Mandi and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamroom

Towards the end of my pregnancy and for the first few months of Emma’s life, I took a break from reading (and writing) blogs.  My down time was mostly spent sleeping, and I was feeling anything but inspired.

When I was finally able to balance my role as the mother of two, I dove back into Blogland and discovered amazing new reads.  My break actually provided me with the ability to come back with a fresh perspective, and it has been fabulous to be inspired by a whole new crop of DIY gals and guys.

The blogger who is probably at the top of my “where have you been all my life?” list is Mandi Gubler of Vintage Revivals.  Unbeknownst to her, she has been the kick in the pants I needed to bring some much needed color into my beigey beigey beige home.  She deserves some of the credit for the giant chevrons I’m getting ready to paint on my bedroom walls and my bright yellow Miss Matched dresser.  {I love her guts.}

Y’all, Mandi is a super big deal.  And when she announced that she was running a contest (thanks to a host of amazing sponsors), where she will fly to the winner’s home and help them redecorate one room, I got kind of twitchy.  Mandi is just what I need to turn my boring living room into an Amazing Technicolor Dreamroom.  That’s right.  I just used a crazy amount of colored text.  I’m *that* excited about it.

Lately, any project that I’ve attempted has ended like this, so Mandi’s help would be my dreamroom come true.

My living room is fine…for Mr. Knit Knots of Imagination Movers fame (and if you don’t know who that is, bless your sweet, little, lucky heart).  But for me, it’s not.  It’s safe.  It’s expected.  It’s not me.  I wear bright colors and zebra printed dresses.  I wear jewelry that screams “Notice me!”  My favorite color is bright Kelly Green.

This is what I feel like my living room looks like:

My problem isn’t necessarily not knowing how to bring color into the room.  That I can do.  What I can’t do is figure out what to do with the 800 pound gorilla in the room.  The feature that sold us on this home is now the bane of my existence.  What am I supposed to do with *this* wall?

That’s a 52″ TV if that puts the room into perspective.  Yikes!  I desperately need help in figuring out what to do with that bad boy.  Perhaps a little Royal Design Studio stencil and Dutch Boy Paint action?  I really am at a loss, which is why it’s laughed at me in all it’s beige glory for 3 years.  It’s so huge that it needs to make an even bigger statement.  And if there’s anyone who knows how to make a statement, it’s Mandi.

I also know that I am not the only one who has this problem in their home.  I’ve spent hours Googling, reading design mags, asking real-life interior designers, and no one has a good answer for me.  Mandi could help me solve one of life’s greatest mysteries!

So, just how tall is that wall?  Well, it’s about 4 Zack’s tall.

It’s huge, right?  Okay, it’s actually taller than that – about 20 feet tall.  It stares at me day and night, regardless of where I am in my home.  The breakfast nook?  I can see it.  The entry way?  Yep.  The kitchen?  It laughs at me.  The lofted upstairs?  There it is again.  Grumble, grumble, grumble.

But obviously, the world’s tallest wall isn’t my only issue.  Everything is fair game (other than the TV).  There’s a lot of furniture that could use a Mandi-style face lift.

1.  I have three of these solid wood end tables.  They long for a more funky life than being dark brown.  I long for them to have a more funky life than being dark brown.

2.  Remember when I breathed new life into this beauty?  Well, Zack started pulling the nailhead trim off of the arms, and in a “I have a new baby who may try to eat the nailheads!” panic, I ripped the trim and paneling off the sides.  It’s still in wonderful shape, so it would be an easy do-over.

3.  Storage.  We need toy storage.  Specifically, a place to put all of those dang Hot Wheels that seem to somehow multiply.  I’m happy to do something interesting with these cubes we have now or come up with something all together different.

4. This media tower holds our laser printer and 15,961 stereo components that haven’t been hooked up to anything for years.  The glass on the front will come out, so maybe we can replace it with one of Mandi’s fabulous faux vintage mirrors.  Oh, and paint the heck out of that dark brown wood!

Why else should Mandi come to my home and help make my living room speak more to my personality?  Well, because I’m in Austin, Texas!

1.  It’s *always* spray painting weather here.

2.  Austin has some of the best thrift store and vintage shopping you’ll find.

3.  I already have nearly an entire quart of Mandi’s beloved Ralph Lauren glaze in Black Silk.

4.  Austin is home to the original (and best!) Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

5.  I know my way around a paint brush.  And a drill.  And obviously a glue gun.

Eeek!  I’m so excited!  Voting begins in a few days, and of course, I’ll be asking for my Glue Gun Army (aka YOU!) to support me in my quest to bring Mandi to my house so we can create my Amazing Technicolor Dreamroom.  Until then, what would you do to change up my boring ‘ole living room?