It's All in the Details

I realized today that I am a true details person. In other words, I love all the little details that take something from simple, to amazing, from cookie cutter, to personalized. But not cluttered. Never cluttered.

Over the last few months I've come to realize how much I come to admire and regard details, and how I try to infuse that into my own life.

The biggest moment of realization came when I was working on my Halloween/Party costume. For me to be Atropos, I had to get the details right, from the use of scissors, to the little hints of skulls (signifying the death she brings). And many people noticed those details. But it's what made the outfit complete. Whole. Interesting. At our church's Trunk or Treat, there was a little girl there dressed up like a Spanish Lady/Flamenco Dancer. She had on these cute little Mary Jane shoes (no heel, as she couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old), a pretty red dress on, her hair done up in curls ... and the detail that caught my eye? A white fan that she would flutter every so often. A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. And, while I know it was her mom that probably helped with the outfit, I kind of think the little girl had something to do with it. I complimented her on her fan, and she seemed as appreciative as a little girl can be. *laughs*

I love looking at scrapbookers and card makers to see how just an extra little detail here and there can take a project from simple to fabulous!

I love looking at photographers' blogs and seeing the details they capture with their cameras.

I love watching design shows and reading design blogs, to see how it's easy to transform a room with just a few details.

So, here's another attempt of mine to add some detail to my life. This time, to my home. We live in an apartment, and although we may be able to technically paint the walls, the hassle of having to paint them back isn't really appealing. So, many months ago I saw a great idea on a design blog to incorporate a little color and texture into a room that has a bookcase (or more than one). I've seen people put wallpaper on the backs of shelves (usually built ins) or paint the backs a different color, but this person used fabric instead, and wrapped it around foam core board that she cut down to fit the back of her shelves. It's easy, somewhat inexpensive* (depending on price of fabric) and can be changed out quickly, if need be. And, knowing that I couldn't/wouldn't paint, I decided to do that with my bookshelves that sit in the back of the dining area which is open to the living area.

So, here we have the before and after (which included me removing some books and repositioning others):

The fabric isn't that bright, I just had to use the flash on my camera so it was noticeable. And, there's not an imperfection in the fabric on the right side, it's just the extra light from the mirror reflecting back onto it. The effect is noticeable, for the most part, but still subtle, which I like. And I LOVE the fabric, which was a 365 photo some time back. Almost has a linen look to it, and the paisleys are so fun!

Oh, I know that my eye for details has probably come across because I'm a proofreader. It's something I've been trained to do, but that's just my case. Some people are naturally drawn to it, and some people even have a better ability to translate that into something tangible.

Slowly, but surely, I will try to do that. I usually get people that comment on my home, saying that it feels comfortable. And I'd like to think that it's because I try to pay attention to the details, that may not always be noticeable to someone's eye, but the feeling is still there.

* Total cost for the project was about $15-20 per bookcase (maybe a smidgen more). I could have cut that down, if I had gone with less expensive fabric. But, as it is, this home decor fabric was already on sale for $7 a yard. The foam core board was only $1 for each one, but unfortunately, because each space was so tall, I could only get one shelf out of each one. So, all in all, not bad for shelves I've had for several years that I wanted to spruce up.