What a day! The makeover of Green Isle, the home featured on my makeover show, is progressing well as we scurry along to this coming Monday when we film the new kitchen reveal. However, today was not without hurdles.
In the case of the lighting over the farm table, the beautiful Bell Jar fixtures we chose have been an issue from the start. We ordered two, but only one arrived. We finally located a second one, and had it delivered. However, when we opened the box for installation today, it came out of the package damaged. I could easily have gotten upset, but chose not to do so. Instead of going to pieces, we rolled with it.
When Team Mar asked me how I can roll through such hiccups, I gave it some thought. As a veteran of the home makeover process, I know these types of things are bound to happen.The Green Isle renovations have been a yearlong project. With any project of this length and magnitude, it is no surprise we have had unexpected snags along the way. I thought my MARtian community might appreciate these tried and true tips for surviving any makeover madness.
1. Flexibility
Things might not go according to expectations. So, be prepared to think on your feet, assess and redirect your design scheme. You might have to compromise or diverge from your original plan here and there, but the inevitable changes that come up could break you if you don’t bend with them.
2. Don’t Force It
You might feel pressure to make decisions quickly. Try to avoid hasty choices made simply to move the process along. At first, you may feel relief that the pressure is off, but you risk regretting your decision later. I find it is always best to step back and reassess as things progress. The best design decisions come from having time to digest what is happening in the creative process and let ideas evolve naturally.
3. Poo-Poo (aka sh*t) Happens
Expect mistakes, blunders, broken things. Just let poo-poo happen, flush it and move on.
I hope these three strategies will help you avoid undue stress in your own home projects. In the end, keep your perspective, and try to not get caught up in the madness. I know for me, regardless of any setbacks, we always try to realize that nobody’s been injured, the renovations are MARvelous, and life is good.
Oh–and a head’s up – you can see the TV reveal of the home makeover kitchen on November 8th at 1:30 pm on Channel 8, WTNH. Tune in and watch it all unfold. You won’t believe this before-and-after.
