Monday, November 1, 2010

The sectional saga - part deux

So, we sold the sectional. We sold it and I made 30 bucks for my pain and suffering. I was out shopping all day for a new sofa set when I got an email from the buyer that he did not want to keep the sectional. He said they did not measure properly and they wanted me to take it back.... To my understanding, that violates all of Craigslist etiquette so I chose not to justify it with a response.
I know, it's horrible isn't it? I had promised I wouldn't damage your retina's didn't I? Sorry...

When my full day of shopping yielded nothing but a sofa I liked with no matching loveseat, I decided to just stop looking and be patient. I happened about these being sold from an estate. The house was immaculate and it spurred on some other decorating ideas. I felt sad though. Most of this lady's things were sold except for a few momentos the family was keeping. She had amassed decades of treasures, only to have her "Grandma's Blessings" photo albums and treasures boxed up to move to a storage shed some place in one of her grown children's sheds or something. It was me so very sad and moved me to tears... Life is fleeting. Pause a moment to contemplate this...

On to the lovely couches we bought from her son.
It is uncanny but they actually match a cushion on a rocking chair that I received from my grandmother years ago.

I have some sort of weird sickness that makes me ill to purchase something new unless it looks old. I actually get physically ill. Can you tell? So here is my decorating plan. I will be putting a rug back down when our puppies are grown up a bit. I will be hanging a large piece of traditional art on this back wall. I am going to have my oldest with sewing skills make some blue toile pillows to go on the couch, a fireplace cushion and make a cushion for this old wooden desk chair in the room also. Hopefully, they will match this vase below. Since I sold the leather monstrocity and bought two couches for $200 less, I can fund some further decorating in this room as shown below. WOO!


Also, for the big huge project of the season, we will be adding a chair rail to the living room and be *gasp* painting the top 2/3 of the paneling. I know, I know, I said I refused to paint it. I have come to realize that it is the only way to make the space light unless I try to rip off the paneling and drywall the top portion. I am not willing to go there, so this is our best alternative. The estate that we bought the sofas from had done it and it looked so incredibly pretty that I can't not do it now. I am excited! We already have some like it. My hope is that it looks like this in the breakfast nook (pictured below). All of the wood in this house is custom stain and it all matches. I am hoping that it will make the project look more seamless!
Can you picture this in the living room behind the couches??

13 comments:

  1. I would NOT pair the paneling. Is a PITA!!! But we took down all the paneling in my moms house and there was drywall behind it!! So we just textured and painted it. Good luck. And I have to add I really actually like the leather sectional mor than the blue couches. But we have different taste in that area

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  2. Wow, um thanks??

    We are not going to take down the paneling because we don't want to risk destroying the 43 year old custom stained trim around it. It would be impossible to match.

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  3. I know I'm in the minority here...but I like that kind of paneling. :) AND, those leather couches were not so bad. I envisioned much worse. I mean I do see the cup holders and that's uncool, but they are kinda nice otherwise.

    I do like the blue couches MUCH better though. Pretty!

    Let me ask, are you against painting the paneling? I've seen paneling like that painted and it looked really nice. Kinda old fashioned.

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  4. I am painting the paneling. Did you read the blog Tricia? :-P I like it too (I am super old-fashioned) but not quite so much of it. I only want to paint the top 2/3rds.

    BTW, I did not zoom in on the leather. Did you remember the animal hair??

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  5. That sounded more harsh typed out than it did in my head. Sorry. What I mean was I would have gone with the leather cause that's my style but the one you got are not bad just not my taste. But none of that matters cause it's your house :) I am with Tricia too, I like *that* paneling cause it's real wood. I personally would just leave it up as is or I would take it all off and dry wall, texture, and paint. But I have tried painting paneling and hated every minute of it so that's where I'm coming from ;) and PITA stands for pain in the ass

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  6. I am a pearls and lace girl so anything modern would be unbecoming of me. :-) I like vintage classy.

    I do love the paneling because it is real. Part of the reason I want to paint part of it it is to make a seamless transition from the living area to the breakfast nook in the picture above. We tried to make the flooring seamless too since homes from this era tend to be boxy and have different rooms closed off to each other. I thought it would help the rooms flow together and also just to brighten it up a bit. If we use the right primer it should not be very difficult. We've done much harder things here...

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  7. I guess I misunderstood. I was thinking you meant you were going to take off the top half of the paneling (I have no idea how one does that but then y'all have done all kinds of other things I could not imagine doing! I'm a home remodeling weenie! :)

    I think it will look awesome painted. And yeah, I forgot about the animal hair. YUCK!

    What color are you thinking of painting it?

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  8. Love the sofas. The Vace is beautiful!..
    Like what you are doing. When you finish,
    you can come over here. ha! Gigi

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  9. Tricia, Wendy told me she paid people to take off paneling and put up drywall one time... Crazy person. ;-)

    Gigi, sure! :-) But your home is beautiful the way it is! My dad gave my mom that vase one year and now she gave it to me. It's pretty isn't it?

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  10. I like those couches, they look super comfy!

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  11. Amy,I love your new furniture. And I totally understand the thing about the "real wood" paneling, but I also know how dark it can make a room. I know several people who have painted their paneling and are very happy with the decision and never regretted it! Go for it! I will be glad to help "the older one" with the sewing if she needs help! Just Me

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  12. She could definitely use some help with sewing! I really want a fireplace cushion. Not the kind we discussed before but just a plain rectangular cushion to make it a seat. Thanks for the encouragement! I needed it!

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