Maybe Tear It Down
Have you ever tried removing wallpaper? There are parts of the process that are deeply satisfying, ripping off broad swatches of it, steaming through it like butter and watching it transform. Other parts seem like they will never come off, stubborn bits of paper that feel like concrete. And yet…all of it, yes all of it, must go.
Much to the chagrin of a Feng Shui expert friend of mine, I was not using the front entrance to my home. I used the side door because it’s a bit closer to my parking spot, and fewer keys are involved. When I told her that I didn’t even know which keys were used for the front door, she gasped and told me that I must start using it at least part of the time. Months later I found myself in the front entrance area with a trusted steamer in hand, climbing up and down a ladder scrapping off wallpaper. (Steamers spark joy for me…I own three different kinds. Yep, that might be a little quirky, but…) The wallpaper probably never sparked joy for anyone, definitely not me or anyone else in the building where I live. It might have been purchased from the clearance aisle in 1988. It was no longer optional to let it stay. A neighbor cheered me on and offered advice at key points.
Why did it take so long to make a change?
It was possible to ignore by going in and out of the side entrance instead of the front.
It was unclear whose responsibility it was to make changes to the appearance. We all hated it, but…
It’s a lot of work. If I had known how much work, I might not have done it. (OK, well I probably would have done just to get the chance to use the steamer’s wallpaper attachment.)
Why did it need to change?
Why let someone else’s wallpaper decision years ago continue to make me feel odd about using this entrance and receiving guests through this entrance?
How you feel about the front entrance of your home probably has some impact on how you interact with the world right? My Feng Shui friend Susi can talk about this at length. Long story short, yes it does.
Do we keep walking by and pretending not to see things we can change? Because it’s too hard, or maybe someone else will do it etc.? We can figure out a workaround that becomes permanent, but not ideal. When we change one thing, we’ll notice other things that need to change, like in this case I’m now clearly seeing that the woodwork is in need of some love. Will it ever stop? No, it won’t and that’s the point. Letting our spaces evolve and letting ourselves evolve is exhausting. We tell ourselves stories to keep us from doing it sometimes. We are all limited resources and can’t do all of the things all at once. (Even though I tried. The same week the wallpaper came down, gardening was a project also.) Pace yourself with no shame. Surprise yourself by trying. Find support.
The fresh new walls and a happy plant