My love-hate relationship with Pinterest and why I'm avoiding it while I design my bathroom

inspiration photo

Hello friends.

Well.

I'm finally renovating my upstairs bathroom and I'm noticing that it's actually been a good distraction for me. Any activity or person or place that provides some temporary relief for the heaviness in my chest--is something I'm grateful for, and while I'm at it, I want to thank you too for being SO supportive after my last post. It's astonishing to me that so many of you have chosen to follow along with me as I move through this dark tunnel.

I really do feel blessed.

Ok. So how bout a purely light topic for today? I thought I'd tell you about my bathroom project and share some thoughts about Pinterest with you and I'd love to hear what you think too.

It's been a while since I've done any renovations around here and I've been pining all kinds of bathroom inspiration off Pinterest for awhile now, trying to make up my mind about the final look I want for this guest bathroom.

I typically begin each home project with some kind of inspiration piece that forms the basis of my design look. And this time it's an old corner cabinet that I found in an antique booth, hidden underneath piles of dusty blankets, wooden signs and dishes. It was dark and pretty gloomy looking but because it was a corner unit I thought it would fit (of course I didn't measure anything).

shown in two pieces; glass section on top.

Plus--- I couldn't resist the $80 price so I bought it with the hope that it would work in this bathroom someday. Personally I've always wanted to use a piece of furniture in the bathroom for storage, and so with this purchase I felt like this project was off and running. And as of today it's official. I found out this corner cabinet will fit (hooraaay) and I'll be sharing some pictures soon --because of course I ended up stripping it.

Fast forward a few months. Because once I got father along in the planning stages of this bathroom, I started to notice this weird love-hate-thing happening between Me and my Pinterest app; it mostly happened when the time came to make decisions about what tile and lighting and shower fixtures to buy. 

And I wonder if you can relate.

First of all. I have to say this upfront. I can't overstate the value of seeing home design ideas and products and trends with your own eyes, as presented  by so many talented designers and homeowners on Pinterest. And as a visual person I'm so grateful for the ability to see certain looks that I'm interested in, in real homes. Pinterest is an endless source of inspiration. And the best part is how easy it is to click on and have instant access to unique design details and beautifully coordinated rooms that most of us would never see otherwise.

So you see?
I love Pinterest.

However-- when it was time for me to start making decisions about my little ol' bathroom, I began to stay away from it.

And it's because I started to feel like it was messing with my mind. 

Do you remember a time when we weren't all so acutely aware of what styles and products were trending in the interior design world? A time when we didn't know what 'everyone' was loving except maybe our neighbor down the street who just re-did her bathroom according to her own taste.

For the first time I noticed that Pinterest actually made me second-guess my decision. And I didn't like it. 

I started to ask myself some creative questions like,

Is Pinterest turning us all into scared conformists when it comes to decorating our own homes?

Is Pinterest turning Diy-Home-Decorators into the equivalent of Stepford-Wife Design Clones?

Here's why I'm asking.

As a lifestyle blogger of ten years, I'm been noticing that so many Blogger Home Tours are starting to look a lot alike. And while I love aspects of the hip, mid-modern rooms and I love the farmhouse style that seems to be everywhere now--(gosh knows I put planks in my own beach home)--I do notice that I click over a lot more blogger homes on these tours than I visit now.  

Maybe it's just me. But I find myself searching for a home tour that has that 'something different' feel, a home that doesn't look so sleek and "designer" and rooms that aren't so perfectly staged. 

I realize that blogging has changed dramatically since I started, and it's a thriving business for some which might explain so much similarity out there. Also I feel uncomfortable when I see children stiffly posing in some of these blogger shots. So much time and energy and focus on showcasing "perfection"makes me uncomfortable. A perfect looking family in a perfect looking room just seems like a bit much.
But that's a whole other subject.

My simple point was that too much Pinterest-gazing through homes and rooms leaves me craving that warm-worn-enough- lived-in look. A house that doesn't look like everyone else's. 

Remember good old Kitty Bartholomew on HGTV in the pre-Magnolia Farm days? At least she had the nerve to wrap an entire dining room with plastic bubble wrap. I know, I know. But what a Anti-Pinterest thing to do right?

Decorator "group-think"

If you visit my Pinterest Bathroom board you can see my impulsive brain at work, pining random pictures of rooms I like. Reacting on pure creative instinct, which is good. But afterwards, I try to decide how much of what I'm pinning actually "feels" like Me. As opposed to creating a room that's just a safe copy of a popular design look.

Here's what I do when I'm working on a house project and I want to detach from the power of decorator "group-think."

I give myself the luxury of time. I'll take a break from Pinterest and allow my different choices to ruminate in my head, sometimes for days. I think it's important not to rush the thinking process that's involved when making your creative decisions. And when I pull away from all the visual stimulation on Pinterest or from my online research ideas I notice a creative quietness comes, and I'll begin to  tap into my gut feelings. 

Later I'll notice. I'll literally be walking down the stairs and I'll feel myself leaning toward a certain direction or choice that suddenly seems obvious and 'right' to me. And it's based on me getting in touch with ME--as opposed to feeling influenced by others.
 Next time I'll show you what I'm planning.

Those are a few of my random thoughts lately. I'd love to hear yours.

In the meantime I thought I would amuse myself by taking some pictures around my home and showing you my absurd sense of humor. It helps that my personal motto whenever I'm stressing about a decorating decision is, "it's only a house."

Here you go:

13 quirky signs that your home is probably NOT on a Pinterest board

you pin thrift store hats to the wall with cheap tacks that can be seen by other human beings

you have plants that remain mysteriously alive

your pillows always have that perfect 'someone just sat on me' look

you collect old things that you forget to use

you prefer instant floral arrangements

your vintage crystal sparkles with a magical layer of dust.

you avoid buying trendy things for your home

 You find the idea of covering your Winston Churchill books (p. 1949) because they don't 'match' your décor, sacrilegious 

you stopped caring if things go together and it feels good

your chandelier resembles an upside down laundry basket

You accept that your dog's black fur balls are always on the white stair treads

You painted your bathroom without first testing the color because you were in a hurry

You once asked a stranger standing next to you in the upholstery shop to help you pick our the nail heads on your chairs

Ok, enough already. I could keep adding to this but I better go get some things done. I'd love to hear if you can relate to this post.

xoxo

love-love-love to you,

Leslie

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