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julie nolta design
Julie Nolta

Hi, I'm Julie, Chief Executive Empress

of my little apple green design studio.

Welcome to my blog!

When I'm not out visiting a client or searching for just the right  product for a project, I can probably be found in my happy little studio (painted the perfect shade of green), busy drawing up new ideas for a cool kitchen or a "spa-licious" bathroom. I like to share the fun stuff I find along the way!

RANDOM NOTES FROM MY LITTLE

apple green studio

Confessions of a decor procrastinator

My darling Aunt Betty gave me this cute mug, and I THOUGHT I was just drinking coffee at the time, but it also served me up a little decorating inspiration!

coffee mug

It all started with two cups of coffee.

I was having the FIRST cup of coffee with a realtor (Seattle’s Best, Level 5 roast - - and I mean the coffee, not the realtor!) and we were both laughing about being our own worst clients.

She was a basket case when she was buying her first house, and me? My master bathroom is only half painted. And I really mean only ONE WALL is half painted. AFTER 8 YEARS OF LIVING HERE. Shame. So embarrassing. I walk in there every morning and I hate that room. Bad client.

I hate the dingy walls. I hate the sheetrock that needs patching. I hate the outdated countertops. Boy, do I hate my bathroom. Eight years is a stupid lot of hating.

I tell people all the time that I can help THEM love the room they hate, so why don’t I do something about MY ugly room? There’s always the “cobbler’s children with no shoes” excuse, but that’s not really the reason.

Here’s the real reason, and I’m admitting it to you now:

I’m a décor procrastinator when it comes to my own home.

“It’ll take too long.” “I don’t have time right now.” “I don’t have the money right now.” “I don’t know how to fix such-and-such.” I do all this great stuff for my clients, but when it comes to my own home, I put projects off with all kinds of lame reasons. Because … why? Because it’s not worth doing something if it’s just for myself? Does that sound silly to you too?

Cup of coffee #2

Over the SECOND cup of coffee with my friend Vicki two days later, I was admiring her lovely, serenely decorated home and all the work she had done HERSELF, I might add. We were discussing the projects she still wanted to do and suddenly I was fed up. NOT with her. Fed up with my stupid bathroom and fed up that I’ve let it make me miserable for so long.

I decided it’s (beyond!) time to do something about it, so during the next few weeks I’m going to give my bathroom a makeover. And I’m inviting you along for the ride. Woo hoo! :-D

I’m going to be my own BEST client. I’m going to do for myself what I do for the people I work with: create a great space that will make me smile every morning.

Plus, Vicki the expert painter volunteered to come help. And isn’t it always easier to get something done if someone is there to give you a little moral support?

So here’s where we always start: the dreaded Before Photo. S-a-a-a-d and pathetic Before Photo.

There's that partially painted wall, plus a mirror I framed in buttons eons ago, the awful fake marble laminate countertop, and the stylin' color-coordinated toothpaste tube and contact lens case.

Next week I’ll work on pulling together some ideas that have been rattling around in my head and I’ll have some show and tell.

What about you? Does any of this sound familiar? Do you have an area in your home that you’ve been hating?

Wade in with me and let’s work on a project this month! Leave me a comment below or on my Facebook page about what you’d like to do and we can follow each other’s progress.