This Is The Point Where I Second Guess My Decisions
Every big project I tackle seems to reach a point where I start second-guessing my decisions. And I’ve now reached that point in the studio project. I’ve finally gotten all of the huge projects in this room done, and now I’m left with a bunch of medium- to small-sized projects to finish the room. And this is about the time I start second-guessing.
I really do love the way this room is coming together, although right now, it’s kind of hard to tell with all of my tools and things piled up all over the place. My desk is piled with stuff that needs to be organized into the cabinets. My work tables are piled with tools and things I’m currently working on. So it’s a little difficult to see past all of the clutter to see the actual room. But when I do look past it, I really do love how it’s all coming together.
But yesterday, I did have a little freak out moment when I wondered if the large cabinet section I’m working on right now is too large, too pink, and too monolithic.
I know I need to wait until it’s finished and just trust the process and trust the vision. And the fact is that when a person is standing in the actual room, there’s never a chance that they’ll only see that one section. When in the room, you can’t help but to see the mural wall and everything else. (Look past the clutter if you can. 😀 )
And of course, once all of the tools and supplies are cleared out, that shelving unit is in the storage closet where it will stay (once the storage closet is cleared out), and the room is clean and clear of clutter, it will look so much better.
I know I need to wait before I start changing up the plan. The office section isn’t even done yet, so I need to be patient. The window still needs a shade to match the other windows. I still need to install the sconces. And then I’ll have a very colorful pendant light hanging above the desk. The desk will be white and gold, and the office chair will add more color once it’s reupholstered.
So I know I need to be patient, but I still can’t help but wonder if the office cabinet area needs something else. Maybe the desk chair needs more color than just the solid green I had planned. Or maybe it’s good that that area is a calm in the middle of the other colorful and busy areas. I just don’t know.
After all, you can’t enter the room without also seeing this massive cabinet sitting just inside the door.
One small change that I’m definitely going to make is to paint over the black on that paint swatch cabinet. I’ve decided that I want it to be white instead of black. The black just looks too harsh to me.
So before I get to far down this rabbit hole of deciding on changes that I want to make, I know I just need to plow forward and trust the plan and trust the vision. And I should probably take a day to clean up the studio and remove all of the clutter. That would probably go a long way towards helping me see what changes (if any) really do need to happen. If anything, I’m just thinking maybe the desk chair needs a colorful pattern on it to break up that huge area of pink cabinets. But then again, maybe the pendant light will take care of it. I guess I’ll wait and see, and just keep moving forward.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Nope — not too monolithic! The eye needs a place to rest between the floral mural and the geometric cabinet doors. The sconces, window treatment, and desk chandi will provide further texture and interest and visually break up the large cabinet. It is all good! I think it will be wonderful. Just keep going!
The pink unit doesn’t bother me at all – but I do agree with your intent to change the black to white on the other unit. I was surprised you went with black on that one when you have eliminated the other black accents in the room.
I would be tempted to order your mural pattern in velvet from Spoonflower (a smaller version) and do the chair in that. Visually that wall is going to be broken up once your desk, chair and new pendant lamp are in front of it – and having that built in one colour will help the other stuff to stand out.
Yes! The chair in a fabric matching the wallpaper! I was thinking this too. But I do love the pink on the big cabinet. It makes me happy just looking at it!
Oh my goodness, that’s brilliant. I love that idea for the chair.
Looking at it all together I think the only thing feeling off to me is the wall color now. The pink on the mural wall has a bright colorful background. The entry is colorful. The swatch cabinet is its own colorful work of art. But the office cabinets don’t have anything to pop against. I know you just repainted the walls, but if after all the other things are done, if something still feels off, maybe revisit painting them a color?
The hardware will also add visual interest!
It’s looking beautiful. Maybe take a day and put all your tools and items away in the cabinets you designed them for. That way you can have a lot of the clutter out of the way to see your vision. Putting away all your paint cans etc does t mean you can’t go back in and get them out, you will just feel motivated to put them back when you are done.
I think that you have already said it yourself: It is too early to consider changes! I totally understand your hesitation at this point, it happens to me in bigger projects, too. But I would advise you to be a bit more patient and tackle the stuff that will need to change (to me, that would be the blue wall colour in the first place 😉 ) and then reconsider.
I cannot imagine the paint swatch cabinet without the black, to me it is grounding the very beautiful, but very colourful huge item in that already colourful room. So that is something I would wait about changing, too… Didn’t you plan to bring the flower wallpaper over to the desk area?
And another thing (though it is clearly you saying it rather than me normally!): it is only paint. The furniture is gorgeous as is and if you decide the colour is too much, you are the most suitable person in the world to make that change a (seemingly) easy one. I hope you can be patient and let it all come together before changing things, because I think it’ll turn out breathtaking!
I think adding the handles and knobs on the large pink cabinet will visually break up its expanse and add balance. Right now it’s a lot of uninterrupted spaces. Put the handles on, hang the window blind that goes there (another color & texture), then do some decluttering while you ruminate. The sconces are also going to be a focal point once they’re installed.
This might be an opportunity to take a couple days and organize a lot of the laying around stuff in your office you haven’t noticed while you’ve been creating, and clean the floor before it’s so stained or damaged it’s another re-do (timesuck) on the list. You’ll probably resolve some of the issues in your mind when you detach and clear your space.
If anything I would be tempted to paint that black cabinet pink like the others, leaving the doors as is, which would offer more cohesion.
Just looks to me like an artist lives here….:)
Maybe put your floral fabric on the back of your chair. That would add a pop of color(s) and added interest.
I think once the shade, sconces and pendant are up that it won’t be so monolithic. After you are done with everything you should probably add in some plants to break up all the straight lines and add some organic shapes in. I seem to remember you have some plants on the shelves around your TV in your dining/sitting room area.
Glad you plan on repainting the “Paint Swatch” cabinet. To my eyes, it just didn’t contribute to the light feminine look you’ve mentioned several times as what you envisioned for your studio.
I find I do the same second-guessing 3/4 of the way into a project and my indecision sucks my energy until it’s a chore and not fun anymore.
For me, taking a step back and cleaning up my clutter usually clears my head and invigorates me with the energy to finish!
I’m trying to remember where you enter the studio and what faces you when you enter. There’s the curtained door, which I think faces the mural wall? And there’s a door from the breakfast/sitting/TV room, which faces the cabinetry you’ve just completed? Can’t for the life of me remember what’s to your right and behind you when you enter from the inside door. I’m sure you’ve balanced out the size of your built-ins and furnishings and your distribution of colors, so this is just idle curiosity.
That’s the big tall wall she was talking about adding wall shelves with her TV and a couple special pieces of “art” plus her work tables reside on that wall.
I was wondering if you would want to incorporate the wallpaper in a small way. Maybe around the window or inside the cubby at the back.
I’m not keen on the wall around the window being the same pink as the cabinets, that’s not working for me as it clearly wall and not part of your built in and feel it would be more cohesive if it was painted as the rest of the walls, jmot
That’s my thought as well. I think the pink wall makes it feel monolithic, but if there was wall color, it would feel more open.
me too. Pink isn’t my favorite color, especially that dark of pink, so it kinda looks like too much pink and gold. But white around the window might break it up some.
I agree about painting the wall area surrounding the window white, the wall color, rather than pink of the cabinets. You might also paint the back of the cubbies the same white instead of pink. Doing both those things would relieve the visual weight of all that pink. These changes would be pretty easy to do, too. You might try these two ideas first by masking these areas with white paper or perhaps creating a computer simulation of the cabinet wall with these tweaks as you have done before with other project areas. These small adjustments may make a big difference. You have created an amazing workspace! Good luck!
The one small thing that might help is to paint the drywall in between the cabinets white (or other fantastic color that you prefer). That little contrast may be all that you need to break up all of the pink. Love how everything is turning out.
If you have to do a pattern, a geometric green would be neat contrast to your flowery watercolor wallpaper. But I enjoy your results, no matter how many times you changed them. 😁 It gives me courage to try and retry (and retry)!
Inspiration:
https://i.etsystatic.com/7360495/r/il/055eba/1197493042/il_794xN.1197493042_fpr6.jpg
https://img0.etsystatic.com/023/0/6737207/il_570xN.534975460_igxd.jpg
https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/4817d437-9765-4723-af05-fc75b72c7b76.3333b910df5cf41b289dc7b3a4acd795.jpeg
Wallpaper the wall behind the cabinet. It will draw the eye from all the pink and connect the two cabinet areas together.
Spend the day putting away the construction tools & wood. Then find homes/ put away all the things that will stay in that beautiful cabinetry you built. Put your roll abou tables & desk/chair in position. Then take a deep breath & look around from all angles. I like the black on the swatch cabinet but think you need a pop of black on something else in the room for cohesiveness, chair legs, desk legs, accessories? Add the drawers to your desk. Drape fabric over the chair to see how you like the colors. I think it is just a fantastic room. My favorite cabinet is the paint swatch cabinet. I think it is so simple & orderly that it balances the pink cabinets well.
It amazes me how you can work, and find what you need in that clutter. I’m pretty messy but I think it would be too distracting.
Can you put that tiny area of the wall around the window and maybe the back of the wooden box cabinet area at the top the wallpaper to break up the pink a little and tie it to the other cabinets?
My thoughts were you have too much clutter to make any decisions
It seems when you get in this situation and declutter you have a better vision. It’s something you put off for too long and start second guessing your choices. It is going to be gorgeous when done and you are so close to finishing it
I love how this is all finishing up, and sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees. I get that a lot in our “chicklet” adventure every time I want to do a project it requires three men and a small boy to move everything so I can get started…have faith, keep going, wait until you have finished some things to see how it is really coming together. And just because we all love you so much, I add this lamp shade idea out there that you have probably already seen…
https://www.johnderian.com/collections/lighting-1/products/custom-john-derian-for-designers-guild-mixed-tones-canvas-lampshade
Mind you, they want $900 for the lampshade…and this is why I too do most of the stuff for our house, champagne tastes on a cheap beer budget for us.
I love your choice for the chair, but since I have back issues, I would have my very decorative lumbar pillow on said chair. And I here are my two pennies worth, I love the paint swatch cabinet in black. It feels like an anchor point in the room without competing with anything else.
One step at a time, it’s coming together beautifully, and remember, Home wasn’t built in a day. You got this. Cheers.
Since you asked for ideas — I think painting the wall around the window with the general wall color would look better — and less monolithic. Decide on the black paint later after you see the full room.
Ugh, I hate feeling indecisive and generally fight the feeling. I like that you can see it as a natural part of the process though.
I am not sure if this has been asked, but did you consider using the pink where you have the black on the paint swatch cabinet? It might be too much, or it might tie it together. Or even the green or purple from the back entrance?
Whatever it ends up as will be beautiful. And this indecisiveness will help you get there. In each of my projects, there is always a major stall at some point. it took me a long time to learn to stop stressing about not moving fast enough and realize that this is when I find solutions to lingering points of tension. For that reason, I hope you are embracing the indecisiveness as a gift and let it refine the end result. Either way, I love that you shared where you are – feels good to know that even the best of the best aren’t super confident in every decision.
I like that the wall around the window is the same color as the cabinet!
Wondering if the entrance green would work on the black trim?
Kristi,
NO to the cabinets being too large. You need the multiple storage sizes it provides. NO to being too pink. Any other color would put too much interference in the studio. NO to being too monolithic. Again, the different sizes of all your studio working things need this big storage cabinet to house quite a bit of your things you will need in your studio….all in one area.
Whether yes or no to add something else in the middle calm area. Wait until you are using your studio to work in and have paced across that calm middle a hundred times a day….then make up your mind about that then. Walking around something else new being out in the middle will take up time and waste walking steps.
I think painting the black that’s on the paint swatch cabinet is a good idea. Will make it all look free and beautiful instead of penned in.
About your desk and chair being changed, that will come to you after working in your studio on project plans. Once you start doing that. You will get a feel on whether you need to change anything there or not.
No, no! It’s going to be perfect! Trust your vision! The vast majority of that huge space is calm and neutral. You’ve distributed the colorful features evenly around the room so that it doesn’t feel unbalanced. Trust your plan!
I would love to see the floral wallpaper on that small amount of wall around the window. I think it would break it up and really tie your two cabinet areas together.
Sorry if this sounds like something you are thinking of. Consider painting the ceiling and the walls earlier? Making the paint more continuous and complete can clear up the visual stress some. You’ll have another scaffolding task complete too!
Kristi, I agree with a lot of other commenters that you’ll feel a lot better about your vision once you have cleaned and organized. Plus adding the handles and other pretty things will put your mind at ease about your choices. I think the size of the room and height of the ceiling really call for larger scaled storage. Anything smaller would have looked odd (at least to me, I suppose). The one thing I am hesitant about is repainting the black around the color swatch cabinet. I like it, but since I do not have to live with it, might I suggest, instead of white you go with the green you painted French Door area? or the Auburgine of the doors in that space? Just a thought. Whatever you choose, it is going to be SPECTACULAR!!! You are immensely talented and I look forward to seeing what’s next!
How about complete spots that affect the rooms feel before the color swap… Try finishing the ceiling and walls up before the color change. Reduce the amount of changes and create a continuous color. It may affect how the bigger things show. Plus more scaffolding jobs done, and you know you are more sure on the wall & ceiling color (I think, could be wrong).
What about a rug under the desk so that area is balanced by 3 objects with color: the cabinets, the chair, and the rug? That would help to make the cabinets less monolithic I’d think…of course styling the cabinets will also break up the color and I can’t wait to see what you do with the nooks above the window.
It’s kind of hard to comment without seeing the whole room again. I would love to see a video that takes us around the room. Color balance is a whole room concept.
Have you considered a green and white cabana stripe on the chair? Or any large stripe would add interest!
I love what you’re doing. You have an excellent eye for detail and balance.
What if you repaint the black paint swatch cabinet the eggplant from your doors? Contrast, but color. Also, if in the end your cabinet IS “too pink”, or your office area IS “too plain”, I think a plant or 2, live or faux would be the perfect solution. Can you tell I’m a plants-fix-anything person? 😁 Anyway, it’ll all be amazing and wonderful in the end! I’m sure of that.
Kristi, First of all what you have completed looks AMAZING ! Period!
A Little tough Love… the reason you feel this way is because you don’t want to tackle the “Stuff”. Call someone, get help cleaning and organizing your space. You have enough completed, you can put most of it where it will live permanently, instead of shuffling around. You’re so close! Do this and you will be able to clearly “see” your next step. Your work is awe inspiring.
Yes! Trust the plan, trust the vision, and plow forward. You’ve got this. It will all come together as planned, and you can make tweaks when the room is completed. The room will be stunning when you are done!
I personally like the black on the paint swatch cabinet. To me it looks like a frame around a work of art, which it is. A work of art, that is.
……..too large, too pink, and too monolithic…… Don’t even think that way. What black are you planning on painting over? The trim? The black makes the colors pop better than white will, so keep that in mind. If black is too black, paint it dark grey or medium grey.
Clean up your room completely, paint the darn ceiling, THEN decide what might need to be changed. You do not need any print on the chair. Green is fine. Print would make the chair and the area too busy. Finish all this so you can relax a day or so out of the room, then go back into it, say on Monday. Deep breath.
I agree with taking the extra time to clean up. Go ahead & fill your cabinets with what you can. Having the clutter gone will also be helpful in finishing painting the walls/ceiling. I ask think it would also give you a better vision of what you want to do. I’m a clean as I cook type of person so putting something in its place helps me with choosing what I want to do next. I’ve also been wanting to make a suggestion regarding all your Amazon boxes you seem to get. Get a large box & with each delivery break it down & put in the box. When it’s filled start a new one. I know you want it done but it takes some extra time so be it.
I like the whole pink cabinet, especially with the paint swatch cabinet and the gorgeous wallpaper on the other wall, and can’t wait to see it all come together. On a different note, I also really like seeing your old Singer up in the cubby. Is it a featherweight?
I still think your chair needs the murial flowers to bring that to anoyher section of the room. When its all finished you will be so glad to have all that storage. When l had my big studio there was never enough storage. Now l live in a smaller house with a small bedroom for sewing storage ans another bedroom for art projects. Half of my living room is my sewing area in a bay window. Im happy here but l do miss my studio. I envy your space and storage. It’s amazing!
The space looks fabulous….and balanced. Trust your original thoughts and process and like you said, clean it up and then rethink. I think it’s perfect…it’s your home.
What about putting the wallpaper on the wall around the window to break up the monolithic pink cabinets? I do love the pink but it seems that the wallpaper would help to break it up just enough, as well as continue that motif on that side of the room. Using the green on the desk chair would bring a deeper hue of the walls of the back entrance into the room.
Yep, I would consider using the wall color around the window and also some form of wallpaper fabric for the chair. Once the hardware is installed and you have the lights hung it’s going to add visual interest. Love how your special space is turning out.
As I was reading I just kept thinking trust the process, and then you said it! But really keep going, it’s beautiful! I’m with some other people on the color swatch cabinet, I like the black it looks like it frames a picture. You have the white around all the colors, if you paint the trim white I wonder if the colors will look like they are just floating? If you hate the black, maybe pick a different color from the mural, to frame it out in.
I’m so excited for you to have the beautiful space to do all the things in!
I think, yes, keep going. Once some things are put away, you’re finished painting, and have your desk all set up, with the new lighting up, stand back and THEN think about what you like/don’t like. I am wondering if there is a poster or something that you might want to put over on that wall, or some other decoration. I would definitely wait until all things are done to think about any additions. I do like the black trim on the cabinet going to white. I’m excited to see the light you are making for over the desk. Do you need a decorative clock in there at all? It will fall into place soon…