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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Change of plans

I mentioned my less-than-gorgeous early 50s sofa and chair set in yesterday's post. I'd had it on Craigslist for a couple of weeks with only one inquiry that didn't pan out, so I had decided to keep it and find a chair that would work with it.

My SIL and I loaded up the boys and drove to BFE to get the striped chair and ottoman yesterday afternoon. The seller was asking $100, but my SIL worked his magic and talked her into taking $80. I sat in the truck with the boys, because at this point, he's a much better judge of furniture than I am...and a much better negotiator.

He came back to the truck waving a $20 bill, and when he got in, he said, "Good call! That chair is definitely vintage and definitely great quality." He said that, judging from the tilt of the ottoman, it might even be Dunbar, but he'd have to look it up to be certain. He assured me that whatever it turns out to be, it was a great deal at $80. The upholstery is predominantly gold (almost orange) and cream stripes, and while I don't think I'd go so far as to say I like it better than I thought I would, it's fair to say I can tolerate it better than I expected.

We got back to the store, I grabbed a lamp I wanted to buy from him, and I headed back home. As soon as I walked in the door, I noticed that I had an email about the sofa and chair on Craigslist. Sure enough, someone wanted to know if they were still available and if he could come get them right away.

I called my SIL and told him to hold the turquoise daybed in the warehouse for me...and to bring it with him when he drops off the boys on Wednesday. He said he would, so I immediately emailed the person who inquired about my set and told him to come right over.

Since the sofa situation has changed drastically, now I'm doing the room in shades of turquoise, dark teal, green and gold. Maybe just a few bright colors here and there for good measure, because I love them so much. Here are some mood board hints:



22 comments:

  1. Love the mood board Dana, you can not go wrong with turquoise in my humble opinion! I look forward to the photo update! I had a lovely surprise in the mail today! :) xxx

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    1. I've been all over the map about this room. First, I was going to buy a new Gus piece from my SIL...then keep the old sofa...now buying a vintage daybed formerly owned by a wonderful woman with great mid-century style who just relocated. I think you're right about the turquoise. I'll like it so much more than I did my old brown sofa.

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  2. Love what you've put together here! That mood board immediately made me go "oooooo..pretty" The colors you've chosen all compliment each other so well. Little miss interior designer hit a home run on this!!! It's all perfect and that day bed is ahhh-mazing!

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    1. Thanks...I still need to do some tweaking. It won't look so "all turquoise, all the time" when I'm done, especially with the green rug in the mix. I think I'll like it when it's finished. It will look like an adult guest room (which is actually what it was before the grandkids came along), but the Brian Andreas wall sculpture and the Miro print will provide enough whimsy to make it a fun place for the kids on the days I babysit. They LOVE the Singing Fish! :)

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  3. I love your insp board - it sure inspired me. Love the story of playing couch-go-round, take one in, send one out!

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    1. I know that a lot of people resist change, but I love it! I'm not happy unless I do a total redecorate every couple of years. It had been 3 or 4 years since I'd done that, and my surroundings were starting to bore me and make me a little discontent. I feel better now!!! It sure helps that I have a SIL who can just stop by the warehouse and load me up a new room. :)

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  4. Oh I LOVE THOSE COLORS!!!! LOVE that day bed!!!! Can't wait to see what you do with these! It even tames the white elephant in the room(the striped chair). No really, I like the style of that chair! I REALLY don't know how you can watch all that gorgeous furniture coming in and going out of the store and keep yourself from buying more than you have. You are one strong chickie pooh!

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    1. LOL That white elephant may be an orange elephant soon. I keep thinking about the bolt of fabric I already have...and how much I really don't like those stripes. Our upholster is only a couple of miles down the freeway from me, so it's going to be very tempting to drop everything off to him. And I don't resist temptation very well. :)

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  5. I see we both have great taste in art! Loves me some Joan Miro too, and I think it's perfect for a creativity inspiring kids room. I'm hoping that I'll find a signed print or two at an estate sale or auction some day that I can actually afford.

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    1. I have Miro prints on several walls. I also like Kandinsky, Rothko and Modigliani. I guess we can always hope to run across a deal like Bopfish's Picasso!

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  6. Oh how envious I am of you and your turquoise day bed! Sometimes I just get down right jealous of you and SIL. Your new room and new direction is gonna look fab, no doubt! Haha

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    1. I have to admit that I'm pretty excited about getting it tomorrow. I think it's going to be a fun addition to the room. Joe comes in pretty handy as a SIL, for lots of reasons...LOL If he reads this, he'll be saying, "Yeah, for hauling her Craigslist finds around and putting in light bulbs and changing a/c filters and being an general handyman," but he'd be a keeper even if he didn't do those things. (But that doesn't mean you can stop, Joe!)

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  7. Did I spot a Rosenthal Netter Italian Pottery lamp on your mood board? I have two vases that look exactly like that. I really love them.

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    1. Yes, you did. And it's a large one. It has long since lost its tag, but I've assumed it to be a Raymor or a Rosenthal Netter. Is your vase marked? I'd love to know for sure.

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  8. You're such a prodigious post-er, that it's hard to keep up. I'm loving your colourings and loungeroom montage. Will you show us all photos when it's finished?

    You are so living the Mid-Century dream ... having furniture ready to go and such a brilliant knowledge of what's good and what's not. Sigh. Good for you!!

    I love your lamp as well.

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  9. I'm starting to take photos of each room as its finished. I already have bedroom photos and dining room photos, and I'll be taking playroom/guestroom photos very soon. I have a few more things to do to the living room, and then I'll show everything at one time.

    Having a store can sometimes be a boon, but sometimes it's frustrating, because my SIL carries a lot of pieces I simply can't afford. And, believe me, I have my share of bad mid-century furniture that I bought before I started doing so much research for the blog and the store. Little by little, I'm replacing it as my SIL gets a steal on a piece and passes the savings on to me.

    I've had my eye on that Rosenthal Netter lamp since the day he found it, nearly a year and a half ago. He's never had a shade that fit it properly, so it's never been displayed in the store. He kept saying he was going to order a shade, but he procrastinated (thank goodness). I think he finally got tired of seeing it collect dust in the storeroom, so I was able to convince him to take a Raymor vase and a nice piece of Blenko in trade. :)

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  10. I love your chair. I had a very boxy sofa of the same material, I had purchased it at a garage sale with my toddler niece who sat on it and said it was very comfy and she loved it. We spent many of years lounging on that couch. It actually was of great quality and cleaned up very nice. I swear it was the same as your chair.
    I hope it serves you well hanging out with the grandkids for years to come.

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    1. Your couch very likely could have been from the same collection. The chair is very comfortable, and it's obviously a quality piece. I'm sure it will hold up for ages, and the boys and I will do a lot of reading and relaxing in it. :)

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  11. Wow - so many awesome elements! And I love the colors that you are using. I'm excited to see the room put together! I envy that Bitossi-style lamp.

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    1. The lamp is unmarked, so I haven't determined yet if it's a Raymor or a Rosenthal Netter. It's definitely vintage, so it's bound to be a Bitossi imported by one or the other. Rebecca said in a previous comment that she has two Rosenthal Netter vases exactly like it, so I'm hoping hers still have a sticker and I can finally give it a name.

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