furniture

new sofa

by Lara on May 31, 2012

in decor

FINALLY you guys! We got it!

This past Memorial Day weekend, we gave ourselves a budget and hit the furniture stores. We were ready to pull the trigger and had always intended on getting a sectional sofa with a chaise on the side (looking at it – the right side). It would’ve been nice for both of us to stretch out at the same time. Well, that ain’t gonna happen.

I hate buying furniture with our apartment space in mind because we aren’t going to be there forever but, I also don’t want the door to the bedroom blocked for god knows how long. The chaise parts were just too long on everything we looked at plus, we would need a new coffee table PLUS most of the sectionals we looked at didn’t have RIGHT side chaises. Plus we didn’t want loose pillow backs or two tones, and we really wanted leather. Sorry pushy sales lady, we know what we like. I wasn’t going to settle even if our old green sofa (a hand-me-down from my mom) that we despised, was beginning to drive us insane.

Thankfully, we shop really well together and have the same taste. I took measurements before we left, brought a tape measure, and had already searched online for years (you really need to do your own personal butt test in the store).

At the second store we found a sofa that suited us perfectly. It wasn’t a sectional but it was damn near perfect. We figured we could get the loveseat (matching or a different style) for the other wall some other time, since we would’ve gone over our budget for both pieces. I’m a haggler and the salesman wouldn’t budge. He already knew we loved it too much.

There she is!

Normal furniture stores rarely have modern pieces and if they do, they looks like they’re from The Jetsons. “You want modern? We’ll give you modern!”

LaDifference is the major modern furniture store here but sweet christ their prices are la-ridiculous! That’s the place we would go to browse and cry. Maybe one day I’ll own a pillow from there.

The sofa we got was one of 2 modern collections at Havertys… this one didn’t look ultra-futuristic. It’s top grain aniline dyed leather (oh boy did we get an education on leather from our salesman Bob). It was on sale, under budget and we got 18 months no interest to pay it off. Stoked!

It’s a bit darker than the picture in real life but light leather still scared the bejeebus out of me so we got the protection plan for it. If we accidentally mess it up (meaning, I don’t dive onto it naked covered in baby oil with a head full of hair dye), they will come clean it as often as we need and even replace the entire thing within 5 years. Uhm yes!

So here it is in my totally un-staged and messy living room this morning before I headed out the door:

A friend gave us a fluffy orange rug but the cats destroyed it so we just threw it away.  If we ever got another rug it would probably be a cowhide.

The coffee table has a drawer on each end – one for David and one for me. Across from the sofa are 2 windows, 3 Korean style wood cabinets and a big TV. David has his computer hooked up to the TV and has a wireless mouse & keyboard. This is his command center. Ha!

The orange Steelcase chair, I got at Goodwill for $10. That and my mom’s old glass coffee table next to it is gonna go once we get a loveseat. Paintings are by me!

Yay! So excited!

{ 16 comments }

lockers

by Lara on April 26, 2012

in decor

I got the lockers!!

So, the guy who was selling them on Craigslist was super nice and communicated and cooperated well with me to pick them up at 4pm yesterday. He was located in some strange garage on Broad Street near VCU, a few minutes from my place. Oh! And turns out I knew the seller from way back. He used to own an old theater I saw punk rock shows at and he’s friends with my uncle. I love this big small town sometimes!

I was pretty sure I could get them in the trunk of my car with the seats folded down. I was less than 1/2″ off. We measured 3 times with 2 different tape measures. I started to panic and figured my dad would have to help me get them another day on his flatbed truck.

Dude offered to take them to my apartment!! Score! I helped him get them in the back of his pickup, he picked up a friend who was working close by, and they hauled them up the main stairs of my building. Awesome! Dude’s friend was acting like he was gonna die so, they just left them in the main hallway by my front door. Ugh.

When David got home from work an hour later, he and I beasted the thing into the apartment and had to resort to sliding this heavy steel mess on bath towels into the kitchen where it will live.

So, here’s the plan.

First off, it’s filthy. I’m going to clean the bejesus out of it when I get home today.

Two of the door latches are messed up. I haven’t examined how to fix them but if worse comes to worse, I will rig something up, maybe even with velcro. I don’t care.

We discovered the doors are riveted onto the hinges and then the frame. No way I can remove them and spray paint them like I had hoped. Bummer.

My dad called a friend who does sandblasting but it’s going to be crazy expensive plus, hauling this behemoth back and forth again. Sigh. Not happening.

I researched painting already painted metal and got advice from my dad. I’m going to sand the hell out of the entire exterior surface to give it some “teeth” for primer to adhere to and to remove any rust bits. I have to tape around the latches then prime it with a matte metal primer using a fine foam roller (not fluffy) for a smooth surface.

I’ll lay it on it’s back (to prevent drips) and paint the frame (color undecided) and paint the doors some funky colors with more foam rollers. This may take a few coats and I may even seal it with a clear polyurethane for extra gloss.

I’m planning on leaving the interior and back side alone. Less work. No big deal. Eff it. Maybe not though. We’ll see.

There are bolts inside each section for shelves to rest on so my dad is going to cut 1/2″ thick wood pieces for me to maximize storage.

This is going to be a killer time-consuming project but the results should be pretty fantastic!

$95 + probably $50 worth of supplies to fix up something that costs waaaaay more on the current market.

I’m stoked and terrified all at the same time!

 

{ 10 comments }

Craigslist

by Lara on April 25, 2012

in decor

Do you ever buy things off of Craigslist?

People can be really jerky about getting back to you and coordinating times or just never showing up at all but don’t let that discourage you.

I go through spells of scouring the Richmond furniture listings and it’s always been good to me for buying and selling.

I got rid of a jewelry armoire that wouldn’t go with D’s and my decor to a nice teen girl, and all my rat supplies to a couple after my ratties died.

I’ve also scored a brand new rice cooker for David, a bunch of awesome free stuff (dartboard, sports balls, etc) from people who wanted to donate to soldiers when my mom and I were adopting soldiers like crazy.

Yesterday, I picked up a mirror for Carly for $10! It went on the back of a dresser but those brackets come off easily. My dad put some wood filler in a few small nicks and she’s going to paint it a bright color! It’s super heavy and great quality. What a steal!

I also inquired about these awesome awesome gym lockers to put in my kitchen. Turns out they’re all connected and there’s no way I could get them into my apartment. They were also $275.

Today I’m picking these up though! Way cheaper at $95, I can get them in my car AND I can paint them!

Fab.com had a company called Twenty Gauge on there a while back and they had colorful reclaimed lockers at crazy prices. Example:

$2,575!!!!

They’ve been sandblasted and repainting but still. But still.

I’ve loved this look for a long time and already have the red IKEA PS cabinet in my kitchen.

David was all, “More storage means you can buy more stuff!” I couldn’t have said it better myself! ;D

Now I need a pickup truck!!!!

{ 8 comments }

mini ikea trip

by Lara on June 5, 2011

in decor

We made it out of Herndon Fest alive and on our way back to Richmond, bf wanted to visit a friend who lives off the IKEA exit so, he dropped me off to shop and I let him know when I was done.

I didn’t NEED anything but when has that stopped anyone?

Oh, I did need pillow inserts for the pillow(s) I want to make. Do you know how crazy expensive they are at fabric stores? Those things plus the fabric and effort into measuring, cutting, pinning and sewing can discourage a lot of people from even bothering. I ended up grabbing two 20″ x 20″ pillows for $1.99 each when I could’ve spent $15 each at Hancock Fabrics.

I checked out the fabrics and they had some crazy stuff. Did you know you have to cut your own and write down all the info? No biggie. I’ve done it before at Wal-Mart (and figured out the hand held scanner/printer thing after waiting for 10 minutes for some help, and cut another lady’s stuff too). I got a yard ($7.99) of this nutso Annamoa fabric. I want the squirrel on one side and the fox (with his tongue sticking out and a party hat?) on the other. I mean, c’mon! It’s fantastic!

Cork coasters. 4 for $1 and we actually did need these.

3 melamine serving bowls. I have their mixing bowls in the same color. $4.99.

36 tea lights in fruity scents – $2.99 & Lingonberry preserves!

The bf has a twin down comforter that we used to keep on top of the queen mattress (the surface area is the same size) until his sis got us a Tempur-Pedic topper. The old comforter needed a duvet cover so we can use it as a blanket. I grabbed this silly Seuss-esque  cover for $19.99.

Lastly, I’ve always wanted a table in the bathroom. The bf has a collection of bathroom books (sorry but I get my business over with asap and get the heck outta there). They’ve been all over the floor and when I saw this silly little Jetsons bedside table for $14, I had to grab it. I think they’re discontinuing it.

So that’s that! Get anything good at IKEA lately?

 

{ 12 comments }

LaDiff

by Lara on April 30, 2011

in decor

In my town, when you want modern furniture, the only large selection in Richmond is LaDifference. EQ3 used to be here but closed. IKEA is over an hour away although I hear rumors of one coming closer to Richmond in the next year.

We’re still on a sofa hunt. I don’t think the friend at the furniture store is going to be able to find something in our style where she works. We went to LaDiff today and sat on everything. There’s always that problem of form over comfort. We want something streamlined but today, in our butt testing, they weren’t all that comfy.

We fell in love with this sectional but it’s too large and they don’t make it in just a sofa without the chaise. It’s exactly what we want if only…

I adore this sofa. Super expensive and not something you want to curl up and watch a movie on:

Sofa hunting was a big disappointment so, we browsed around and I took some pics.

plastic but a great diy idea for any old chair

so many colorful chairs

fell in love with this acrylic side table!

always a goofball

 

{ 12 comments }

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