Monday, April 10, 2017

New living room

The neighbors on the other side of the house moved out. They had moved up here from South GA and landed in the rental on the other side of this duplex so they could look around for a house in which to settle more permanently. They finally did find a suitable house and moved st weekend. They were nice neighbors, here for 8 months.

The couple decided to sell some of their stuff at a very good price. I've been living on a futon and a shabby (not chic) chair for 11 years and even before that in Maine before I moved to GA. I longed for more adult and solid pieces of furniture. But price locks me out of buying new, and I'm extremely hesitant to buy used. I can't smell, so leave it to me to purchase a used upholstered furniture that stinks and I would not know it. Sheldon is me and I am Sheldon-

30 seconds in, Sheldon discovers something terrible about Penny's chair...


And now Amy discovers something worse!


So, when the neighbors decided to sell some stuff I jumped on it. They offered me a very good price and I bought the couch and the chair, and they threw in a mattress and box spring. Mine were an 11 year old 5-year life span mattress. Needless to say, the bed was uncomfortable, the futon was uncomfortable, and the chair was uncomfortable. I was really tired of being uncomfortable.

I'd sold the futon and chair already, and since the apartment was pretty empty I decided to do some spring cleaning. I lifted the rugs and washed the floors underneath. I moved around the rugs to refresh my eye. I put the blue rug instead of the brown one in the kitchen and it brightens up the kitchen considerably. I cleaned out the book cases of dust and straightened up and rearranged the books. I wiped all the baseboards. I dragged out the old mattress and box spring and cleaned the bed frame, slats, and rails. Also vacuumed underneath the bed into the back corner. Also cleaned the bedroom's baseboards. Oh, my aching back! But it's so worth it to know everything is clean.

And here is the Big Reveal!

The lump at the far side next to the pillows is Murray. Both he and Bert had a rough day with all the moving and stomping through and being locked in the bathroom for the time the front door was propped open to move furniture in and out.

The mattress & box spring are very high. It's a true princess bed now. All I need is a pea. The height does justice to the four posts and headboard. The bed frame (and matching desk and bureau) are 117 years old. True antiques. (Antique starts at 100 years old, vintage at around 50).


It is a cozy bedroom.

The kitchen seems brighter with the blue and white rug in it instead of the brown one.

Plaid chair. It's not as high as a wing chair which I like. I don't need height in a small apartment. But it's deep, and comfy!!

Red couch. The nice neighbors threw in the couch pillows too. AND they delivered it. I am beyond grateful. I bought the art hanging above the couch at the 2nd Time Around store for $20. It's a reprint of an 1800s Botanical, with a bit of red, pewter, and light sage green. It matches the couch. And the frame is really lovely. I hadn't moved the art around in ten years or so, with the exception of having bought the Jennie Brownscombe to the right of the couch.


As you can see, I like lamps. The metal awnings over the windows tend to darken the room during the day, and at night, I like both atmosphere, and proper light to read. I just like lamps, too, for themselves. I have 6 lamps in two rooms and I love each and everyone of them.

I'm very happy and very grateful.


4 comments:

Grace to You said...

Your new furniture is lovely - so happy the LORD blessed you with it! I especially like that plaid chair - so chic. And I'm a lamp-lover too...I also have 6 lamps in 2 rooms in our main living area. :D

Elizabeth Prata said...

thanks! I've been enjoying both pieces of furniture. Now the struggle will be to keep the cats off the couch & chair! I've suddenly become protective of them

Grace to You said...

If you're ready to become a true Southerner, you'll get some plastic to cover the cushions. :D And if you really want to go whole-hog, cover the lamp shades too. haha

Elizabeth Prata said...

I feel like that's what I need! Never before, when I had shabby furniture, was Murray the kitty interested in sitting on it, laying on it, or clawing it. Now that I have nice furniture, he does all three! gah!