My living room and bedroom were recently painted. I’ve been taking my time putting accessories back, savoring the opportunity to change things up a bit. The one wrinkle is that most of those accessories are currently piled in my kitchen.
Little by little, though, I’ve been working on a wall here, a corner there.
Deciding I was sick of the comforter on my bed, I went shopping with my mother and we narrowed the choices down to two. I ultimately went with neither. Maybe I’d come back. Maybe not.
Then one day I saw the big framed print of Man Ray’s “Observatory Time – The Lovers” leaning against my kitchen wall among the rest of the stuff. It’s a pair of red lips floating in the sky. I’ve owned it for about 16 years. It was hanging above my couch for 10 years or so and the recent plan was to store it away for a while.
But here I was, breezing into the kitchen to get some yogurt, when I saw it and an idea hit. How would it look above my bed? I abandoned the snack and carried the print into the bedroom. What an amazing transformation. One shift and the whole room changed. I loved my comforter all over again. The energy in the space was electrified in mere moments.
After calling myself an interior design genius for about 10 minutes – yes, it’s true – I let the impact of the bigger message make its way in. There is more than one way to do something. Very often we already have the answer right there in front of us. Simple things can be immensely pleasurable.
I’ve recently added another dimension to my business. It almost seemed obvious in how it beautifully ties together my writer and life coach selves, yet it wasn’t at all for the longest time. It doesn’t require me to get any additional training. It’s not complicated. It’s a service that will help others. A no-brainer, if you will.
How many of those do we overlook because we’re not open to them?
Many, I’d venture. Sometimes we need a reminder – there is more than one way. I like that it’s fresh in my mind now.
Perhaps that’s why it was easier to deal with a design dilemma that came up in the decorating process a few days ago. I bought a small table for my entry. It was to replace an old shelf unit that I’d had for a long time and needed retiring. The idea was to bring back an antique mirror I’d had in storage to complement the table.
What I’d forgotten in my measuring diligence was the quirky (no longer functioning) laundry chute on the wall. It was nicely hidden by the old shelves, but has a handle on it that prevents hanging anything over it. Oh, what to do with my ‘final sale’ table?
I glanced over my items, wondered how it would look if I didn’t center the table and mirror, then thought about ways to fill that extra space if I went that route. A stool, a decorative runner, a pile of beautiful books, a vase. I played. I propped. I rearranged.
Suffice to say the challenge was met. It looks so pretty and fresh.
Yes, there is genius in recognizing how satisfying it is to be open and let new ideas in. From home décor to career to child rearing to travel to … well, you name it.
Sometimes when things don’t go as planned, that is just the best darned feeling. Not always at first, but ultimately. When you let life show you its possibilities it can feel like rebirth.
Probably because it is.
By Nancy Colasurdo
