Now that the our large dinning table has left our home we have been discerning what to do with the empty space. We didn't want to buy something new to fill it because we have enough "things" already. We had a leather sofa tucked away in the bow-window area of our new dining. I know, sounds kind of weird to have a sofa in the dining, but it worked. He-man didn't want to give up the comfortable leather seating that lived with us in our previous smaller home so we moved it with us to our current place and used it in the small den that eventually became part of the new dining.
Ah hah! We could move that sofa to the vaccant area where the big table used to live. I wasn't sure how this would look because the old dining area is completely open to the living area and I didn't want the space to look like a furniture showroom.
The great thing about the old dining space is that there are large floor to ceiling windows across one wall, which we can take full advantage of now that the table is not standing in front of them. At any rate, we moved the sofa and it looked better than I expected. Not designer Wow! Not infused with color...but good for us and the way we live. It created another conversation area and a wonderful place for me to read, meditate or knit and look out at the roses growing in our tiny courtyard on the other side of the windows.
In order to use this new space as a conversation area we needed to have a place for people to sit other than just the sofa. Talking with someone right next to you on a three-seater sofa is not the most comfortable scenario.
I thought two occassional chairs opposite the sofa might add the seating we needed. And like I said earlier, our goal in redoing anything is not to accumulate more things.... but we didn't have any chairs hanging around the house.
Oh, maybe that's not entirely true. We had two chairs in our master bedroom suite... one was a small slipper chair that a bag-lady gave me years ago and one was a wicker patio chair. They didn't seem to be the most comfortable choices for completing the furniture grouping in the new space. And to be honest, I really wanted two matching chairs.
I know... Television designer, Nate Berkus, says that chairs don't have to match, and I agree. But since the area rug in this space has a bold pattern, I wanted matching chairs to create a calmer atmosphere. When our eyes take in a view they instantly move from one object to another when those objects differ. But if they are the same, the eye rests for a while. I wanted the new seating area to have movement, but also rest.
So last week He-man and I jaunted off to the Salvation Army Store to see if anothers trash could become our treasure. And we hit pay dirt!
We bought two chairs for eight dollars and twelve cents. They were marked $4.99 each, but since it was 25% off day we walked out of the store with the deal of the year.
The upholstery needed replaced and the wood spruced up. But to our eyes and experience it looked like a fairly easy job. But the difficult part for me is deciding on what fabric to replace it with.
Should I go with a print or a solid or a bright color or bold texture. I love them all, so it makes my decision challenging because I want whatever fabric I use to last for a while.... not only with its durability but also with its decor. While I certainly respond to trends in fashion and home decor, I want the basics to be a timeless classic to build upon. You know, like the little black dress as backdrop to a delicate string of pearls or a bright trendy necklace... or the neutral wall color as backdrop to graphic drapery or bold colorful pillows.
Since I have already rambled on for far too long .... I will save the fabrics and finished chairs for a later blog.
Combine my love for making something old feel like something new and my obsession to adjust, improve, create, or artistically express - and what do you get? A Crazy Lady!
It amazes me that He-man has endured it for over thirty years. He is a good sport and I am not only a crazy lady but a super lucky one as well.
Have a good weekend! Thanks for visiting. Hope you come back and have a seat in our revamped chairs.
Ah hah! We could move that sofa to the vaccant area where the big table used to live. I wasn't sure how this would look because the old dining area is completely open to the living area and I didn't want the space to look like a furniture showroom.
The great thing about the old dining space is that there are large floor to ceiling windows across one wall, which we can take full advantage of now that the table is not standing in front of them. At any rate, we moved the sofa and it looked better than I expected. Not designer Wow! Not infused with color...but good for us and the way we live. It created another conversation area and a wonderful place for me to read, meditate or knit and look out at the roses growing in our tiny courtyard on the other side of the windows.
In order to use this new space as a conversation area we needed to have a place for people to sit other than just the sofa. Talking with someone right next to you on a three-seater sofa is not the most comfortable scenario.
I thought two occassional chairs opposite the sofa might add the seating we needed. And like I said earlier, our goal in redoing anything is not to accumulate more things.... but we didn't have any chairs hanging around the house.
Oh, maybe that's not entirely true. We had two chairs in our master bedroom suite... one was a small slipper chair that a bag-lady gave me years ago and one was a wicker patio chair. They didn't seem to be the most comfortable choices for completing the furniture grouping in the new space. And to be honest, I really wanted two matching chairs.
So last week He-man and I jaunted off to the Salvation Army Store to see if anothers trash could become our treasure. And we hit pay dirt!
We bought two chairs for eight dollars and twelve cents. They were marked $4.99 each, but since it was 25% off day we walked out of the store with the deal of the year.
The upholstery needed replaced and the wood spruced up. But to our eyes and experience it looked like a fairly easy job. But the difficult part for me is deciding on what fabric to replace it with.
Should I go with a print or a solid or a bright color or bold texture. I love them all, so it makes my decision challenging because I want whatever fabric I use to last for a while.... not only with its durability but also with its decor. While I certainly respond to trends in fashion and home decor, I want the basics to be a timeless classic to build upon. You know, like the little black dress as backdrop to a delicate string of pearls or a bright trendy necklace... or the neutral wall color as backdrop to graphic drapery or bold colorful pillows.
Since I have already rambled on for far too long .... I will save the fabrics and finished chairs for a later blog.
Combine my love for making something old feel like something new and my obsession to adjust, improve, create, or artistically express - and what do you get? A Crazy Lady!
It amazes me that He-man has endured it for over thirty years. He is a good sport and I am not only a crazy lady but a super lucky one as well.
Have a good weekend! Thanks for visiting. Hope you come back and have a seat in our revamped chairs.
No comments:
Post a Comment