually learn a great deal about the people, the couple, how they work together and what their values are both in life and in the home project. I absolutely love the whole process.
I wanted to share with you a wonderful project of a Victorian looking home. The facade is clearly Victorian although the inside, as you will soon see is nothing Vicorian: now or when it will be completed.
Charming is how I would describe this little gem. It is not tiny, like a cottage but it is not grand like a mansion. It is cozy. It will envelope its visitors with gracious welcome and hospitality. I know exactly what it will look like when it is finished. That is what a designer does, envision what it will look like without all the blemishes, dry rot, ugly paint colors, weird placement of furniture or drapes, mentally cleaning a slate and readying it's framework and foundation for beautiful additions. Whether on a big budget or a tiny one, a designer sees the potential.
A designer sees through the flaws to what could be.
A designer, in the midst of some truly rotten parts, sees the stunning finished home.
It made me ponder how our DESIGNER sees us. It isn't that he doesn't see the termite infested dry-rot, but that he sees past it. He looks right at the black mold and sees clearly the freshly painted new molding.
As I stood at the rickity fence, paint peeling, wood cracking~missing picket fence and see it clearly with big blooming white roses or swagged with pine and big red bows and wreaths at Christmas time, so does our GOD look right through our flaws into our potential and sees it CLEARLY. It may take a hammer, a lot of sandpaper and a pair of willing hands but that beauty is waiting to be made manifest: home or person. Walk with me and discover how...
There are so many parallels that follow in INSPIRED DESIGN...I can't wait to walk through this project. It will be so much fun to show you the before and after's.
A very exciting element of this is that it will be used for spiritual retreats, cooking and designing seminars (and more!), and available for cozy little family weekends...
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11a
