A wise woman once told me ‘Beauty is painful!’, which, she went on to explain, meant that to achieve beauty for more than mere seconds takes a lot of work.
I saw this photo of a beautiful shower yesterday on Facebook (from Cambria) and commented that I loved the windows. Much later, in my own shower, I remembered the quote. What would those windows look like in six months? A year? Would they be coated with soapy film or covered with lime buildup? How hard would it be to clean that bottom glass? Would my knees or my back give out first?
And what about the view? How long would it be before you were looking at weeds or grass that hadn’t been whacked properly? In Florida? A week at best!
Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t go for it… beautiful design can make your days better and your heart sing! Just know what the trade off is; how much work you will have to do to keep it looking beautiful. Even if you can pay someone else to do the work, you probably have to work to get the money!
Here’s another cool bathroom with probable issues. Not only will the glass take a lot work to keep clean but do you really want to share every moment of your bathroom time with anyone else in the house? The term ‘sanctuary’ does not really apply here, even if you live alone!
In another Facebook example, this time from Corian, the kitchen island below is really beautiful… unless you need storage. Then, you might wonder where your drawers and cabinets had gone.
The point isn’t that you can’t have beauty with function and low maintenance – it’s just that having it all is harder than it looks! Don’t just look at the pretty pictures and say ‘I want it just like that!’ Think about you and your life and what you really want. Or talk to a great designer – it’s what they do!
Thanks for the wisdom Grandma! Miss you!