Archive for the 'Decor' Category

Trolling for the perfect dining room table to sit on that rug / below that jug above is no easy task, I’m coming to find.  I always kind of thought that the perfect one would magically appear on the side of the road, and when I caught a glimpse of it, I would just screech across 5 lanes of traffic, toss it on top of my hooptie, and drive it home.  You know…  something chunky and farmhouse-y, with oversized turned legs, the perfect patina, and something made out of reclaimed pine or old barn wood.  But even though being the trash lady is fun, I think this time I might (gulp) have to spring for one.  And the sooner I get a real table, the sooner I can move my “office space” out of the dining room…  Did a bomb just go off in my house??  It might’ve.  I bet my parents are so proud.  And yes – that is a tub of butter.  What.

Since I have a garage full of projects already and zero time to do them, this is probably not going to be a junk-and-refinish endeavor.  This time, I may have to actually scour for and invest in a piece I really love.  Care to weigh-in?  Here’s what the guts of the room and the in-progress-space look like…

{TWO CLAPS FOR MY FRIEND ALISON FOR HELPING ME PAINT THIS ROOM.  The girl’s dangerous with the extend-a-roller.  Ceiling:  Benjamin Moore’s Green Wave.  Walls: Lemme get back to you on that.}

{POTTERY BARN’S CLIFT GLASS PENDANT – giant, jug-esque and awesome}

{Photo of my oldest friend’s little boy, Simon + antique green glass candlesticks + favorite piece of all time, scored at Habitat for Humanity in 2004 for $125}

{Rugs USA’s Violet Overdyed Rug, scored at 75% off.  Money.}

{Tufted linen chairs – the perfect shade of chocolate-y grey.  From Nest Furniture on Clark in Chicago.}

{Bad a$$ alabaster and funky flower lamp, scored last month at a local antique shop for $50 bones}

{Curtain fabric options…  leaning toward Schumacher’s Ambala Paisley in Oyster on the left}

{The loveseat waiting to be recovered in burlap linen, with a long lumbar to be made out of that navy & cream Lee Jofa Threads linen piece via Shannon at the Designer’s Attic}

{Mini-wall of family photos – of both my mom and dad’s side around the dinner table…  a giant antique spoon – that’s for you, Hoover…  and a napkin with directions to my favorite restaurant in Florence, Italy written out for us by an obliging local}

{It’s a hot mess now, but it’ll clean up good later…  Right??}

Sidenote:  Don’t you love how Gus has injected himself into almost every picture??  À la the gnome in Amélie.  Anyhow, my options for tables are as follows:

1.  OLD FARMHOUSE BEATER WITH CARRERA MARBLE TOP. Pipe dream, people.

2. CHUNKY AND AWESOME. Do not love the nailhead/metal detail though.  Nor do I love the $1340 price tag (on eBay). 3. RECLAIMED TEAK TABLE… love the wood, don’t know if I love that that silhouette is everywhere right now.  $899.

4.  WORLD MARKET. Eh. Meh.  $500.

5.  LOVE THE CHUNK, LOVE THE PATINA. No longer available at Pottery Barn.  That solves that.

6.  CRAIGSLIST FIND. Homemade.  Feel like Paul Bunyan made it.  $800 but he said he’d “deal.”  Jury’s out.

7. LONG OVAL MASTERPIECE, from Celadon Home in Mt. Pleasant, SC.  I think I just let out a little pee…  If you haven’t been to Celadon yet, it’s honestly worth a trip to Charleston.  With a U-Haul.  $2200 though…  yeek.

8.  SWEET PATINA if I’ve ever seen one.  Not in love with the shape, though.

I’m leaning towards #1 (if I could find it), #5 (if I could sell my left nut to buy it), and #7 (there went my right nut).  Penny for your thoughts, anyone?

Signed,

If anyone needs me, I’ll probably be sanding in the backyard after all  🙂

(aka)