Hello everyone! Welcome back for the latest installment of the One Room Challenge, hosted by lovely Linda of Calling it Home. For just a minute, might I divert your attention to my captain amazing new blog header? Designed by super buddy and Design Crisis alum Karly Hand, it represents pretty much everything I want to say about my life as a decorating lioness. I love it so much. And that is the end of this week's good news. Bust out your kleenex -- or handkerchiefs, for all you neo Victorian lads and lasses -- because this is going to be a Steel Magnolias of a tearjerker.
To summarize my progress since last week, I scrubbed dirty grout on my hands and knees for 47 hours, popped my cowhide cherry with this rug I scored at Round Top, ripped down my blindingly orange blinds, talked Karly into sewing grosgrain trim onto my linen Ikea curtains, and whipped out the fab four mid century Italian chairs I scored for $5 each. That kind of seems like a lot, but something is missing...
Oh yes. MY TABLE.
Let us hearken back the the glory days, full of promise and optimism -- the days when I thought I was going to have a marble Saarinen table. Despite being assured by multiple professionals that cracked marble was repairable after being literally dropped off the delivery truck, I am sad to report the dream is dead. Complete and utter fail.
Look how sad my chairs are! Like a bunch of jilted wallflowers. But at least my grout is clean. Yes, let's talk about the good things before I work myself into a lather over the whole sad situation.
The tape trim on my curtains is nice but not crazy overpowering. I'm going for arty and sculptural rather than preppy polished, so we just did the sides and not the bottoms. I hung two panels at each end for extra fullness.
The Sciolari light looks swank next to jade walls. Can I just take a picture of the chandelier and call the room done already?
This is a very unsexy photo, but a very important tip: when you have a strong wall color you MUST paint out any offensive functional items. I painted all my switch plates, outlet covers, and even the AC register. It looks mo better. Now your eyes don't zero in on the ugly things.
All the better to see the pretty things. I'm happy with this color combo, but I also feel like there is something missing...
I'm pondering these fabrics hardcore, perhaps for upholstery. We're just a family of four but I'd still like to have six seats around the table. That means we're short two seats... and a table.
I need furniture. Stat. And I'm on a budget. Big time. Like many people my panicky first instinct is to throw money at a problem, but over the years I've gotten better about coming up with creative solutions that don't give me morning guilt. Do I upholster a fancy banquette that my children will surely destroy, or do I figure out how to add color in a more cost effective way? Do I refinish my old table, or do I attempt to cobble together a new top for my Saarinen pedestal? I would love to have a new marble top cut, but it costs as much as the table originally did and I'm on the verge of a kitchen remodel... must pinch pennies.
I only have three weeks to get over the hump, but I shall prevail.
Please pass the Tums.
While you're busy having sympathy anxiety hives for me, visit my fine friends to see how they are weathering the challenge. I bet they have furniture.
