Renovating or buying a house takes planning and sometimes it can seem to take forever to put the plans in place.
I have been in our community choir since September and it has evolved from separated parts and piecing music together to a full sounding, beautiful program. A few months ago, it sounded like the sharp and jarring sounds of a new renovation in progress where you look around at the mess and wonder if you will ever have your home back.
The planning and progress can seem like painful steps and it can often frustrate you before you even start.
I am once again this year diving into a renovation right before Christmas which is something I have seen many clients do over the years. It is really just a simple paint job in the living room, but it is preventing me from putting up my Christmas tree which is delaying all of my decorating plans.
As with rehearsing with the choir it is taking a series of not so fun steps to reach the goal of a freshly painted and updated living room.
First step is cleaning the ceiling because we have a wood stove and the lovely thing spits ash and smoke around, this is the worst step for me and it reminds me of September when we were first looking through music and I had to get up in front of people and direct my first song.
It was a MESS! I was all over the place, nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. The stipple will be everywhere and will make a huge mess like me flailing my arms that first night and it is almost enough of a deterrent to stop this whole silly idea.
I must keep in mind how things will look in a few days once that initial mess has been dealt with, how things will slowly come together and there will be a beautiful result in front of me.
No longer do I wave my arms randomly; I have nuanced my songs to direct a beautiful choir into full sound and impeccable harmony. Keep the faith, especially when you are doing dirty jobs because the effort will pay off in ways you can’t even imagine.
The satisfaction in fine tuning a craft or putting the finishing touches on a renovation is unbelievable and you will look back and give yourself a pat on the back for the effort you have put in.
Last night I caught myself with goosebumps as the choir voices swelled and waned under my direction – it was a wonderful feeling and they sounded so amazing! I know by Saturday I will be looking around in wonder at our new walls and our pristine ceiling and wondering why it took so long to begin this project.
Then I will remember that things take time to develop and to plan and it will be time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labour.
If your renovation plans are scattered in a pile amongst colour samples and pages of notes, take heart that soon these things will all come together, and a cohesive, sweet sounding plan will develop as a result of your hard work. You are the director of your next project!
Kim Wyse is a local freelance designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Ask a Realtor/Ask a Designer’.
