Four months into home ownership = many many lists and floor plans drawn on the backs of scrap paper. We’ve decided that instead of redoing the kitchen / bathroom / closet addition (added to the house around 1900) we’re doing to tear it down and start anew. So that won’t happen for a couple years. Instead, I’ll focus on the bedroom, living room, dining room, powder room, and sewing/laundry room, all of which need basic work and furniture . That also leaves 2 rooms that we’ll just pretend don’t exist for now. Ok.
The bedroom is looking good! We need a bedframe, and there’s a chair I want to reupholster to put in the corner. I wouldn’t mind a little marble topped Parisian bistro table for the balcony, either, but um, yeah.
Here’s my furniture list. Bring it!
Bedroom: Low, simple bed frame, small desk with fold down lid, chair
Hallway landing: Seating (bench? huge chair?), bookcase, lamp (maybe? what’s good on a big landing?)
Dining room: 8-10 chairs. To match or not to match, that is the questionnnn.
Living room: Couch that the cats won’t destroy, coffee table, fig tree
Sewing room: Giant table, garment rack
Andddddd. The Cottage. This house came with a little guest/mother-in-law cottage, and the tenant is moving out this week. Can I get it serviceable before summer guests? It needs EVERYTHING. Couch, bed, mattress, little dining table and chairs, desk, comfy chair, ummmm who knows what else – I’ve only been in it for a minute and actually can’t wait to get in there to start painting and planning! I love the idea of having a little guest cottage! I think we might put it on Air BnB, has anyone ever done that?
I am both insanely jealous of your little house and incredibly happy for you. It’s a war of emotions. Happy is winning, in case you were wondering. I can’t wait to see photos of the cottage!
I would totally trade the house for LIVING IN HAWAII. So there you go. 😉
That cottage sounds dreamy! I want to go to there!
It’s looking beautiful so far. I want to come stay in your little cottage.
Aw, your cat looks adorbs there! Love your big palm too. Oh, and the cottage sounds awesome, how fantastic to have something like that for guests.
Yes to Air Bnb! We haven’t used that site specifically but we try to stay in people’s homes versus hotels when we travel and it’s always amazing. The couple we stayed with in Paris has met some wonderful people by renting and has also been able to do some killer house swaps around the world.
Love! You should definitely put the cottage on AirBnB, I would love to visit VT.
I stayed with a wonderful couple in Dillsburg, PA through AirBnB, and they are very friendly. Might be worth it to pick their brains. http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/234269
Ah, yes. feel free to mention that Ann – the bookstore owner – suggested that you contact them. We visited back in April.
Thank you!
Furniture – I just buy crap that looks good and figure out where to put it. Otherwise, it’s agonizing. Or stare for hours at like 500 photos/scans of rooms you’ll never afford, hoping they’ll infiltrate your design sense… 😉
Go to auctions. Not estate sales – not antique stores: too expensive. Auctions bridge the gap. When you start going to multi-estate auctions (from estates with the good stuff) and imagining the markup antique dealers will add to everything, you’ll get palpitations. Get all desks/tables/chairs this way. Even in NYC I went to one where some dealer won an amazing inlaid 19th c. grandfather clock for $200. Absurd.
Also – things that look good anywhere – white barcelona chairs (mine are excellent fakes that were pickup-trucked from a hasidic-run warehouse in deep brooklyn, and cost like nothing). Lucite tables of all kinds. Art deco wood stuff with clean lines. Put those in a bag and shake = pretty much perfect every time.
Also – if you have enough rugs, the cats go after those a lot quicker than the couch. At least mine do.
I myself need a desk setup for the bedroom because the bedroom is huge. Like bigger than all the apartments I’ve lived in. What does one do with that?
& I want your huge amazing palm so much.
This is such good advice! I learned the hard way, too, when recently I passed over a 1950s mod wicker set that has been HAUNTING ME EVER SINCE. Never again! We’ll become hoarders! It’ll be great!
However, I officially have to stop buying light fixtures on a whim until we actually renovate the bathrooms, EXCEPT we need a crystal chandelier for the dining room. I think that might be an eBay quest.
Auctions here are always midweek
I will definitely look to see if any are happening when I take a couple weeks off in August, but for the most part, our jobs make it hard to bargain hunt. Luckily, antique stores here, especially the antique malls, aren’t TOO bad. Not as cheap as yard sales, but sometimes you just don’t want to drive all over tarnation hoping for treasure.
That kitty is totally blissed out.
Ohhh what a glorious place that is. I love how clean and calm it looks (particularly because my room is currently anything but.) Also, very envious of that cat!
I’ve never put a room on Air B’n’B before but am considering it for when I’m in America this October…have certainly had some fantastic feedback from people who have used it to FIND accommodation.
Reading about all the work and planning you are doing made me tired and just want to curl up with your cat.
That sounds like a good plan. But shhh, because I have to stop doing that and actually get stuff done!!
Your new-homeowner enthusiasm and drive inspires me, lady! I just hit the two-year mark of homeownership over the weekend, and after an emotionally-taxing huge renovation, our subsequent projects have been done at a snail’s pace. Anyway, just wanted to say how lovely everything is looking! You’re motivating me to get a move on!
Your bedroom is incredibly gorgeous. I would recommend letting it all be until the right piece comes around. Because it will.
Definitely for the house. But for the cottage we have guests coming! So we need some basics. I HATE that though, because then you do buy stuff you maybe don’t really want. Ah well. It’s worth it to have my favorite Holly for a couple weeks.
When are you 3 headed back east? I want to see you! (You can stay in the cottage too!!!)