You know when you have that feeling, that if one thing could get done, everything else would fall into place? And when that one thing is being held hostage or by your own indecision, that one thing is delayed, leaving you with the sense that it won’t ever come together? It’s crippling.
Well, before SMID, It’s been frustrating, but I have distracted myself with shopping, taking apart another room, rearranging furniture or coming up with my next big design scheme that I won’t be able to afford until I’ve recuperated from the current project. Now, with a launch party date hanging over my head and a long laundry list of things that need to be done before the event, it’s REALLY OVERWHELMING.
This is happening with a few areas of Project SMID but I am feeling it the most with my kids room. I have a great plan and vision for this room. I created my story board. I bought amazing pieces. I know it will look incredible when it’s done. But just the other day, it hit me. I need dark blue velvet curtains to finish this room off…perfectly, not the white sheer that I was originally planning on. I have to have these velvet curtains. They will bring warmth to the industrial pieces, ground some of the carnival pieces I found, help tie the kids room into the grander theme of the downstairs and just look, damn good! Of’course, with the way I have designed the curtain rods, we cannot install them until the curtains are here. The kids have been sleeping in my office upstairs due to the renovations. We do not want our kids to move back downstairs until the windows have coverings. There are so many things out of place right now. Can you see the dominos? But these curtains, will make this room and that’s that.
So now that I can’t get these curtains out of my head, it’s on. In my experience and confirmed again through my recent obssessive curtain research, I decided to have them custom made. I tried to avoid it. But, if there is something that I know all too well, it’s not to cut corners or go cheap when it’s where it really matters or is a huge focal point of the room. You don’t want to go cheap when you know there is something you love way more. Don’t do it. Don’t be tempted. You will regret it! I always have. West Elm has gorgeous blue velvet curtains that are the right length, the right color, the right luster but they have grommet finishing at the top. I didn’t want to use that finish for this room. I even considered ordering the longer length and then cutting the grommet part off and having someone refinish them because the color was so beautiful but, I would need too many panels to cover the two large windows in this room The panels wouldnt fall together as well as they should. So I am getting them custom made. Although a more painful process, this is the right move. This move has put a huge dent into the budget and the timeline. I could get into the details now but I will spare you until the curtains are ready, so that you too will appreciate why it is worth the wait.
So….I am focusing on taking one step at a time and getting as much done as I can. Then when the curtains arrive, the kids move back downstairs and everything will fall into place. LOL – that felt great.
Anyway, I am so excited to show you the project we completed this week; my kids’ closet. I designed the kids’ closet along with my super nanny Rachel Lunghi also of Lace and Likes, hand made weddings. Rachel has been a huge force for me and my cheerleader during the conception stage of SMID. We wanted to do this project together since we both use their closet so much and are often the ones finding the “lost” items.
For me, every little detail counts. Every space of my house should make me smile. I wanted this closet to be fun for my kids but still fit into the broader theme of the house. It also needs to grow with my kids so that in three in years time, we are not talking about redesigning it or about it not being cool. This is also for my little guy and my girl. They share a room. So I made sure it wasn’t too feminine or masculine and that it represented both of their tastes and mine.
A closet needs to be functional and you need to be able to see what you have in there so it gets used and doesn’t give you a headache when you go to find things. Rach just wanted to make sure there was a place for everything so we can keep their stuff from going everywhere…HA!
I think we found the perfect balance. It’s simple, functional, glam and tough as nails. I’m really excited about how it turned out. So are my kids. That’s one solid next step for Project SMID. Take a look and let me know what you think.
-SMID
Here’s how this design originated. I drew a picture to capture the main idea. Some things changed as the build was underway to actualize the functionality. I used raw wood for the shelves and plumbing hardware for the clothing racks. This brings an industrial feel and consistency in the design of the downstairs space. There are exposed beams, plumbing, and conduit in other rooms. Face outs were installed on both side walls of the closet for dresses and longer pieces so they are visible without hanging over or hiding the shoes on the shelves. I chose metallic silver for the walls! This glammed it up a bit and softened the industrial hardware. I love the silver so much I want to paint everything with it. Don’t worry – I won’t actually do this. There are pink non-slip hangers for my girl and blues for my guy. Yes, I had to. The silver bucket is for dirty clothes and the firetruck makes me smile.
Cheers to fun and organized closets…happy nesting!