- the makeup under my counter
- the coozies on top of my fridge
- the albums falling out of a cabinet
- the basket of mail that won't go away
These projects are real, but they simply flit about the real issue: I want to make some serious changes in our home. It took me 34 years, but I finally have an opinion about furniture, fabrics and lamps. I have a solid idea, a picture in my head, of how I want our home to look . . . and we've got a long way to go.
(I considered inserting a "long way to go" photo here, but just couldn't.)
I have no one to blame but myself. As a young gal, when I had money to spend on furniture and accessories, I felt, in alternate waves, overwhelmed and bored:
Those couches seem fine. They're beige. Sold.
Hand-me-down furniture? Why, thank you. Stick it over there, please.
Sure, I'll shop for months and buy an obscene amount of fabric. Just don't ask me to actually commit to covering anything with it.
Eventually, I made some progress. We bought two bookcases at a Virginia furniture store six years ago, and I still adore them. I've painted some of the hand-me-down furniture and made it my own. I've rearranged our furniture more times than you can count. But finally, it has come to this:
It is time to get rid of the furniture we do not like.
I'll never fulfill my vision if I keep sitting around with the same old stuff! With that dramatic thought in mind, I listed our "fine, beige" couches and coffee table on craigslist on Sunday night. By Monday morning, I had a buyer. She is supposed to come pick it all up tonight.  |
| Tonight, we part. Fingers crossed. |
We may be sitting on the floor for a while. I'll keep you posted.
Have you struggled with the design vision for your home? How do you get there once you see it?
Linking with:
The William Morris Project @ Pancakes and French Fries
Well, that's committing to change, for sure!
ReplyDeleteI need to collect inspiration images in order to figure out what I want. I like to have a colour palette in mind, too. Create a mood board, or a style tray...know what you're after visually before you go out into the real world and try to find it.
Looking forward to seeing your progress! I love your title: Making way for beautiful. I try to do something beautiful each day--light a candle, pick a bouquet of flowers, set out a bowl of fruit for snacks--little spots of joy.
ReplyDeleteI can completely relate to you. I would rather have nothing than something that doesn't work for me anymore. Plus, I think sometimes you need to move the old out before you can visualize and make room for the new.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
Love how you're going bold here! Hope you find something close to your vision...and soon!
ReplyDeleteYou are braver than me, but I really like this idea. I don't at all like the furniture in our family room, but I can't imagine selling it without already having something else. I guess one reason is that I wait until the right thing falls into my lap--and sometimes I have to wait awhile!
ReplyDeletebold choice! Fingers crossed that you find what you are looking for soon!
ReplyDeleteA blank slate to start from, so wonderful (and very brave) of you. Do you have a solid idea of the shape/style/form that you want? I've seen a couple of incredibly successful reupholstery projects. So many options. Very exciting.
ReplyDeleteWow! That took guts. I am impressed!
ReplyDeleteMe too - I have to collect images in order to know what I like. I've been using Pinterest for that more, lately.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Now that the old is gone, I can see things more clearly and it is great! We really had more furniture than we could use right now, and the house feels bigger without it. So, we won't be replacing both pieces right away, and that is a revelation.
ReplyDelete