Anyway, I was lucky to have an understanding husband and family for over 30 years while we remolded existing homes, built new ones from scratch and helped other family members and friends with their decorating and remodeling needs and desires. I learned how to paint like a pro, refinish wood cabinets, hang wallpaper (almost 100 rolls in one house), tile floors, design kitchens and bathrooms, measure accurately for window coverings and drapes and find sub-contractors for plumbing and electrical. It was a fun time for me but lots of hard work for everyone.
In the fall of 2000, my husband and I completed our last big project--finishing our little apartment in our daughter Annett's house where I am still living. I designed it to accommodate our need for no stairs to climb as my husband already had both hips replaced twice and two back surgeries. I was in pain too and later had both knees replaced. And, after my husband died in 2003, I haven't stopped. I painted my guest room in 2005 and re-decorated it, my daughter-in-law, Tammy, helped me change my big room color and paint the bathroom in 2007, my sister, Beth, and I painted my bedroom a beautiful turquoise in 2008, I painted my kitchen burgundy and cream in 2009 and last year Annett and I repainted the ceiling and an accent wall a blue-gray in my living area. I also paint furniture. I painted a pine bedroom set white enamel, I did my mother's early American maple china cabinet in a contemporary cream with stained dark wood, and last year I painted my wicker chairs a cream color and finished my dining room table legs in cream with a dark wood stained top to match the china cabinet. As I said, it's a passion.
All this is leading up to a New Interior Design Lingo that I have found on HGTV (House and Garden Television) I watch religiously. It is irritating, funny and redundant--but also interesting. So, in one half hour on Saturday evening, I started jotting down some examples of what I am talking about as follows:
| Decorating Lingo | Definition |
| cabinetry | cabinets |
| popcorn ceiling | sprayed textured ceilings |
| functionality | function |
| character | interesting architecture |
| it's a little tight | it's really small |
| cozy | small but cute |
| vignette | snap shot of a small area |
| cluttered | too much stuff |
| space to entertain | so IMPORTANT - everyone has to have space to entertain! |
| classic design | according to some standard |
| flexible design | multiple use |
| blah or boring | usually white everywhere |
| ready-made | cheap, off the shelf |
| high-end | expensive, custom |
| eye candy | fancy ornaments, accessories or metals |
| POP | usually refers to bright-colored accessories or color |
| green, Eco-friendly | renewable materials |
| man cave | manly rooms with lots of TV's and games |
| mom cave | a place for mom |
| mixed metals | combining one or more of the following metals: brass, copper, chrome, and/or stainless steel all in the same house |
| bedroom retreat | private get-away |
| vibe | a certain feeling |
| water feature | interior waterfall or fountain |
| homey feel | comfortable |
| price point | buyer's budget or price of the house |
| open concept | open floor plan |
| focal point | usually a fireplace but can be any main focus in a room |
| airy | vaulted ceilings |
I will be adding to the list and refining the terms as I go along. It is so interesting to hear how the lingo and the must-haves changed over the years. Everyone now seems to need only granite counter-tops, stainless-steel appliances, wood floors, neutral colors, and "modern" design (whatever that is). I still love watching it all and will be working on Annett's house this summer. This time, I hope I can just mostly supervise. Dream on!
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