Ebay Score and More

Sorry for the radio silence yesterday, but I have been alternating between hustling and hibernating for the past 48 hours. Anyhow, part of the hustle was this fancy Sciolari fixture I won on ebay for a song:

Yes, that's a 1st Dibs picture, because it's the SAME FREAKING FIXTURE. Somebody had no idea what they were listing, which always makes me kind of sad -- like I'm taking advantage. On the other hand, I really needed a pick me up right about now. So I'll take it.

I'm going to put it in the dinette, and it's not exactly what I had planned (maybe a little too predictable?), but I think it will work ok:

After much conferencing with Sanders about paint colors, this is the current situation. It's not knocking my socks off, but it's a small space so it can't handle too much insanity. Plus, this is what I can reasonably do with my budget in a non-glacier time frame. I'm not loving the chairs, but I need something simple and cheap. I added a leather bench against the window because the sills sit too low to build a banquette.

Also I'm not super hot on the window fabric, but I don't see anything else that I love for a reasonable price. Any hints out there?

Also also, I tried about 50000000 different paint colors, and it's a really tough space. Peach is no bueno, but perhaps I should go more muted...?

Obviously the chandelier is going to have to carry the space.

Maybe the chandelier can pick out some paint colors and chairs and window treatments while he's at it.

You can do it, chandelier. I believe in you.

Have a super swell weekend, peeps!

Weekend Update

Hey dudes, how was your weekend? Ben and I busted our collective ass painting and cleaning and moving and it still looks an 82 year old grandma with 23 cats and alzheimers lives here. It's kind of disheartening, but you have to break some eggs to make an omelette, right? We did at least completely paint ONE room (Ike's future room) and it's... dark. Like, really dark. Outer space dark matter dark. I think it's going to be ok once we put his furniture and some light window treatments in there, but right now I'm kind of crossing my fingers and hoping he doesn't grow up to be a depressed adolescent who only listens to The Cure and dyes his hair purple.

Oh wait -- that was me.

Anyway, I don't have a lot of time today because Karly's hubs Matt is coming over to rip out the godforsaken built in desk that's encroaching on my soon-to-be beautiful dinette. Anyone need a 24x40 slab of green and rust granite? Didn't think so.

And then I have to decide between this color:

And this color:

To paint the dinette. I'm not conflicted, or anything. These aren't 100% diametrically opposed AT ALL.

Meanwhile, I am dreaming of ripping out the entire kitchen. How did I ever think I could live -- even temporarily -- with honey oak cabinets? The wood grain alone is making me hallucinate. I think it's trying to kill me. (you can see what it looks like in the mls pictures HERE)

Here's what I would like to place in its stead:

Any of these will do just fine, thanks.

Ok, must organize/clean/moon over paint swatches.

Any votes for one or the other color I posted?

[Pinterest kitchens]

The Full Extent of the Dinette Dilemma

So yesterday I revealed yet another thorn in my side, the dopey dinette area. It's really wee and oddly shaped and it sports hideous tile and the light fixture makes me want to vomit khaki green paint into my cheerios. It's an appetite killer, for sure.

My eyes! I'm pretty sure that square beige tile is the eighth level of hell. The suburban pinata light fixture is even more offensive, but far easier to remove -- we'll call it Level Four.

As I said yesterday, when we redo the adjoining kitchen the tile will get sledgehammered into a  fine dust and kicked to the curb, making way for the wood flooring to move on in. But until that day, this is what I have to work with. Did I mention that this is to be our one and only dinner table?

You can exhale now.

So I think a rug would help, but the inset on the window wall is really throwing a wrench into the works. I put the 6x9 leopard rug in there just to see how it would fit, and you can see that it butts up against the wall. I could see doing a custom cut carpet that fit exactly into that space, except that this isn't wide enough...

When I centered the rug under the table, it ran into the walkway, which I think looks kinda funny. Am I crazy? Also, six feet really isn't wide enough for a full size table and chairs. I think seven is minimum, which would create even more issues in terms of the odd window wall and walkway.

What to do?

Mockups, duh.

I painted Board #1 in living room wall color, left the table unpainted, used chairs from Copenhagen, and threw in a hide rug so I could sidestep rug dimension issues. But I have to tell you, I kind of hate hide rugs. They feel so gross... and they are giant dead cows. But I have also heard how durable! and amazing! they are. What do you think?

For Board #2 I painted the room in Gray Gardens, left the table unpainted, added black wishbone chairs, and threw caution to the woven wind with a Nain rug. I did 8000 variations and I'm not sure I'm digging the rug on this one, but I threw it in for variety's sake.

For Board #3 I switched up almost everything... Les Touches knockoff fabric for the roman shades, painted table, Anthropologie chairs, and a more antiquey light fixture to balance the polka dot bizness. I used a warmer rug because I want something natural in there -- be it table, chairs or rug.

So, what do you dudes think? Are there any bits or pieces you love/hate? And fresh new combos you want to see? We've only just begun...

ps: here was my inspiration photo, which looks almost nothing like any of my mockups:

Gotta love Molly Luetkemeyer.

Maybe the solution to all my problems is a kick ass Henri Rousseau inspired mural?

Most likely.