So. Where do I begin?
A few weeks ago I spotted an article in the Ottawa Citizen about a new contest they were hosting. The prize included a consultation with two designers, 40 hours of their planning time, draperies, paint and painting services, an area rug, lighting, fabrics and upholstery services. All I needed to do was take some photos of our living room, write a few lines about why I think it deserves a makeover and send it in. I entered, and guess what? We won! The prize is worth $12,000. To be spent on our living room. In. One. Room. Our living room!
Please note: I am fairly certain that ours isn’t the absolute ugliest living room in all of Ottawa. It’s not TERRIBLE, but it does rank somewhere between depressing and dreary. I’ve always known there was lots of potential. Yet time, money, babies, work … conspired against us and we haven’t been able to make any significant changes. Until now!
Our living room does not have any character, unless that character is a dowdy matron who has a full-time gig as a toy tester. If I showed you photos of our living room I’m sure you wouldn’t know what to think about who lives there. There is no colour scheme. It’s dark. There is no unified style. The couch might as well be made out of sage-coloured quicksand. You get the picture, I’m sure.
So the kind folks at the Ottawa Citizen took pity on us and awarded us the grand prize. Suffice it to say when I found out I did a happy dance that extended into the evening hours. In fact, I went grocery shopping that same afternoon, and COMBED THE AISLES looking for someone to tell. I was SO bursting at the seams, wondering how I could possibly work this into conversation with someone, anyone! I considering accosting a hapless victim in the produce department:
“Hey, this pineapple looks super juicy BY THE WAY I WON A LIVING ROOM MAKEOVER WORTH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!”
Alas, I didn’t see anyone I knew. Even remotely. So there was no public display of bursting (although I did skip across the parking lot with several quiet “hoots” and “yee haws”).
Apparently, this project is supposed to be completed by the end of the month. (!) So the process starts today. A Citizen photographer is coming tonight, to take photos of the four of us and, um, possibly some “before” pictures of the Aforementioned Matronly Dreariness. They’re going to run in Saturday’s paper, at which point countless of thousands of people will find out that I’m not nearly as neat and stylish and I pretend to be. And that my bookshelves are a mess. And that the toys are taking over the room. And that we were possessed by evil gamma spirits when we painted the walls the exact dusty shade of pink as the dusty pink carpet left by previous owners. It’s embarrassing, really. But I figure it’s a small price to pay.
Speaking of carpet, I will break down and cry tears of joy when we can tear that thing out. I will heave it to the curb myself, and trod on it while singing I HATE YOU DUSTY PINK CARPET I LOATHE YOU WITH EVERY FIBRE OF MY BEING. And I won’t be kidding.
So tell me. If you could have someone come in and take a gander at your living room, would you (a) let them in the house and (b) what would you like to change? Design points/suggestions are welcome too!
