Archive for May, 2008
A Little Anniversary Love
Dear house,
We remember moving in exactly two years ago like it was yesterday. And boy were we head over heels for you from the start. God knows why when we look back at the first exterior picture that we took…
But you had us at hello. Even when you greeted us with that crazy shelf divider in the living room complete with a stained glass square and a faux stone linoleum landing.
And who wouldn’t have been charmed by that dated dining room wallpaper and the ancient kitchen cabinetry that shouted “Paul Bunyan wuz here”?
Sure the master bedroom was kinda nondescript, but we were positively over the moon about our first pale blue-gray paint color choice (the only one that we didn’t change at least once in the next 24 months).
And that den was the scary smoking lodge we always knew we never wanted. Yet we couldn’t wait to sign those 890 mortgage papers to make you ours. Maybe because we had grand plans to paint the paneling and move in some pretty sad furniture until we could work up the energy to paint the brick and the beams (and work up the funds to replace those terrible dorm furnishings).
But the room that sealed the deal was your lovely and fabulous sunroom. Even though the carpet smelled like pee, we plugged our noses and plugged away until you were looking a bit more presentable.
And even though you boasted five dilapidated and dusty ceiling fans, we looked the other way (and feasted out eyes upon your two fireplaces). And although you had not one single electrical outlet in either bathroom, we didn’t even notice until we moved in and tried to plug in our hairdryer. We were too busy oggling the front porch- one of the only ones in the neighborhood. And yes dear house, regardless of the fact that everything about you made us weak in the knees (in a good way and a bad way), it was the vintage cow weather vane that convinced us that you were “the one.”
So thanks for the laughs, the memories, the almost-hernias, the snafus, the life lessons and the transformations over the past 731 days. Here’s to many many many more.
IKEA Tells It Like It Is
Newsflash: Home is the most important place in the world. At least, that’s what IKEA is telling me.
Apparently IKEA just completed a “landmark study” where they surveyed Americans to find out what our homes mean to us. The study is peppered with some interesting facts – like that the #1 bedroom activity for Americans is watching TV (not you-know-what) but has also revealed that 92% of Americans (including us) believe that home is the most important place in the world. You can still add your two cents to the survey here.
And to make some profit off the study, IKEA has adapted it into a coffee table book and documentary both named “America at Home.” The preview of the book online is pretty interesting, actually, and I’ll admit it’s kinda cool that you can customize the cover with a personal photo.
Not sure what’s up with the documentary, but they’ve posted some short clips of real people talking about their weird, I mean, real homes. I was particularly entertained by this clip and what I will generously call a “canine chic” decorating style. We love little Burger, but someone please stop me if this happens to us. (Oh, and for some reason the video plays two times in this YouTube version.)
Maria’s Design Dilemma
This week the room-to-be-wrangled is all about modifying existing pieces with carefully selected items and accessories. Here’s Maria’s story:
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog, and I’ve liked the advice you have given others. So here’s my own design dilemma: my living room needs to be updated. I like the PB/West Elm style, and I like earth tones with silver accents including mirrors. In the picture, the things that I would like to keep are: the painting, the sofa, the loveseat and a rug which I’ve already purchased. I like the wall color but would like some coordinating tables (brown or black?) in the front and side of the sofa, and lamps. I also have this purple chair which I like, but I don’t necessarily want anything else that’s purple in the room. I hope you enjoy this challenge! -Maria
Maria has a good base to work with. It’s amazing how simply you can reinvent a space with a new color scheme and a few fabulous pieces. So without further adieu, we give you our latest mood board:
Here’s the mood board breakdown.
Read the rest of this entry »
