Happiness Meme Day 3 - For 4/25/09
My younger brother S. and his wife came by with free furniture for me yesterday at 9:15. As is usual when making any deal with him nothing is quite as it seems once you get your hands on it. In this case, that worked entirely in my favor and I am now a pleased owner of a 29" h x18" d x35"L storage cabinet which I think was built in the 1950's or so, an end table which turned out to be bigger than I expected and needing some previously unknown refinishing, and a tri-fold screen. I also got a nice chair for arwensouth at her request.
I then spent the four hours happily rearranging things, trying to find space for this bounty of furniture. This involved lugging around the storage cabinet from the living room into the dining room and then back out again when I discovered that it wouldn't fit in there not matter how carefully I placed it. I ended up clearing off and moving the big 80's style end table same said brother exchanged with me for my Queen Anne style end table some years back (one of those not-what-I expected deals again) and putting the cabinet in its place. It makes the layout of the room look a little odd, although it seems there's not much I can do about that right now. I ended up moving my love seat and displacing another of my little end tables to try and compensate. All in all it doesn't look too bad, really.
One extremely nice end result of finding space for the cabinet is that I was able to increase my shelf storage space. I spent another hour or so leisurely moving some of Grandmom's serving china and linens into the new cabinet, so the breakfront isn't nearly so stuffed with things now. I'm quite pleased with the change as this should mean fewer Chinese puzzle games when I have to get serving equipment or tablecloths out for entertaining.
The slightly larger than expected end table is causing me to consider whether or not to put the two chairs I use to flank the sideboard actually at the table, then use the end table as the place where I park my purse when I come home at night. I'm still not sure if I like the way it looks and will likely want second and third opinions about it before I make a final decision.
I have no idea what I'm going to do with the screen. This is something I've always wanted, if not quite in the style I got it in. (Can't really quibble with free, though.) Right now it's stashed in a corner of the dining room so it will be out of the way. I'll probably start carrying it around the house this afternoon to see if it actually goes somewhere or if it needs to get stored until a place is found.
I am very happy with the changes I was able to make in my living space and I'm looking forward to making a few more over the next year or so. Painting the walls in the living room, bedroom, and kitchen is still eminently possible despite the looming probability of furloughs. At some point in the next year or so the 80's coffee table will join the matching end table in the garage and then be given either to Goodwill or sold on Craigslist once a suitable and affordable replacement is found. And ultimately I would like to replace the large entertainment unit on my living room's east wall with something lower and sleeker which will fit underneath my stairs. That project is probably going to have to wait the longest, but as I'm learning, with patience, apparently I really can get what I want.
I then spent the four hours happily rearranging things, trying to find space for this bounty of furniture. This involved lugging around the storage cabinet from the living room into the dining room and then back out again when I discovered that it wouldn't fit in there not matter how carefully I placed it. I ended up clearing off and moving the big 80's style end table same said brother exchanged with me for my Queen Anne style end table some years back (one of those not-what-I expected deals again) and putting the cabinet in its place. It makes the layout of the room look a little odd, although it seems there's not much I can do about that right now. I ended up moving my love seat and displacing another of my little end tables to try and compensate. All in all it doesn't look too bad, really.
One extremely nice end result of finding space for the cabinet is that I was able to increase my shelf storage space. I spent another hour or so leisurely moving some of Grandmom's serving china and linens into the new cabinet, so the breakfront isn't nearly so stuffed with things now. I'm quite pleased with the change as this should mean fewer Chinese puzzle games when I have to get serving equipment or tablecloths out for entertaining.
The slightly larger than expected end table is causing me to consider whether or not to put the two chairs I use to flank the sideboard actually at the table, then use the end table as the place where I park my purse when I come home at night. I'm still not sure if I like the way it looks and will likely want second and third opinions about it before I make a final decision.
I have no idea what I'm going to do with the screen. This is something I've always wanted, if not quite in the style I got it in. (Can't really quibble with free, though.) Right now it's stashed in a corner of the dining room so it will be out of the way. I'll probably start carrying it around the house this afternoon to see if it actually goes somewhere or if it needs to get stored until a place is found.
I am very happy with the changes I was able to make in my living space and I'm looking forward to making a few more over the next year or so. Painting the walls in the living room, bedroom, and kitchen is still eminently possible despite the looming probability of furloughs. At some point in the next year or so the 80's coffee table will join the matching end table in the garage and then be given either to Goodwill or sold on Craigslist once a suitable and affordable replacement is found. And ultimately I would like to replace the large entertainment unit on my living room's east wall with something lower and sleeker which will fit underneath my stairs. That project is probably going to have to wait the longest, but as I'm learning, with patience, apparently I really can get what I want.