Design On A Dime

OK.  So.  I have spent a good deal of last year's free time learning about interior design.  I remember exactly what kicked off the frenzy.  It was an oak laminate corner TV stand in our family room that had to be red.  It just had to be red.  Being the cheapskate that I am, instead of shopping for a new red TV stand, I went online to try and figure out how to make the thing red myself.  Not only did I discover that you can paint laminate furniture whatever color you want (prime, sand, paint, sand, paint again) but you can in fact paint all kinds of things in lots of different colors.  You can also move things around your house and make little changes to accentuate the positive elements.  I discovered blog after blog from both amateur and professional designers about color, furniture, trim, decor, light, texture, layering, fabrics, and everything else that goes into making a beautiful home.  This appealed to me immediately because, as I have told Kevin since February 22, 2002, I have to look at this stuff all day.  I am here in the house with our children every day and I enjoy a little beauty around me.  I also enjoy having a project (or two or twelve) to work on, and something new to learn.  So here I am one year later with all kinds of design ideas in my head. 
I thought it might be fun to blog about some of the things I've learned and some of the things I've done in our house.  Just about everything is copied, stolen or modified from someone else's good work.  I can't really say that I've thought of anything all that new or different, just taken it and changed it to fit what I like and work in our home.
One of the most fun parts of it all has been trying to reuse what I already have and buy things inexpensively.  I haven't spent very much money at all on my little projects.  Mostly I have moved things around our house over and over again.  It has become a running joke that when Kevin gets home from work, he has to find the thing that's been moved that day.  There is a certain satisfaction you get from making or building a thing yourself, rather than buying it or having someone else do it for you.  Plus, it is a joy to discover that anyone and everyone can have a beautiful home, not just wealthy people who hire designers.  And, as the pros will tell you, the best and most beautiful homes are built over time, and not assembled all at once, which lends itself to garage sale, flea market and clearance shopping. 
But now I am getting ahead of myself.  This is just a little introduction to what I am going to attempt over the next several weeks and months.  I hope you all enjoy seeing what I've been working on, and maybe take away one or two things that you can use in your own home.