The Craftsman Way vs. the Lipstick Way
I had a revelation recently. I have been trying to get my house done the wrong way.
Let me explain.
When I am working on my house, feathering my nest, as it were, I have always felt like there were basically two ways to go about it. (In a general sense. Of course there are myriad ways, these are just the two options that I seem to face.) I have the Craftsman Way and the Lipstick Way.
The Craftsman Way is the idea that everything should be done fully, completely, thoroughly and correctly before moving on. So, for example, when working on, say, my china hutch in the dining room, I would make sure to:
(a) Rewire the under-cabinet lighting.
(b) Wire up the plugs that need to be over the countertop.
(c) Wire the switch to the overhead light fixture because I need to do that before I close up the wall there.
(d) Run the telephone wire while I have the wall open, so it's not tacked to the wainscoting.
(e) Remove the extra layer of flooring underneath the lower cabinet so that my backsplash will be at the right height when we replace the flooring in the dining area.
(f) Remove the wainscoting behind the lower cabinet so that the cabinet will sit flush against the wall as designed and not interfere with the backsplash
(g) Replace the wood-look formica countertop with a real wood one from IKEA.
(h) Install a beadboard or other backsplash with corbels to connect the upper and lower cabinet and make it appear to be all one peice.
(i) Install beadboard in the backs of the upper cabinets.
(j) Paint.
(k) Style/Decorate.
Whew.
On the other hand, The Lipstick Way says, "Holy moly, I do not have time for all that, and I refuse to live with a crummy looking china hutch in the meantime, so let's slap a coat of paint on that baby and call it good (for now)." In which case my plan of attack would be:
(a) Paint.
(b) Style/Decorate.
Done.
Yes, it means embracing imperfection.
Yes, it means potentially redoing work later.
But yes, it also means getting it done.
Have I been following the Lipstick Way?
No.
Why?
Because I've been too sold on the Craftsman Way. No rework, no waste, no flaws.
Plus, I've always been afraid that if I do the quick-n-dirty method, I'd never go back and do those detailed projects later (some of them fairly necessary) because it's too hard to face ripping something out that looks nice enough.
But here's the thing.
I don't have time for the Craftsman Way.
See, the Craftsman Way has one very major disadvantage. Unless you have a very healthy resources of time and/or money (and by healthy I mean shedloads), it's sloooooooooow. Painfully slow. Agonizingly slow. S-L-O-W, slow.
Of course there's nothing wrong with that. Going slow is a good and healthy thing. If you are willing to live with things undone or half done in the meantime, and you enjoy the process, or if you have lots of time to spend to get it done, then it's a great choice.
But I've been living the Craftsman Way for 10 years now (13 if you could my first house, which I never did renovate), and you know what?
It's not a good fit for me right now.
I'm not saying it's not a good fit for everyone, I'm just saying it's not a good fit for me, where I'm at in my life right now.
Because you know what the biggest advantage is to the Lipstick Way? It's FAST. If you want to get your space looking nice so you can be happy when you are in your home, it's the quickest way to do that. It's also cheap (or can be), and easier to fit in around busy schedules with work, housework, kids and everything else going on in your busy life.
I think you see where I'm going here.
Craftsman Way, you are a wonderful ideal, and someday I hope to lovingly follow your path again.
But for today?
Me and the Lipstick Way are ready to rumble.
...
What about you? Which way do you do things?
« I Might (or Might Not) Have a Tiny Little Problem | Main | Dining Room: Countdown to Thanksgiving »
Comments (5)
Thirkellgirl:
Ashley | Domestic Fashionista:
Niesz Vintage Home:
Barbara H.:
Lisa:
By jove, I think she's got it! :) The Lipstick Way is one of the things that looking at a lot of blogs has done for me: given me permission to make stuff better with spray paint or new knobs or slipcovers instead of waiting to "do it right." Making stuff look closer to what my Vision is makes me happier than waiting to do it the "right" way. Which reminds me, can you put up some photos of your living room? I know you were moving stuff around, what did you end up with for the time being?
Posted by Thirkellgirl | October 11, 2011 5:20 AM
Posted on October 11, 2011 05:20
I love this! My husband is so the craftsman way and I am so the lipstick way! He helps me do things right when they need to be done right...but like you said, on other things I just do not have the time or the resources to work like this way all the time. I am a lazy and impatient creator/decorator...so I am always throwing stuff up with tape and thumb tacks! Glad you can get a little taste of both...they both have there place!
Posted by Ashley | Domestic Fashionista | October 11, 2011 5:12 PM
Posted on October 11, 2011 17:12
I'm half and half right now.
We remodeled part of the new house, the craftsman way, before moving in. Then turned our attention to getting the tiny house ready to sell.
That left me with a large part of this house (living room and kitchen) to fix the Lipstick way. We can't put down the hardwood floors or install granite, yet. So, I have to decorate around the wall-to-wall carpet and oak trim for now.
Like the other posted wrote, that's why I love visiting blogs...So many ideas and inspiration for the quick fix.
Kimberly :-)
Posted by Niesz Vintage Home | October 11, 2011 7:03 PM
Posted on October 11, 2011 19:03
What a brain breakthrough! It feels like you've found a pivot point and things will be really picking up speed. It's so important, for some of us, to look at our surroundings and be able to smile because we feel good about them. It's like the garden - so much easier to focus on the weeds rather than the beauty that's also there but what a shift when we can appreciate what we already have.
Posted by Barbara H. | October 13, 2011 6:02 AM
Posted on October 13, 2011 06:02
I love this post! My husband is a true craftsman and as a result, things get done very well- but very slowly (or sometimes not at all). I have always said I go more for what I call "the disneyland effect"- I coined that phrase because in Disneyland they have these great facades! but there's nothing really real in them. In other words, I don't really care if there are dowels and mortise and tenon joints behind the facade because the facade is what I'm really after- and chances are I will get tired of it and want to redo it long before it wears out anyway!
Posted by Lisa | October 18, 2011 6:44 PM
Posted on October 18, 2011 18:44