Renovations

I am helping a college friend renovate his Chicago kitchen from my home in Amherst. Today he sent me the photo angles I requested and he told me a bit about what he'd like to accomplish. I could actually feel the gears in my head slowly clicking into place and building up speed. It's been awhile since I had a project that wasn't my own. When I see an interior design puzzle, my mind starts moving pieces around a mental game board, swapping colors and changing out fixtures. I'm not going to lie; it felt great! And with my excitement high, it didn't take long. I had a plan of action and an array of paint chips back to him in an hour.

If Chicago was closer, I would be there right now going through assignments with contractors and organizing junk drawers. But my advice has to be from afar and all I can do is hope that he gets as jazzed (we meet through musical theatre) about this project as I have and starts eating down the contents of his refrigerator in anticipation of having takeout for at least a month during construction. 

Today's burst of adrenaline got me thinking... I like this feeling. It's energizing to feel not only helpful and useful but to be able to problem solve creatively. It's a rush for me. And I want that feeling every day.

So why not go back into home organizing and interior design for clients? Because I can't do it anymore. I have been inside some homes that have terrified me. And raised my OCD to a whole new level. It's not safe for me physically or psychologically to go back into the field.

I met with a friend last week over coffee and we got on the subject of possible creative outlets for me beyond writing. Like retail merchandising; there are far too many stores that are just set up all wrong. Or interior design consulting, like I'm doing for my friend, where I can work with photos and measurements and just dispense my advice. Of course, I could just write about renovation projects I WISH I could do but haven't been asked to do. That would work too.

And as I write that, in my head, I'm already moving the children's section of Amherst Books to someplace more child-friendly and away from the two story staircase. Get ready for that chapter in an upcoming book on retail floor plans and renovations. In the meantime, I'll keep social media updated with photos of my friend's Chicago kitchen as I try to convince him to change the wall color from "bland neutral" (his words) to Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze.