It was about time. I've been living in hand-me-downs, thrift stuff, IKEA, you name it for too long. The last time I bought something new was about 6 years ago and then it was a futon sofa that had the most horrible futon mattress. That went out right away and I bought cushions from IKEA that were meant for their chairs but fit just great on the futon frame. A nice white quilted futon cover also from IKEA that fit like a bottom sheet for a bed made the futon look like a regular sofa. And I could wash it anytime it got dirty, so that was nice. But it always looked like something a student or a newly married couple without any money would have. The only good piece of furniture I had is a genuine Stickley Mission rocker which needs to be upholstered in leather to bring it back to its original state but which I can't afford. It was time to get some real furniture and while Mission is nice I do not want to live in a whole house full of it, not even just a whole room.
I actually saw a set at Living Spaces that looked really nice, was not too big or too expensive and from across the room looked like it was upholstered in leather and it was actually a fabric.
My bank had a new credit card where you get cash back for most purchases and for the first 6 months there is NO INTEREST! So I turned in my old credit card and took the new one. Since buying furniture is a major expense I had been putting it off until I could save up enough to pay cash as I really hate to pay interest, I pay off my credit card every month just so I can avoid that. So not having to pay interest for 6 months was just the ticket to get the furniture NOW.
I started in June casually looking around to see what is out there: everything is beige, grey, white, brown and black microfiber, how boring, everybody's house looks the same. And these god-awful chaises sticking out on one side! Makes you stuck with one set-up in your room.
And the seat cushions are short or they are not reversible. Since I am going to live with this furniture for more than 10 years I want something that is contemporary but not too trendy, that wears well, doesn't show dirt, is comfortable, not too big or too heavy as I might want to move it around and clean up under it, and not too expensive. Where to find this?
After many visits to many different stores I finally found one that makes custom furniture (or sell it to you the way it sits on the floor), that is they make it in any configuration you want and with fabric of your choice. You can go cheapy or go really expensive. I found just what I wanted and the price was comparable to the ready-made in many places.
So what am I getting? An L-shaped sofa with equal length on both sides with a nice high back so I can watch TV without having to stuff a pillow behind my neck, it will be upholstered in a tapestry with vines and leaves on it in grey-ish sage with some pinkish background tones. Looking across the room the pattern does not really show up and up close it is nice and soothing, nothing garish or too formal. All the cushions are reversible for extra wear and the seats are deep enough that the sofa can be used for overnight guests. It will take about 3 weeks to get it which is pretty short for custom made furniture. No delivery charges either and that can get expensive too. Got a "senior discount" also. Sometimes it helps not to be a spring chicken anymore.
I also needed a nice big chair and just could not find anything, and where I am getting the sofa a chair like I wanted would have been more than my budget would hold if I did not want to pay interest.
I had checked out Living Spaces before but found their selection to be the same old same old. However, they did have one set of sofa, loveseat and chair with ottoman on sale because it was a floor model and getting a little tired. The price was cut by 50% but I do not like loveseats and they would only sell the sofa with the love seat or the chair with the ottoman. The set was oatmeal in color with a slightly nubby texture and that chair was a chair-and-a-half with the ottoman to match. I went back three times to look at it and then I bought it, brought the ottoman home right away and then went back with a neighbor who has a big pick-up truck to pick up the chair.
But once it was inside it looked like there was no room for anything else. Omigod, what did I get myself into? I'll have to move furniture and get rid of some of this old and shabby stuff. I had already measured to make sure that the L-shaped sofa would fit and it is no longer than the futon that is there now. So after moving just about everything I actually made the place look spacious, monster chair and all, and the new sofa will work just fine, I can't wait.
After all that moving of furniture can you imagine what my back felt this morning? I had painful muscles in places where I did not know I HAD muscles. But it's ok now, I just had to work out the kinks by moving myself around a bit. And I slept like a baby, didn't wake up even once.
I am also selling my big dining table and 6 chairs which I really don't need as I have a smaller, solid walnut one that will fit just fine. I've got an ad on Craigslist and several people have shown interest but so far nobody has come through. I had checked with a consignment store but they would only give me half of what they would sell it for and they would charge me for picking it up too so that I would end up with hardly anything, so it's Craigslist where something will come through sooner or later. I hope sooner.
Of course right now that table is loaded down with all kinds of stuff, mostly paper that I have to go through, but also with stuff for which have not found a place and some of that will be tossed or donated. I have that nasty job scheduled for later today, also laundry and one of my cats peed on the bathroom floor, I don't know why as the box is clean, so I will have to wash the bathroom floor with vinegar to make sure that the stink is gone. Plain white vinegar is really good to get cat stink out of things, including carpet, but then you have to soak it overnight and blot it up the next day, an extractor works well for that, and then let it dry. It usually gets rid of the stink and the scent of the vinegar usually lasts long enough for the cat not to go back to that same spot (they don't like the smell of vinegar) and that usually stops that behavior.
I also don't want any cat to use the new furniture as a scratching post. I have found that if you use packing tape, the clear stuff used for mailing packages, on whereever the cat has decided to sharpen claws that they don't go back there, they don't like the slick stuff. It worked when one of them attacked my tall stereo speakers. That one has never gone back there even after I took the tape off, so that problem was solved.
I have two tall cat trees and two scratching posts and a corrugated cardboard for them to scratch, so there is no reason for them to attack my furniture too.
So off I go to attend to these chores which I really don't want to do, but if I don't then who will?
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