I can’t tell you how many times I’ve mentioned to Greg something we need and then presto there it is in a sale. There are things I WILL NOT buy used but there are many things I will buy used. Mattress, bedding and underwear always make the short list of my “must be new items”. For me it’s the thrill of the hunt that moment when you see a beautiful piece of furniture that you know will fit perfect in your home. Sometimes it’s quick and sometimes you feel like it’s never gonna happen. It’s easy to try to make something fit when in reality it’s not what your heart desires. When I first got married I thought it all had to be new and perfect. I was so wrong. There is something home warming about a piece that has history. I wasn’t one of those girls that was showered with antiques by her family when she got married. Just didn’t happen. As a matter of fact I don’t have anything in my home that was passed down to me. My home is full of pieces with history, charm and beauty. I’ve made it a treasure hunt over the past 10 years to find the things that make me happy. Sometimes at estate sales you get to hear the history of the person that passed and how they loved a piece. Sometimes you just have to-day dream as to why they had it and why they held on to it. It always puzzles me when I hear the family just didn’t want any of her/his or their things. I take that personal and want to cherish it for them. I know, another one of my quirky heart-strings.
The home I live in at the moment is as quirky as I am. The layout is well………hard to deal with. There is a formal area as you walk in the door. Within sight to the left is a dining room and straight ahead a den. It’s really all like one big space but was designed to serve as 3 spaces. We have lived with it the past 9 years but it has always bothered me. We used the formal living as our den/family room, the dining room with a table for 8 and the den became a poker/game room with a long table that holds 10 chairs. Not to mention that I have a kitchen round table that seats 4 and with the leaf it will seat 6. I’ve never had a party that needed 24 people to sit all at once and eat. So why so many tables with seating. I don’t know it all just happened that way. Now I have the time to fix this house and make it work for us.
I made a plan and worked it out. Now I still have a few things to take care of as far as finishing it out but I’m pretty pleased with the direction this is all going. The formal and dining room is now all one area. Seating for the TV and for family gatherings. The poker/game room has now become my dining room. It all works some how and it all makes sense. We have lighting to move around and the purchase of a new TV (bigger) so it’s easy to see from the sofa. I didn’t have to buy any new furniture except to extend the family room. The room was now such a long area that I needed more seating. I wanted two chairs and a large coffee table. I looked all over the web but in reality I’m so cheap and just couldn’t pay the price. So off to the thrift stores and estate sales.
To my surprise it only took one shopping day to find the perfect chairs. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Two beautiful like new chairs that were the perfect size, color and Price. Okay check the chairs off now I need a coffee table. Driving to my storage shed I already knew the table I would pull to paint. It was large and heavy with a ship lap look to the top. After painting the table and Scotch guarding chairs I added pillows from Walmart and Hobby Lobby. I’m sharing this small part of my home redo with you because I want you to see it doesn’t take much to make a difference in your home. My total spent was $136 WOOZA! That makes me so very Blue Happy. Here is the break down The set of chairs $86, the coffee table $10 and all 4 pillows at $10 each totaling $40. I think the set up is perfect. We had grand babies at our home and these chairs were popular because they are low and easy to get into.
Your home should be a place to relax and feel safe. You shouldn’t have to sit in it and worry about how much money you spent and someone trashing your furniture. In a few weeks I will share the rest of my makeover and just how I did it under budget.
