In the last year or so, I've heard many people describe the concepts of joy, whimsy, and playfulness as forms of resistance. I'm not sure if that's exactly what's been driving our color and design choices as we turn our attention towards the more cosmetic elements of the Akron almost-mansion, but I will admit there's a certain logic to the construct.
Today, whimsy stands in stark contrast to the oppressive and soul-crushing political climate we inhabit. More than that though, it can serve as an active refusal to accept the same. I've heard one of the best ways to prepare to fight fascism is to practice breaking rules. Well, what better way to start than with the rule that says 100 year old almost-mansions have have to be fussy and formal.
Readers got a hint of the decorating direction we were going in a previous post about the pink bathroom. Today I want to share a few more updates.
A staircase with colorfully painted balusters are pictured in front of a wall with a similarly colored floral wallpaper
The same staircase with colorful wallpaper and painted balusters is pictured closer and in more detail.
A breakfast room with orange walls, white wainscoting and blue carpet is pictured. The trim is white. A yellow dining room is seen in the background.
Oh, and we bought carpet for the orange breakfast room. Apparently when you paint a room orange (technically Cheerful Tangerine), you're advised to tone it down with either a neutral grey or beige carpet, or the embrace the complementary color and lay down a bold blue. We went with blue, and I couldn't be happier. It should be pointed here that the gold chandelier in this room is the only light fixture in the house we've kept so far. After the room was painted we all had a collective moment of reflection and thought, "You know, that light kind of works!". It does. It's shiny. It's whimsical, and it's stayed.
A wall is pictured in close-up, featuring a section of white door trim, a two-switch light switch painted white, and embossed, bas-relief wallpaper painted light blue. The wallpaper shows fanciful figures and floral patterns in the Rococo style.
I'll again refer readers back to a previous post to better understand the context of the wall and wallpaper pictured above. You recall from this update that the embossed, Rococo wallpaper that covered the entire stairwell and upstairs hallway was divisive indeed.
Well reader, I'm happy to report that through some considered negotiations, we arrived at a solution that everyone is happy with. We removed most of that wallpaper, but left one wall that runs the length of the upstairs hallway in tact. That section was painted light blue, and it looks fantastic! Seriously. I'm so glad we got to keep this part of the house and integrate it into the rest of the work we're doing.
A room in an older home with a Georgian style fireplace is pictured. The fireplace and trim are painted white. The walls are Dolphin Blue. The hardwood floors are finished and the fireplace hearth is surrounded by grey tiles.
This room was originally designed as the master bedroom, but we'll be using it as a library/study. The paint is Dolphin Blue. While arguably a bit more traditional than our other color choices, I think it still make a statement. I also love the quasi mid-century ceiling light as a counterpoint to the other more formal vibes here. I'm not sure if we can add any more gas appliances to this house, but if we can I'd love to get a ventless gas insert for this fireplace. Those really do cozy up a room in the winter.
An odd assortment of toys are pictured on the floor of a living room. They include a Labubu head, drums, novelty skeletons and blocks.
And if all that isn't enough whimsy, we've got a toddler on now site too! It's true. Our dream of multigenerational living is happening. As of August 1, everyone has more or less moved into the Akron almost-mansion except me! I'm still splitting my time between Columbus and Akron, and getting up there to help out as much as I can. It's not ideal, but everything about this process has taken longer and been a bit more complicated than I'd anticipated.
On the plus side, in addition to painting and sanding and priming we get to play cars, play horses, get locked up, ride the bus, get in the space ship, eat ice cream, pretend to be kittens, go potty, and occasionally sit still long enough to look at a couple pages of a book. Really, it's everything we'd hope for and more!
So that's where we're at now; mostly Akron, sometimes Columbus, and for me at least, the highway that connects the two.
A picture of a highway at sunset shows a pink and blue sky with a sliver of a crescent moon in the distance just above the horizon.
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