Finishing Touches

Have you ever had a vision of something in your mind - an outfit, an item, an outcome … you search everywhere for it and nothing you find quite measures up?  Or worse, you find it but can’t get it - it doesn’t ship to your area … it’s no longer available … Grrr … The worst!

I used to think everyone experienced this … as I’ve gotten older - I’m less certain.  Of all my kiddoes -  I see this playout in only one of them … just one.  

Maybe everyone does experience this but uses the image as a guideline - not an absolute and therefore don’t get as frustrated.  

This happens to me a lot.  A picture comes into my mind of what I want, what I’m trying to achieve etc.  Sometimes I find it … I achieve it … Those moments come with a certain satisfaction, I can’t quite describe.  When you can’t … sighs … Well, that ranges from frustrating to annoying and everything in between.  

I’m in the stage of moving where I feel done - I know I’ve said this before - I have one more thing I’m looking for to complete the vision … A floor lamp.  

I’m new to the world of floor lights … I’ve always had overhead lighting and the odd table lamp.  In the absence of overhead lights, I actually need a floor light - helps with reading at night.  It’s been on the backburner while laying out my space … but  I have a vision.  I know exactly what I want.  I want a floor lamp that arches and has an oversized shade.  

A few things I’m learning … cords.  What?  Lamps come with cords and they are annoying because they inevitably dictate placement - which is crazy to me.  Lamps are accessories, not the main attraction … Why are they dictating the layout and flow of a room?  Madness!  Cords are tripping hazards - one I don’t want, so that’s also a consideration.  

I don’t have my couch against a wall, the bookshelf is behind it and a space to access the bookshelf.  Reading on the couch makes sense, you see where I’m going?  

Slight left turn, chargeable bulbs … L O V E !! This is a fun thing I just learned about and am totally down for, small problem, I haven’t found one quite right for reading.  They are great as ambient or accent lighting but less ideal as the main light, so back to normal bulbs. 

The arch light meets all my needs -  I can tuck it in the corner beside the bookshelf, no tripping hazard, no interruption in flow or walkability.  It has a high arch and lands over the couch, again, no interruption in flow, puts light where I need it.  The design itself is simple, clean and matches the aesthetic of my space … simple right?  

Sighs.  

No.  I found a gorgeous lamp that seemed to check all the boxes and I loved it.  The cost was a little high and when I went to see if shipping costs made it a non-starter … ha … doesn’t ship to my location, so, it was just a tease.  I found another, but didn't love it quite as much - it’s no longer available.  

Everyone is telling me the joy of owning a home is having it unfinished … what??? My brain can’t even.  

So, I’m on the hunt for a lamp - not just any lamp - THE lamp.  

That’s the finishing touch.  That doesn’t mean I’m done.  It’s just the finishing touch of my current vision.  The spare room, the closets, the bathroom … I need more time with them … to figure out how I want them to function, to flow.  I don’t have a picture yet of how I want those spaces to come together, for now they work, they will take longer for me to visualize.  I think I need to get through a seasonal swap of clothes for me to have a better feel for how to best leverage the closets and a winter so I understand how I’ll use the baseboard heaters.  

The spare room needs the art hung and the shelves put up … that I can visualize … the layout, the rugs - that I’m still mulling.  I have a sense, but it’s still fuzzy, not quite clear … It will come.  

Once the shelves and art are up in the spare room, I have a few small touch ups - paint touch ups, mudding around the lights, filling the holes in the closet doors … Maintenance type things.  Those things I feel like I need to stay on top of, they will always appear, that’s just life and that’s ok.  

It’s nice to be in the final stretch … the finishing touches portion of moving.  It’s a good feeling - seeing where we started versus where we are.  I say “we” because I didn’t get here alone - I had help.  Seeing what it could be and turning it into that - not just in how it looks but in how it feels … to me it’s like walking into a hug - all the warmth, safety and comfort you get from that, that’s what this place feels like.  It makes me smile, it’s calm … it’s home.