4.26.2010

it's coming along swimmingly

even though it's been a whale of an undertaking *blub*

Avant-Gardenist
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Avant-Gardenist
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Little by little, bit by bit. I'm not a speed demon, okay? The painting is done, the room is edited, and now I'm looking for things that will coax my 18th century style into the 21st. You can't jump three centuries overnight, you know. Besides, I've learned it's smarter to take time deliberating so I can splurge on as much quality as I can afford, rather than replace things I never wanted in the first place. Then I go for it. But when I go for it I've got to be sure it's right because you can't return custom orders.

Here's what I've done so far and here's where I'm headed. I used to love pretty Victorian clutter, I still like looking at it in other people's homes, but now all I want in mine is space and light. So I began by stripping the room. The first thing to go was a large china cabinet on the far wall. It crowded the room, swallowed the light and wasn't terribly useful. Then I rolled up the oriental rug (is it PC to call it that these days?) No more bright red and blue, no more busy pattern. The bookcases on the left were brought in from the living room because I wanted to expand the dining room's usefulness. I've got more books so I'm looking for something tall but open to avoid blocking the light. I'm also looking for a new pendant light, something with strong clean lines. The chairs will be recovered. What about painting them black and reupholstering with black horsehair? Horsehair! Wow! Does anyone make a synthetic horsehair? I'm also debating whether to cut open the wall on the right to add another set of French doors. S'pose that's enough here?

It better be. If you look through the far door, you'll see another room, piled high with displaced stuff from the rest of the house. I've got big plans there too. I am about to get *sigh* a studio. And life is good.


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Melanie Renn
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