I remember the days, long before I became MissPoop, I wore Laura Ashley, had friends to tea and my house was perfect. I had one dog, a fairly absent, soon to be former, husband and a pretty busy corporate career, so actually keeping the house clean and company ready was never a problem. My living room was pink and green and reminded me of a library where you could read Jane Austen and Emily Bronte. My dining room was gentile and simple and suited my china very well. Quiet was broken hourly by our grandfather clock - the one we bought as a wedding present to signify the timelessness of our wedded bliss (hmm). Occasionally the dog, Ben, would bark, but he was so sweet that we welcomed any behavior, good or bad, on his part. As long as he wiped his feet before entering the house.
Then things changed. The white, off-white and cream walls went to orange, rust, odd pine green and sun burnt yellow. Even the ceilings have colors and the second level of the house is primarily primary colors. The third floor master bedroom is a sanctuary in tropical blue and butter yellow with white trim. I don’t think, with the exception of the laundry room, that there is a white wall in the house. Bathrooms are a variety of greens, and one guest room is such an awful putty color you need to wallow in grief and despair. Rooms no longer kept their meaning. The living room became my studio, the downstairs family room became the winter dog/human dungeon and the awesome back family room that looked out to the woods became a passage way for our ever growing dog family and canine friends that run in and out over and over again.
I was not happy with the way things started to look, however, I could not be neurotic about how my house looks when I have too much else to do that I love. If I tried to wipe every muddy paw that entered my doors, I would be wiping till the day I die. My favorite decorating accessories are now Overstock.com deals, things you could throw on top of something else to hide dirt, dog hair or worn out furniture. I started going to the library to read and eat in the car – ok – it wasn’t that bad! I realized I love where I live and my house is fine, I just didn’t enjoy being in most of the rooms anymore.
At a business meeting I overheard some women talking about having their houses “restaged” for no other reason than to freshen it up while not breaking the bank. Staging is done for selling houses, but to make what you have seem new and exciting? And what is “not breaking the bank”? After hearing more people talk about having their houses done by a woman they all adored, I had to call and find out if she could make my house a home once again.
We are still in the process, painting yet to be done, but I feel as if I moved into a new, yet familiar home. Without buying one thing so far, we have rearranged art that I can actually see to appreciate, moved furniture out of rooms and into other rooms, giving the rooms and furniture new life, and the flow is gracefully and airy. I cannot explain in this short space how excited I am. Even the dogs seem to appreciate the new arrangements and actually sit on the floors more often than not. And even with more sessions with Joanna, the bank is not close to being broken. The best part is that Joanna is also a dog owner so she understands the importance of having a home where dogs and men can also feel welcomed.
I probably won’t go back to hosting tea parties, but I now enjoy inviting people over again. If you even have the slightest interest in redoing your home, give Joanna a call before anything else. Joanna Elfering is an interior designer by trade and has done some wonderful home designs, but what I love best is how she saved my house from the dogs and the dogs from me! Joanna Elfering – Finest Home Staging and Interior Design – can be reached at 610-220-6880 or Joanna@elfering.com
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