Lack of Inspiration

"Help, help, I'm being oppressed!"
"Did you see my house oppressing me?"

Okay, so I may have paraphrased a little, but that is pretty much how I am feeling right now. Here is a list of things that are oppressing me:

1. My orange couch covers. I don't even like orange that much to begin with, and I have had these large, citrus eyesores for over 3 years now. I think one of the main reason I don't decorate is because my couches do not inspire me. At all. They just get messy (very quickly) and dirty (also very quickly) and I can't ever think of anything that really "matches" that I would want to decorate with. I am sure they would be perfect for someone, but I am ready for a change.

2. My kitchen. I have so little useable space, and I have more things than have homes. So It doesn't ever really look clean, even when it is. Also, it could use a good paint job.

3. My living room. I keep dreaming of having a peaceful haven, that I want to retreat to. But instead I have a badly organized room with a big orange lump in the middle. Not the place I want to retire to at the end of the day so I can read and relax.

4. The lighting. I like having a variety of lighting....natural, bright, soft, different combinations depending on time of day and my mood. I have some lamps, but they are currently missing lamp shades, so they aren't very useful. I just hate incandescent lighting when I am wanting to wind down and relax.

5. My bedroom. My bedroom can be arranged in only one way that is even slightly useable. It is not the most graceful, or pleasing, or I am sure, "feng shui" method of arranging the furniture. It's just the only one that lets you access all the doors and keeps the furniture in the room that needs to be there. I am very tired of that particular arrangement.

All of this oppression and lack of inspiration also means that my house isn't staying as clean as I would like. It's hard to motivate oneself to clean a room that doesn't look *that* much better when you are done. It just feels a little fruitless.

Now, this isn't just a post to whine about how I don't like my house. It's actually a post where I am recording the things that are bothering me about my house, in the hopes that as I identify them, I can also identify solutions. Number 2, for example, lets me know that I need to de-clutter, re-organize my cupboards, re-evaluate what I have in my kitchen, and maybe ask the landlords if I can paint. I can almost guarantee I would do a better job then the last people who painted it, seeing as how they missed a section of wall. I might even ask if I could paint it a color, just to make it a little more interesting and exciting.

I also know that if I start going through my house and getting rid of things, that I will feel better. I can rearrange the living room, try to figure out some lighting options, and maybe even figure out a new couch cover. Really, anything has to be better (except the couches that are underneath the covers, unfortunately). I will also start looking for pictures to inspire me. I will just make it a goal to make my house as comfortable and homelike as I can within the limitations that I have. Hopefully as there is some improvement, I will be inspired to make more. I am also hoping that as my house improves, my routines will fall into place more, and I can get my home to a manageable point before the baby comes. I want it to be easy for other people to maintain things while I am recovering, so that it can be a happy, peaceful experience for all involved.

What inspires you?