Well that last post was a bit of a downer. I didn’t want to make it seem like I was bashing the Canadian Blogger Home Tour.

I truly do think it was a great series. I know the work that goes into photographing, editing and writing posts like those, and it’s considerable. I admire all of the people who participated in the home tour and the beautiful spaces they created.

There were some really inspirational homes on the tour and today I wanted to highlight a few of my favourites.

Rambling Renovators – Jen’s home tour was the first I read, and it linked me to many of the others. I’ve been a long-time reader of Jen’s blog, so I’d seen most of the rooms on her home tour already, but this was a great showcase of her house all in one post. The trim work and built-ins–all done by her husband–are beautiful. I love the traditional feel of her house and the attention she and Handyman pay to every detail.

The Creek Line House – This is a new blog for me that I discovered through the home tour. A tour of a 114 year old farmhouse? I was hooked from the very first photo. And then I scrolled a bit and saw a barn. And there were fields too. This is my kind of place.

Adventures of the Uncommon Common Law – Obviously, Becki’s and Chris’ aesthetic is not something you’ve seen from me before. However, if I ever go modern, this is how I’d do it. Sleek and clean. Dark and dramatic. But still super warm and personal. Their lighting is really cool and creative.

The DIY Mommy – Some of the Home Tour posts included a collage of images from the various bloggers who participated. One of the little pictures was of a bright kitchen with cheerful blue curtains. This picture is what drew me into the other blogs. I just had to find the house with those great curtains. Well, I did. And the house behind it is great too. The fact that Christina and her husband built it themselves is even more amazing.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the whole roster of blogs in the Canadian Blogger Home Tour, I encourage you to. I’m sure you’ll find lots of inspiration too. Thanks to all of the bloggers for opening their homes to us.

Monday
AKA Design
The DIY Mommy
Northern Style Exposure
Echoes of Laughter

Tuesday
A Pop of Pretty
Rambling Renovators
Craftberry Bush
Elliven Studio

Wednesday
First Time Fancy
So Much Better With Age
The Creek Line House
The Sweetest Digs

Thursday
Clean and Scentsible
The Happy Housie
Just Beachy
Dans le Townhouse

Friday
The Uncommon Law
This Little Estate

The Canadian Bloggers Home Tour was a couple of weeks ago. It was great to see Canadian bloggers come together and share their personal styles and beautiful spaces. I’ve been inspired by their designs, photography and styling (tune in Friday for a post showing some of my favourites). I’ve even found some new blogs to add to my feedly.

However, often when I see posts like these home tours, I’m a bit conflicted.

I know all of the houses have been cleaned and staged before any of the photos were taken, but I still can’t help feeling slightly inferior when I see house tours like these.

Holy bad paint job, Batman. There are maybe three rooms in my house that are even close to being photogenic enough to be part of a home tour. And they’d all need a good tidy before I took their picture.

Much has been written about the unreality of the blogosphere. I think we all know that the images we see on Pinterest and many blogs are not always accurate representations of how people actually live. Lauren at A Lo and Behold Life did a behind the scenes post last week showing some of the real life at her house, which was nice to see.

The bloggers who participated in the home tour are to a certain extent the cream of the crop of Canadian shelter blogs. One of the organizers, Shannon of AKA Design, said “we selected Canadian bloggers who have gorgeous homes (big or small), great photography and mad decorating skills.” Fair enough. Home tours don’t have quite the same inspirational impact when you see the clutter clustered in the corners or the toss cushions tossed on the floor rather than arranged artfully on the couch.

I have to remind myself every so often that reading certain blogs is basically the same as reading a decorating magazine. It’s about appreciating design and finding inspiration for my own spaces. It’s not about other people’s homes or blogs being “better” than mine.

I like the saying that comparison is the thief of joy. In a lot of ways I don’t care what other people do or what they think of me.

Even though I obviously share a lot of my house and my life in public on the internet, I blog for myself (and those like-minded souls that loyally hang in there through slow-moving makeovers and interminable renos).

My house is for myself (and Matt).

I’ll be honest, though, I can’t help wondering what’s wrong with me that my house doesn’t look like these beautiful spaces I saw in the posts last week. We’ve been living here for two and a half years. Why is our house not “done” yet?

I have every confidence that our house will get to a stage where our rooms are beautiful and tidy and perfect reflections of our personal style. Someday, we will be home tour ready. I’m just feeling a little impatient to get there.

(And in case you missed it at the top, I don’t want this post to be interpreted as a rant against the Canadian Bloggers Home Tour. There’s too much negativity and criticism out there. I think the tour was a great way to showcase creative designs and some talented Canadian bloggers. I was inspired by many of the designs I saw. This post is simply my personal reflection and an expression of where I’m at today in my own renovation/decoration saga. I have another post coming up later this week with some of my favourite designs from the home tour. Stay tuned.)