the sofa is coming
I've been dreaming of a 'modern danish' inspired sofa for a really long time. Someday I'm going to find a real danish vintage, but I am not ready to commit to very expensive furniture right now. A sofa that's within $500 to $800 seems reasonable. Anything beyond that price tag would be just too soon.
After months of research, I still did not find a sofa I liked from the local stores. I was ready to give up.
But, finding furniture is like finding a lover. Like shit, it just happens.
I finally saw IT last night, while walking to dinner. It stood there like a neglected Kandinsky and called me to ask something really cheesy, like, Where have I been all your life?
*The even bigger surprise was the red tag. The store was ready to give IT away at 30% off. (Apparently, no one else wanted IT. People have no taste. They would rather buy ugly oversized pleather couches overstuffed with cheap filling. They don't see beauty in structural, understated furniture. And that's good news for me.)
Anyway, IT will be delivered tomorrow. I look forward to our long and happy relationship. The minimalist design, the color, the dimensions - all perfect. It should translate very well from my 'open-plan/living-alone' layout to what might be a 'one-bedroom/studio- for-two' layout in the future for me and MSP. It just feels right.
I can't wait. MSP says he's coming over tomorrow night. He'll bring light wine, I'll make pasta. We'll watch a horror movie he downloaded (with subtitles). I dunno what I am more excited about - my date night with MSP, or the arrival of the sofa. Don't make me choose.
Inspiring rooms
When you live in a small space, you can't really do much. The wrong furniture proportion can really screw up the flow. The wrong wall color is much harder to live with when the quarters are tight.
However, even small spaces can be very luxurious with the right touches. That's why I like staying in good hotels when I travel – they teach me how to make lilliputian rooms look like they are worth $700 a night. I come away with a taste level that's just a bit higher than what I previously had. For instance, I realized that TEXTURE is everything. Now, I make it point to fill the pad with little luxuries that feel good to the touch - Pratesi linen, fluffy white towels, silk-cotton drapes. These indulgences keep me sane.
Gay couples have taste
I was really happy to see this webpage featuring NY-based designer Bruce Bierman's place, which he shares with his partner (an art gallery owner).Their apartment is small, serene, and uses the palette that I am so into right now - white. I love how he turned a small bedroom into a luxurious nook that just screams sleep (and lingering morning sex):
Photo from NY Social Diary
This is what I want. Easy, elegant, unpretentious, white. I think I'm getting to it.
The whole finance crunch is keeping me from whipping out the credit card and spending $ on an overnight makeover, but maybe that's a good thing. I am forced to go slower; I get each piece one at a time. Each one of them will have a story.
EDIT - Sunday, Oct 12
IT is here. It didn't fit through my door, so I pulled a Mussolini, called MSP, and had him move heaven and earth to bring IT in through the window. (The sofa is not the kind of furniture you can take apart. It's hotel-grade and too sturdy.)
I still haven't decided how I'll position it. For now, it's everywhere.
IT is also much whiter than it looks in the pictures.
I love it, I really do. Who knew Marxists can be so giddy about modern furniture? I can't wait to sit on it and watch that horror movie tonight; maybe even fall asleep on it.
My next project is throwing out that cabinet behind the sofa and having a white, ceiling-high cabinet built specifically for that walk-in space. I regret having bought that closet, anyway. It was an impulse buy. I moved in so quickly and I needed storage right away. That closet is just made of laminate wood and is starting to wobble. Eh, what can I really expect for $300? I should have known better.
Next in line:
I also want to reupholster my old 'coffee table' chairs. I need new fabric. And an economic turnaround.
After months of research, I still did not find a sofa I liked from the local stores. I was ready to give up.
But, finding furniture is like finding a lover. Like shit, it just happens.
I finally saw IT last night, while walking to dinner. It stood there like a neglected Kandinsky and called me to ask something really cheesy, like, Where have I been all your life?
*The even bigger surprise was the red tag. The store was ready to give IT away at 30% off. (Apparently, no one else wanted IT. People have no taste. They would rather buy ugly oversized pleather couches overstuffed with cheap filling. They don't see beauty in structural, understated furniture. And that's good news for me.)
Anyway, IT will be delivered tomorrow. I look forward to our long and happy relationship. The minimalist design, the color, the dimensions - all perfect. It should translate very well from my 'open-plan/living-alone' layout to what might be a 'one-bedroom/studio- for-two' layout in the future for me and MSP. It just feels right.
I can't wait. MSP says he's coming over tomorrow night. He'll bring light wine, I'll make pasta. We'll watch a horror movie he downloaded (with subtitles). I dunno what I am more excited about - my date night with MSP, or the arrival of the sofa. Don't make me choose.
Inspiring rooms
When you live in a small space, you can't really do much. The wrong furniture proportion can really screw up the flow. The wrong wall color is much harder to live with when the quarters are tight.
However, even small spaces can be very luxurious with the right touches. That's why I like staying in good hotels when I travel – they teach me how to make lilliputian rooms look like they are worth $700 a night. I come away with a taste level that's just a bit higher than what I previously had. For instance, I realized that TEXTURE is everything. Now, I make it point to fill the pad with little luxuries that feel good to the touch - Pratesi linen, fluffy white towels, silk-cotton drapes. These indulgences keep me sane.
Gay couples have taste
I was really happy to see this webpage featuring NY-based designer Bruce Bierman's place, which he shares with his partner (an art gallery owner).Their apartment is small, serene, and uses the palette that I am so into right now - white. I love how he turned a small bedroom into a luxurious nook that just screams sleep (and lingering morning sex):
Photo from NY Social Diary
This is what I want. Easy, elegant, unpretentious, white. I think I'm getting to it.
The whole finance crunch is keeping me from whipping out the credit card and spending $ on an overnight makeover, but maybe that's a good thing. I am forced to go slower; I get each piece one at a time. Each one of them will have a story.
EDIT - Sunday, Oct 12
IT is here. It didn't fit through my door, so I pulled a Mussolini, called MSP, and had him move heaven and earth to bring IT in through the window. (The sofa is not the kind of furniture you can take apart. It's hotel-grade and too sturdy.)
I still haven't decided how I'll position it. For now, it's everywhere.
IT is also much whiter than it looks in the pictures.
I love it, I really do. Who knew Marxists can be so giddy about modern furniture? I can't wait to sit on it and watch that horror movie tonight; maybe even fall asleep on it.
My next project is throwing out that cabinet behind the sofa and having a white, ceiling-high cabinet built specifically for that walk-in space. I regret having bought that closet, anyway. It was an impulse buy. I moved in so quickly and I needed storage right away. That closet is just made of laminate wood and is starting to wobble. Eh, what can I really expect for $300? I should have known better.
Next in line:
I also want to reupholster my old 'coffee table' chairs. I need new fabric. And an economic turnaround.
posted by Ingrid C. at 6:38 PM
2 Comments:
another reason to invite us over for another round of good food, good wine, with good friends :)
ahhh, life is good eh?
hello? you are welcome anytime. we do not care about furniture/perfection of interior design, despite what illy seems to think.
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