Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

When many people buy their first home, they add their personal touch soon after moving in, making it feel truly their own.

Other than having my Dad replace the thick carpet with parquet flooring when my Amigo scooter went up in flames, literally, Darrell and I did not do anything to our home to make it truly ours. I didn’t even buy tea towels.

Instead, when we bought our home in May, 2001, we chose to put any extra money on the mortgage, which proved to be a wise move because we then were able to decrease our mortgage payments when Darrell’s position was axed thanks to a change in a government policy.

We lived with the builder’s white paint and the dated wallpaper borders, not quite feeling the place was completely ours (with the bank still as a silent partner).

Last summer, a combination of factors – a bit of extra money, a neighbour who enjoys painting and a few days away in Virginia – allowed my office (actually, the dining room) to be painted.

Wanting to bring the outside inside to give me a cheery workspace, even on dark and gloomy winter days, I chose a bold, very much alive green. Some may call it a lime green.

I love it! I smile every time I see it.

However, the builder’s white and the 1980s wallpaper then became even more dated; even more of an eye sore. But what colour goes with lime green? I have my talents, but interior design isn’t one of them.

After much indecision and driving my husband nuts with umpteen paint chips, we chose Pumpkin Butter. Actually Darrell pointed to it first; a giant leap from his preferred choice of conservative white.

Thanks to our line of credit and our neighbour, the rest of the main living space was painted while we were in Hawaii. Coming home to a freshly painted place and having missed the mess was such a treat!

The Pumpkin Butter is warm and rich. And looks amazing with lime green – at least to my eyes! Who would have figured?

Then, while in Mississauga for my two weeks in CubeLand and with my weekend free, I found myself wandering into Crate & Barrel – a store that we do not have here in the Vancouver area, which might be a good thing.

I was enjoying wandering around, and then I spotted it from across the store: a colour combination of green, orange and purple. Pillows, throws and even tea towels in my colour scheme! I wasn’t crazy after all. I felt vindicated.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I had absolutely no room for anything extra in my bags for my trip home – not even for the 3-month old Himalayan kitty in the pet store that I fell in love with and that broke my heart to leave behind, but that’s another story.

When I came home, I discovered Crate & Barrel had a website – and that they ship, too, for a price. It made shopping way too easy. The first order was a duvet cover and pillow cases that perfectly matched our lilac/lavender bedroom. And being the Marimekko brand, which reminded me of my time in Finland with my penpal, it held extra meaning. (Sorry, no photos; that’s where I draw the bloggy line.)

Arriving last week in a somewhat battered box, the second order contained the next step in the ongoing makeover.

And the large box means I can pass on a fair number of unneeded items to the thrift store, keeping the clutter at bay.

The cuddly teddy bears on the chair beside the bookcase were replaced with a throw blanket with all of my crazy colours.

The floral sheet covering the couch – which makes washing easier when it gets covered with cat hair – was replaced with a gray flannel one that I had on hand. My Chief Feline Officer insisted on offering her assistance, of course.

With fresh paint and coordinating pillows, this place feels new again. After being here for ten years, our home finally has our own touch. It only shows that makeovers need not occur all at once or be expensive to have an impact.

Faith has given the new couch her paw of approval for cat naps.