Not really, but wouldn’t it be fun?! We all talk about how we wish HGTV would come and spruce up this room or that, but we never do anything about it because, seriously, what are the chances they’ll select our insignificant little hovel for Design on a Dime or Desperate Spaces’? Nil.
One day I was musing with my friend Laura about the wreckage we call our family room. I told her about all our cool souvenirs from Africa that I would love to use to create an Africa-themed room – gorgeous Coptic crosses from Ethiopia; ebony, soapstone, and wood carvings; batiks; colorful kangas and kikoys; an interesting collection of knives, swords, and other weapons; Arab chairs hand crafted in Lamu; gazillions of kikapus (baskets) every shape, color, and size; endless photos of African wildlife captured by none other than my multi-talented husband. I commented to Laura what a warm, fun room it could be if I had any sort of imagination to use all our special African keepsakes.
“You should post your room on Rate My Space. You would definitely get on the show.” Of course we wouldn’t get on the show. Who are those people who end up on the HGTV shows anyway? Laura managed to convince me that our goals for the room and the story behind our intentions are interesting. She persuaded me that our history of living in, working in, falling in love in, and taking our children to Kenya would create a unique, episode-worthy angle. Laura argued that “they” wouldn’t be able to resist our story that has inspired our dreams for the family room/play room/office/ex-junk room. Who “they” are remains an elusive mystery.
Suddenly, I found myself in the unlikely position of posting the awful embarrassment of the aforementioned room on the World Wide Web for everyone to see my organization-cleaning-unpacking-decorating failure. We haven’t yet unpacked completely from our year in Kenya, and we’ve been home more than nine months. We’ve collected a deluge of family treasures as Paul’s father purged his life of all nonessentials (which, for this truly Dutch, former missionary, is everything other than a couple pairs of boxer shorts and a tooth brush) for his move to Michigan. We have more books, games, and crafts supplies than a single family should have. “Oh, the toys! Oh, the toys! Toys! Toys! Toys!”
You are cordially invited into the forbidden room. Here’s an opportunity to improve your self concept and confidence in the areas of cleaning, organization, and decorating. You can always remind yourself, “At least our house isn’t as bad as the Konings!” If you physically came to our home, you would be vigorously discouraged from venturing up the stairs. However, oddly enough, I’m inviting my friends, family, and even strangers up the stairs into my chaos. Please visit our family room/office at Rate My Space and give us a Poor rating. We’ll see if a high number of hits and Poor ratings produce any interest from the HGTV wizards. I wonder how many site visits actually attract the attention of the decorating deities. Maybe we’ll all find out.
If you post a comment, perhaps don’t let on that you actually know us (granted, you do know us). I imagine the HGTV chiefs may not appreciate our shameless self-promotion efforts. Thanks, y’all! ~ cck
So, why don’t you make the room look like your favorite coffee shop in Kenya. You had a mug from there. Use those intense colors to paint the walls in the same proportions as those on the cup or in photos of the coffee shop itself if you have them. About a decade ago, Paul sent me an email of funny Kenyan/English signs posted in restaurants and other places in Kenya. It might fun to hand paint some wood with some of those sayings. And then put a not glamorous fan on the ceiling–an authentic, boring metal kind that we had in our Wukari house would be great.