A home should be a reflection of you right? Most homes I’ve been to are very neutral, very similar, very – vanilla? Not offensive, not in your face, kind of like that nice girl in your class who you’d never insult but still wouldn’t be best friends with because her personality was just too plain for you.

I knew before I moved out of my parents’ house that I’d want mine to be different. Mom had already given me a taste for adventurous walls with her sunset-coloured mural in the TV room, and a dining room that reminded me of Java with its deep red, warm yellows and rich woods. I remember her painting and repainting the walls until she had something she liked. The woman certainly wasn’t afraid of trying new things, and I knew I wanted to be like her.

I’d planned to move out for a long time because I couldn’t wait to get my own space and do it up to match my tastes and moods, but every time I did the math I told myself to take a chill pill because weh! Moving out is expensive! But we thank the Lord for His goodness and mercies because he brought a man into my life and that particular man was not only interested in wifing me, he followed through – and the man allows me to do whatever I want with the house. There is hope for you too my sisters!

Now I’m lying on the couch staring at the TV, wondering whether I was crazy to go so extreme with the new place. After about three months of poring over ideas on Pinterest (also known as my interiors bae), I chose to let my artistic side out of its cage and off its leash, and painted the walls black and white.

Here’s a little tour of the house in all its vanilla glory before we moved in:

And here’s a little peak into what the living and dining areas looked like before, and after:

I won’t lie, some days I walk into the house and I wonder what the hell I was thinking. A month after painting the walls I still feel like I’m getting used to them, then I look at my little black gallery wall above the TV and everything feels alright again. Plus it’s got some BDSM vibes, like I’m the kind of girl who’s into leather and spikes and things I’d never heard of before reading 50 Shades of Grey. I’m not, and despite saying that I didn’t enjoy the writing style I still read the entire trilogy LOL.

I’ve caught myself wondering whether I should’ve been a little more conservative, maybe gone with a grey instead of black, like I’d done with our first place, or all white. The other day I was even back on Pinterest looking for “safer” ideas. I was sure I wanted to get rid of some of the black and replace it with something lighter.

Then I remembered that blending in is boring…and I’m a sucker for the expressions I get when people walk into the house for the first time. Plus I’m pregnant so I don’t trust myself with making any more drastic decisions. I feel like right now, it’s a reflection of my life, or how I want it to be: simple black and white, no BS, cozy, but with a touch of luxe (still working on that last bit, accessories coming through!).

It’s not done yet, and I hope you’ll join me on this journey to discovering my inner interior decorator…and enjoying the madness that’s bound to accompany it.