nesting

When we bought our house six years ago, I was daunted by the task of decorating it. First, I had to wrap my head around shopping for furniture, which is so unlike buying a pair of ankle boots or a cocktail dress, because you have to commit to these things for years, if not decades. You're surrounded by these choices each and every day, and making the wrong decision terrified me. But the more I spruced up my house, the more I enjoyed the decorating/shopping process. Plus, it helped to have some great hand-me-downs to work with, such as the bureau above, given to me by my mother. Still, six years later, I have yet to complete the task. I find I go through spurts of nesting--weeks when I all I think about are paint, new rugs and throw pillows, followed by weeks when I can't be bothered to change a light bulb! Last week the impulse to refresh my house took hold. I'm now laser-focused on a stairway that could use an amazing new runner. Windows that need fantastic (black-out) shades. A sofa that will look so much more inviting with another vibrant pillow. Fortunately, the lacking sofa will be an easy fix, thanks to fabric designer (and childhood friend!) Lulu DeKwiatkowski's new home decor site Lulu DK.  But my walk-in closet? That's another story. It needs a lot of help!  Small improvements have begun, however, with the help of two Moroccan-inspired West Elm rugs, which have made things much cozier. The finished makeover includes a new paint job (I'm thinking high-gloss red!), light fixtures (perhaps brass pendants?), felt hangers (all my friends swear by these), and some serious weeding out of things I no longer wear! This might take 2+ spurts of my nesting mode!