Bye-Bye Breakout

I hear this phrase quite a bit in the home store and it’s always delivered with a sigh of acceptance and a tinge of sadness.    

Whenever anyone walks into our stores, whether that be the home or clothing store, they are looking for a bit of inspiration or to solve a problem of some kind.    

And it seems to me that whatever we have (furniture or clothes) that we are  “making do” with is actually our real problem.   Buying something to cover it up or distract us from it might not be the best long-term solution.    

Whatever we are ‘making do’ with is like a pimple (Sorry, don’t mean to be gross.)   Perhaps well-placed cover-up and powder create a pretty good camouflage.  And for a few hours, "Bye-Bye Breakout".  But once the concealer wears off, the problem is still there.


Thankfully a pimple eventually goes away.   A “making do”  should too!

To “make do” just means that you choose to work with what you have, to continue with something that is an impediment or a non-ideal circumstance.   (Sounds like a pimple to me.  LOL.)  And the synonyms for ‘making do’...aren’t any better.

Yes, sometimes plans go awry, and we have to make the best of things that have changed or gone wrong...we make do.   But on the scale of life importance, furniture that no longer brings us joy should be way down on the list of things we must "make do" with.

So, what can you do besides make do?

Challenge your thinking

Do you really need to "make do" with things you no longer love or work with your lifestyle or home?    And what is the cost to you - both emotionally and financially?    

Spending money on temporary ‘fixes’ adds up over time.   And the joy of creating something truly inspirational can add significant value to your emotional bank account. 

Address the real problem

When we constantly keep trying to fix something in our home that is not working for us...it’s probably time to stop pushing a square peg into a round hole.    

A client of ours did some updating to her beautiful home about a year ago.    The one room that we didn’t fully address was the dining room which had a matching set and chairs that were perfectly functional but not the look and feel that our client truly desired.  But still, the decision was made to 'make do'.    

We did some minor updates for her by adding a new light fixture, artwork, and accessories (a great cover-up) but a year later she still wanted to find some new ways to make her love something that she just did not.   And that is when it was decided to address the real problem - the dining room set and chairs.   

As soon as we took these pieces out, the entire space just seemed to take a fresh breath of air.

Imagine the Alternatives.

Imagining the possibilities is the fun part of the process.   But sometimes we get so close to the problem that we can’t see around it.    That’s why it is usually necessary to get a second opinion from experts that you trust.  Your imagination (and ours if we are helping you) should always focus on how your choices can help you cultivate more positive experiences in your home!

Transform your house into the home that you want

A great client and friend of K. Renee recently moved from her home in Minnesota to a new one in Kansas City. As always when you move into a new home, much of your old furniture doesn’t actually fit the style and your dreams for the new home.     And way too often, we “make do” with what we already have and inadvertently create home blemishes that just won’t go away no matter how we try.

In this case, we helped our client repurpose some of the great pieces that she loved in her old home and added many new furnishings, accessories, and art to give her new home a fresh look that both she and the house deserved.

Her new (older)  home is absolutely gorgeous.    And it is hard to believe that in just a few days after she took possession that it could look like this!   Not only does she have the home she imagined when she put an offer on this great place but she has more time to get on with the business of life.

So here is to finally clearing-up your blemishes!  Just consider K. Renee the active ingredient to a permanent solution for your home complexion.  Bye-Bye Breakouts.

Have a great week!    

Julie