Although daunting, retirement can bring about opportunities and a sense of adventure along with changes in a person's outlook for the next phase of their life. Take homeowner Patti, who recently retired. She wanted to make some changes to her décor to match this exciting time in her life. She and fiancé Mark (who is still working) decided to update their décor with an entirely new look that would match the new lifestyle that Patti's future as a retiree would hold for them both.
The couple revamped their kitchen a few months back in a contemporary palette of grey, white and black. Thrilled with the sleek, new look of the space, Patti and Mark decided to carry on the modern colour palette throughout the rest of the main floor of their home.
Because Patti is retired, she had the time to complete a large amount of the prep work and painting, which was a big savings on their budget. This was a quite a workout since their 100-year-old home has 10-foot ceilings.
"Stretching to paint the uppermost portion of the wall was good yoga exercise," Patti quipped. "And running up and down the ladder was better than a stair machine!"
The walls in this older home had layers of wallpaper that needed to be removed and plaster walls that were less than smooth that required some inventive camouflage. Paintable, textured wallpaper worked wonders on the rough parts and in the end the colour palette of greys, yellow and warm white was worth all of the hard work.
"We decided to get some new furniture for the living room and edit out many of the pieces that used to fill the living room/dining room area," Patti said. "We wanted a calm, serene and open feel to our new, updated space."
The couple's former oversized dark leather sofa and loveseat were replaced with a low-profile, light-coloured leather sofa and two contemporary upholstered armchairs covered in an accent fabric. "It's amazing how much space there is in this room now that the large, dark furniture has been replaced," said Mark.
The decorative area rug provides softness under foot and adds loads of character with its contemporary pattern and sculpted finish. The glass and chrome coffee table that replaced their solid wooden table almost disappears, which helps maintain the open feel the homeowners desired. Some of the other new items the couple purchased include the painting over the sofa, new flooring throughout the main floor, new light fixtures, a unique floor lamp with matching table lamp and coordinating accent cushions for the sofa.
"Once all of the hard work was done and the main pieces were in place, I had a blast shopping for accessories," said Patti. "Many of my best finds were found at thrift stores. The treasure hunt was the best part of the process," Patti beamed. "The sculpted daisy lamp, for instance, is my favourite find. The lamp cost under five dollars and all I had to do to update it was to replace the lampshade. It's a retro, designer-looking piece that gets a lot of compliments from family and friends," said Patti.
Other thrift store treasures that Patti found include a trio of mismatched vases in coordinating décor colours (on the sideboard in the dining room), two tall amber glass flute vases (on the coffee table) and a decorative plate that adorns the hall table all for under $35 in total.
"The best part of finding these treasures is they are a fraction of the cost of new items. It's a great feeling to find stunning pieces that not only enhance the space but that don't cost a fortune. I also feel good about buying recycled décor products as it's a green way to decorate and is good for the earth," said Patti.
When asked about how the new décor makes her feel Patti said, "It's so great to edit out the unnecessary accessories and furniture and to donate them back to the thrift stores. The new furniture layout gives us breathing room and the space is visually calm and soothing. We have lots of legroom and really get to enjoy each piece in the room without unnecessary distraction. The new look suits us at this time in our lives."
DIY décor updates of this magnitude are not for the faint of heart. "There were many days when we felt overwhelmed," said Mark. "Those were the days when you had to keep the vision alive in order to continue with the process and sometimes just take a few days off to regroup."
With each step, the couple could see the end of the process coming to fruition. Although the decision-making process regarding colour palettes, paint colours, window coverings and even the flooring were daunting, in the end, as you can see from the photos, the finished décor was well worth the time and effort.
"Now our home is easy-breezy," Patti said. "It suits our new lifestyle, which is simplified and low maintenance, yet still exciting and beautiful."
The couple has taken a break from home projects for now and is content to enjoy the fruits of their labour for a while. They do intend to continue the updates on the second floor of their home in the near future.
Connieoliver@shaw.ca
