My poor sister has been listening to me debate my inner decorator for years. She actually cracked up on the phone the other day and laughed until she was near tears. Who can blame her? I am like a broken record - trying to figure out how to furnish my home. You see - there are two sides to me. One thinks that she has more money than she really does and thinks she deserves to travel the world shopping for each and every piece of furniture.
The other side fears the great depression is nearly upon us and wants to salvage furniture from thrift stores and estate sales. Then she wants to reupholster, or refinish the piece herself!
I need chairs for my family room - really bad. I have seriously considered the entire spectrum of options. From this Baker chair, which retails for $3800 (ottoman $1600)
to this chair from JCPenney, which is on sale for $499. Multiply each option by three because that is how many I need.
I finally settled on a third option which is to purchase three chairs separately. I made this decision as I stood in a furniture consignment store paying $200 for this one.
It is a short squatty wing back and I love it. By the time I buy fabric and pay for recovering - It will cost around $1000. But by doing it this way I will have endless fabric options (top priority for me) and a chair that I actually tried and liked before purchasing.
I think this solution will work for me for a while - but I am sure the issue will resurface. Does anyone have this problem too? What is the answer? Do you wait forever - save up and buy exactly the right furniture or do you compromise and "make do" so that you actually have a place to sit!?!
8 comments:
know the problem well, friend! Obviously, I opted for the do-it-yourself version:) By the way, when does that fabric sample need to be returned? I do LOVE it, but I still want to check out that sale with you!
Bethany you know that I love to listen to your decorating crisis- especially when it makes me laugh. I still feel a little guilty for laughing so hard and hope that you will forgive me. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, so thanks for the entertainment- for what that is worth.
I am all for the "quick fix", but maybe that is just because of the stage I am in right now. I'm excited to see the chair all redone, I'm sure it will look great!
I want to be the expensive perfect furniture shopper, but I do need a place to sit. And look its been years and years since I purchased my first inexpensive piece of furniture and I still don't have any type of furniture fund for the awesome stuff in my minds eye. I love the idea of selecting each piece but for most people I think the best buy for your buck is the way to go, as you get more money you can replace and craigslist the old.
With that said, B never be like me. Otherwise I wouldn't have anyone to look up to. I think you should hold out for what you want. Great plan with recovering the chair, I can't wait to see it finished.
PS who do you use to recover your stuff-or do you do it yourself?
Nicole- I am actually trying a new guy because he is trading. But I have two other sources that friends and clients have used and liked if you need them let me know.
As a decorator, moving into a new home, you constantly get people asking when they can come over. My answer was "As soon as I don't have to apologize for my living room". But you can't hold them off for long. So I say buy the best that you can afford (right now) and get it done already!
It looks like you've done that! Love that chair, it looks like the pottery barn wing char!
This is your other sister, who you never, quote on your blog! :) I vote for get it done NOW!! You need to be able to enjoy life at every stage, not just once you can afford the decor to be just right. We may never feel like we can afford to buy that expensive chair. I wish that I could do this better. Both of my sisters do a great job of this, but if you come to my house, there are still pictures, on the floor against the wall in several rooms, because after almost two years in my home, I still have not decided where to put them or how to decorate any of the rooms.
i love this! I would have probably gone with the jcpenny or the ikea slipcovered group. Because the fabric and labor could get really expensive! I can't wait to see your finished project. decorating for yourself is so hard, I suffer from indecision too, all the time.
thanks for your comment on my blog - much appreciated!!!!
Hi Bethany,
Thanks so much for your comment and for adding my blog to your list. Please insert the following URL to update it (otherwise it sits on that photo forever (which I've deleted months ago but it won't go away).
Http://feeds2.feedburner.com/colourmehappyblog
Many thanks,
Maria
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