I’m torn a bit with how real to be about this. I lean towards sharing the ‘real-real’ because I know these past few months have been hard on everyone. So here goes. My intention is to share this in hopes of being helpful in some way.
The truth of why I signed up to do the One Room Challenge was to find a way to get in touch with some joy in my life.
“Whenever you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul.” - Alice Walker
Photo By: Bryan Kirkpatrick
We built our home 18 years ago and 12 years ago we added Pepper Tree Cottage to our property where my parents could live and we could help care for them as they aged. I’m not going to sugar coat this, it’s been really beautiful but also hard and full of challenges. After my sister passed away the grief was just too much for my parents, understandably so. I did everything I could to help ‘fix it’ …I became so consumed with helping them that I could no longer work with my design clients, and eventually it took a toll on my health. To add to that, at the beginning of this year I was in a bad car accident. I was rear-ended while stopped for a man and his dog at a crosswalk, while a woman on her phone plowed into me at full speed. It totaled my car and left me with chronic pain in my neck, hip, back and arm…
When the care for my parents became all consuming, the only thing I could do was paint. It was something I could do in between the nurses and ER visits. I started to find some happiness again but then the accident left me with some physical challenges.
The greatest challenge came on March 17th before the world shut down, when my beautiful mom passed away. She was surrounded by all of us and I’m so grateful for that.
So as you can imagine, it’s been a difficult year so far, as it has for many.
This painting I created simultaneously during the past 8 weeks of the challenge. It’s called ‘Stay Home & Open the Dom’ It’s filled with objects I find colorful & beautiful; a Gucci vase and shoes, a Birkin bag, a LV scarf, a House of Hackney tiger pillow and a faux taxidermy peacock.
I knew my art would be the only thing that would keep me from sinking into a dark place. So, I signed up for the One Room Challenge. It was helpful to be distracted by thinking about creating something beautiful. I apologize for the long winded intro but what I want to share is the importance of creating when life hands you challenges. In my case, the choice would be significant. So, I decided to paint everything! A huge painting, several small paintings, a throw blanket, and 3 walls… I knew it would be painful (and it was) but I also knew that it would give me a reason to get up in the morning and work through it… and it did.
Photo By: Bryan Kirkpatrick
This is the result. I hope you like it. And yes, I found a spark of joy again. I forgot how much I love designing interiors. I’m so deeply grateful for Linda creating The One Room Challenge and equally grateful for Better Homes and Gardens for sponsoring it. With hundreds of participants, they most likely won’t read this, but it won’t matter. They gave me a very special gift - to remind me that life can have some joy, some fun, some beauty even in the midst of chaos. It‘s so much more than a pretty room. It’s a sanctuary, a safe place to heal my heart and body. For that I have so much appreciation.
Small frames from World Market.
Custom throw blanket.
I love this little martini table as my meditation table. It’s the perfect size for a cup of coffee or glass of wine.
Photo By: Bryan Kirkpatrick
Make sure to check out all of the rooms redesigned by so many gifted designers and if you’ve read this far, I hope that you’ll be inspired to create a sanctuary in your own home. I promise you, it will be worth the work!
xoxo Mari