The Perfection of Imperfection
Several people have said to me, "Now that you're getting a new kitchen, your house will be done." Done? I feel like there is always a list of projects to do around here. I see dings in the baseboard paint and new colors I could paint the bathroom and I think about all the possibilities to make our home beautiful.
Lately, though, I've been thinking about all those dings and divots in our home. There is no doubt that we have old hinges that look dingy and tarnished. The baseboards in the well-traveled areas need re-painting.
Yet part of me thinks this is just part of the character of our home. The dings in the paint came from the kids running their toys into the walls, or me moving furniture around - all part of the fabric and history of our lives in this house.
I started thinking about this debate - perfecting things v. leaving the imperfections - because, of all things, door knobs. A friend of mine just built a new house (well, gutted an old house and renovated it) and she has all new everything in the house. It looks so finished and gorgeous. One thing that I noticed especially was the oil-rubbed bronze door knobs/handles. They are beautiful and are such a nice contrast with the white doors.
So, I started thinking... we have brass doorknobs throughout our home. Most of them came with the house, although when we bought the house, we had to replace some of them and we just replaced them with new brass ones, so that they would all be consistent. I don't like brass, but I just kind of didn't think about it beyond making them all look the same.
Now I'm thinking that we should have new ones. The brass, quite frankly, is ugly. I've never really liked them, but they were already here. Most days, I don't notice them at all. Should we get new ones, or leave the old ones? Same with the hinges on the doors - all tarnished and paint-splattered - should we get new ones, or appreciate the age on the old ones?
Getting a new kitchen might highlight the imperfections throughout the rest of the house. That said, each imperfection is part of this home and probably has a story behind it.
In the end, there will always be a to-do list. That list of things that I want to do to improve our home. I have to admit that painting baseboards and changing knobs are on that list, but I am still pondering at least the knob task and whether it's worth it.
What do you think? Do you worry about making your home look "perfect" or flawless or do you like having the dings and divots? Do you have a to-do list for your home a mile-long, or leave things well enough alone?
As always, thank you for stopping by.
Lately, though, I've been thinking about all those dings and divots in our home. There is no doubt that we have old hinges that look dingy and tarnished. The baseboards in the well-traveled areas need re-painting.
Yet part of me thinks this is just part of the character of our home. The dings in the paint came from the kids running their toys into the walls, or me moving furniture around - all part of the fabric and history of our lives in this house.
I started thinking about this debate - perfecting things v. leaving the imperfections - because, of all things, door knobs. A friend of mine just built a new house (well, gutted an old house and renovated it) and she has all new everything in the house. It looks so finished and gorgeous. One thing that I noticed especially was the oil-rubbed bronze door knobs/handles. They are beautiful and are such a nice contrast with the white doors.
So, I started thinking... we have brass doorknobs throughout our home. Most of them came with the house, although when we bought the house, we had to replace some of them and we just replaced them with new brass ones, so that they would all be consistent. I don't like brass, but I just kind of didn't think about it beyond making them all look the same.
Now I'm thinking that we should have new ones. The brass, quite frankly, is ugly. I've never really liked them, but they were already here. Most days, I don't notice them at all. Should we get new ones, or leave the old ones? Same with the hinges on the doors - all tarnished and paint-splattered - should we get new ones, or appreciate the age on the old ones?
Getting a new kitchen might highlight the imperfections throughout the rest of the house. That said, each imperfection is part of this home and probably has a story behind it.
In the end, there will always be a to-do list. That list of things that I want to do to improve our home. I have to admit that painting baseboards and changing knobs are on that list, but I am still pondering at least the knob task and whether it's worth it.
What do you think? Do you worry about making your home look "perfect" or flawless or do you like having the dings and divots? Do you have a to-do list for your home a mile-long, or leave things well enough alone?
As always, thank you for stopping by.
Oh, you've struck an ongoing issue in my home. We built our home from scratch almost two years ago, and when we moved in, everything was flawless. With two little kids and one dog, logically I knew that it wouldn't stay that way. However, those first sets of dings and scratches were a little heartbreaking to me, even though they were made during the course of our precious family life. I think because my husband and I put so much of our hearts and souls into building that house, it was little disturbing to see our "baby" hurt by our other babies. :)
ReplyDeleteThe one area where I actually welcome the marks is our island countertop. It's made of copper, and part of the charm for me is the appearance of little marks and stains in the patina. I can remember how many of them were created. Most often they come from times when we were hosting friends and family: there is one from the first Thanksgiving in our new house and another from one of our annual holiday parties. These are a visual record of the good times we have here. But for some reason, I can't have that same attitude with the paint on my walls, the scratches on the wood floors, or the dings in the baseboards. :)
Exactly! I love the idea of a copper countertop - so cool!
DeleteMost days, I don't - or maybe try not to - notice the dings in the baseboards and walls. But when I do, I'm torn.
Your home is beautiful. I remember when you posted the pictures online and I remember it was just stunning.