I was not a “reader” growing up. I hated when I was forced to read a book by parents, school teachers, or sunday school teachers. I wanted to be out on my bike or dribbling a basketball or banging on my drum. I didn’t want to be inside reading a book.
My siblings are different. My brother and the older of my sisters have both gotten in trouble for reading before. They both love to read and want a book in their hands at all times. Because of this both of them have stayed up past lights out or got in the car late to go somewhere or didn’t respond when called because their nose was in a book and their mind a million miles away.
I have changed and actually enjoy reading now. I don’t read as much as I would like because I still prefer to be on my bike or outside doing than inside reading. My siblings still love to read but are better about prioritizing their reading time. For any parents that might be reading this blog I want you to hear me say that both of my reading siblings are WAY smarter than I am. We all are pretty good thinkers but they just have a vast amount of knowledge I don’t possess and I know it is because they read and have been readers from childhood.
The point of this blog isn’t to expound on the differences of the Spivy children that are readers and those that aren’t. But I do want to point out the benefit of picking up a book. I tackle just about any task with gaining knowledge first. I always tackle fear with knowledge. To gain this knowledge I will search the internet, ask folks with experience, and by reading books about whatever it is I am trying to tackle.
My current endeavor is the buying of a house. I have relied on friends and family to guide me through the actual buying of the house. I read a bunch of stuff initially about mortgages and downpayment options and tax credits and the like, then went to knowledgeable people to walk me through the rest. The next step, after actually getting the house, is deciding how to decorate the house.
I am not a decorator. I have a poor sense of spacial awareness. I do not know my colors and how they contrast and complement each other. I have no clue what my style is or how to go about getting one. I do know that I don’t want a bunch of input from folks that I will end up offending when I turn up my nose or stare dumbfounded at their suggestions. I have co-workers and acquaintences that dabble or make a living at interior design. Along with that I know that most everybody I come in contact with has an opinion about design. So I could get information overload, I could step back and let them have at it, or I could do what I do and read a book.
I checked 4 books out of the library. The first 3 I didn’t so much read as I just flipped through and looked at the pictures. I had already looked at some stuff on the internet so I was getting better at “seeing” more of the picture. I could pick out little nuiances the decorator did to add to a space. I jotted down notes. After “reading” the 3 books I started sketching furniture placement for my study and living room. Without knowing any measurements of the house I have a rough idea of what I want those 2 rooms to look like and a vague idea for the guest room and master bedroom.
I showed my sketch to the overzealous co-workers and they were impressed. The both wanted to know who I had been talking to. When I told them I came up with the idea on my own after reading some books they were floored. They didn’t think it could be done that way. Of course they both had told me look through a bunch of magazines to get ideas so it shouldn’t be that big of a stretch to think a book might help.
Having the general layout is one hurdle. The next is deciding what color do I paint what parts of the house? If my spacial acumen is off my color knowledge is non-existent. I am a visual person so I have to see it to know what it will look like. If I actually could remember my dreams I am sure they would be in black and white. I just don’t “see” color in my mind’s eye. When I visualize I “see” numbers or words or people/places I know well. I do not “see” pictures nor do I imagine very well. So to “see” what a house would look like painted is hard to do without just picking a color painting something and deciding if I like it or not. That could be costly and time consuming and frustrating going about things in this manner. I needed to do more reading and actually go look at some stuff. So I did just that.
Friday after work I went to the mall, which no longer is full of furniture stores, hoping to get some ideas. Since I haven’t been in a mall in years I didn’t realize you couldn’t do that, see furniture in several stores in one place. What I did get to do though was see some bedding and get some color scheme ideas that way. Then on Saturday I read the final of the 4 books I got from the library. 10 pages into this book I struck paydirt. They had a color wheel and explanations about color and how it works together. It went into more detail about what warm and cool colors are and what moods are associated with which colors but I didn’t go that deep into my research. I had an epiphany and stopped with what I gained so far.
I spent the rest of the weekend playing around with my idea in my head and while I still cannot “see” what this idea would look like I can state what I think will work. I have run my idea by several different people and they all think it is fabulous. I am pretty pleased with myself and once again believe that any task can be conquered with the right book.
Next step, after actually getting the house, will be to put this plan in action. I have also learned through experience that what I think will work in my head doesn’t always work in reality. I have to find the colors, in a price range I can afford, then I have to apply the colors to the house. I will cross my fingers and hope it works out like I have imagined it will. My friends say it will look great. I hope they are right.
When the final project is complete I will post pictures but you have to realize I am still 2 weeks away from closing so it will be a good long while before the putting paint to a wall happens. For now here is a description:
The living room will have 3 separate areas. There will be a sitting area centered around the fireplace, a reading nook area, and a faux entryway. The house doesn’t have an entryway and the living room is long and narrow so this is the arrangement. I want the room done in the Primary colors. The painted wall will be done with the complementary colors green, violet, and orange. Accent pieces and/or furniture will be in the main colors red, blue, and yellow.
In the sitting area, one wall will be painted a true green and the chairs in front of it will be a true blue. The rest of the furniture will be neutral colors. The reading nook will have different sized bookshelves lining the walls on either side of the wall corner. The corner, not a whole wall, will be painted orange with one of the bookshelves painted yellow. There will be a chair and 1/2 with an ottoman angled out from the wall in a neutral color or possibly with an orange ottoman. Beside the chair will be a cafe’ sized table with some type of yellow accent, either a lamp shade or tablecloth. The faux entryway will have the wall painted violet and an entry table in front of it with two dining chairs on either side coverd in red slip covers.
Any other additions to the room will be any of the primary colors since they will all complement each other. Things like pillows, throws, lamp shades, or nicknacks. Everything else will be neutral colors like a biege or tan and done in wood not metals. One helpful suggestion was to put an area rug in the center of the room with all the colors in it to bring all the parts of the room together. I like that idea and will do something along those lines.
So whatever you are in the midst of doing go to library, it is a clueless persons best friend.