How do I light a fire....

Just by looking at the title of my blog, one could guess that I like to make things. I love it so much that I created a blog centered around it. Unfortunately, my husband is the complete opposite of me. He would be more content sitting in front of a computer, playing a video game, than making something. This creates a problem... a huge problem.


The picture to the left is of the office/guest bedroom/Kelda and Pharaoh's room. It is a mish-mash of items that have no sense of place. (I guess I should note that the futon that the dog is sleeping on is now a bed frame, so, make a mental note to remove it and put the round chair in its spot).

The main source of mess in this room, however, is not pictured. Chris's desk is a huge mess. (I think I blogged about making a new desk earlier). I really want to clean it up and fortunately, I have found a pattern for a desk system that implements the type of desk that he has. I only need to build a filing cabinet (and maybe a few built-in shelves) and the ensemble will be complete. To tie all of the pieces together, though, I will need to paint a cabinet, desk, and the filing cabinet. Here is where the problem lies. My husband likes things the way they are. The dark brown cabinet, light-colored, wood-veneered desk, and whatever color I paint the filing cabinet do not bother him. The woods aren't even in the same family! (The book case and plastic shelf drive me crazy in the above picture).


The main reason that he doesn't care is that it would inconvenience him from one night of using his computer if I painted the items all one color. He can afford one night of inconvenience for my happiness, right? I know marriage is about compromise, but I draw the line. I'm tired of mismatched furniture. I want my apartment to be mistaken for a Pottery Barn catalog (now you know i'm kidding, right?) ... but I do want matching furniture.


I guess my question is: How do I "inspire" my husband to want to make the room look better? I guess if I could answer this question, then my next goal would be to answer the question of world peace.