Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

With the theme of this blog you should have seen that title coming.

When I was eight months pregnant, taking care of a five year-old, and living with my in-laws in heat and humidity that rivaled the temperature of Hell itself, I answered a lot of renovation questions with, “Honey, I don’t care. You have great taste- pick something.” Rhett does have great taste (usually), but I responded to some construction decisions that way not simply because I trust him, but because I wanted the house to just be DONE already. I figured I was more into decorating anyways. Frankly, I didn’t give a damn about the finish of the door handles, whether we opted for a rectangular sink over a square sink, or whether the sink was a drop in or had a lip of 1 inch. A bathroom sink is for washing hands and brushing teeth.

But wait, isn’t part of the decorating process choosing titles and granite, doorknobs and sinks? Ugh, yes. This was when I realized that decorating isn’t only about rugs and curtains and picture frames anymore than painting is solely about the colors you choose. You have to choose the right canvas and the correct brushes before you begin to paint, not just choose colors. Likewise, I had to MAKE the right canvas (as best I could since we weren’t building from scratch) so I could decorate the way I want to.

Here’s the first piece of advice I’m going to give in this blog (okay, second…the first was to make sure you are living with a good cook while the renovation is taking place- remember that!). Don’t be ambivalent about renovation decisions you are going to have to live with. You’ll see them every day, so make sure you like them. Case in point- I told Rhett this morning that I didn’t love the door handles. I’m just not into a nickel finish right now, I explained. Rhett gently reminded me that in my hormone-fueled pregnancy I told him to “just pick something” and that these perfectly fine door handles aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Damn.

So, my dear, here’s the morsel to take away. No matter how much you trust your spouse, contractor, rabbi, or Magic 8 ball, YOU are going to be the one living with your renovation decisions, so make sure you like what’s going into the house.

Why? Frankly my dear, you DO give a damn.