I'm Tired, So Tired

Remember all that talk about redoing my house over the summer. Well, after poring over design sites, IKEA catalogs, and paint chips, Phase I has begun. Lewis and Ariel were here last week to work on the living room and the hall. Afterwards, I needed a week to recover. I now have a new couch, chair, shelving, chandelier, and china cabinet.

The china cabinet and chandelier were real finds. I really had no idea where to find a china cabinet, as it seems an old-fashioned piece of furniture. Most of the cabinets available today did not meet my standards: too big, too modern, too expensive. Also, my dishes are large, so I need one that can accomodate eleven inch plates and look good doing it. Ideally, I'd find the perfect one at a flea market, something shabby, chic, and French. I don't go to flea markets, so that seemed an unlikely find. Two days before I had to hand over my mom's china cabinet (which is lovely, but too big for my living room), I found the perfect solution. Lewis and I were at the local ReStore, a great resource for renovation supplies, when I found the china cabinet of my dreams. It's about six feet tall, in golden oak, with elegant details but not excessive ornamentation. My china looks charming in it, as though they were meant to be together, and there is plenty of storage underneath for linens and serving pieces. I could have swooned when I saw it. The best part? It only cost $140! A total steal!


The chandelier was another lucky find. I had to return some shelving to Target, when I spotted the chandelier in one of the carts they keep in customer service for returns. Whoever returned it must have had it for a while, because I later found that it was released in 2008. My expectations for lighting fixtures are about as high as those for china cabinets, so you can imagine how happy I was to snap up a floral chandelier for ten dollars. It has a white enamel finish, with pale pink flowers, and three bulbs. It looks lovely with my black and white floral curtains, but could look just as nice with my painted bedroom set.

The biggest change, though, is the color of the room. Before, it was a sort of colonial blue, which had become kind of sad looking. Now it is a spring green of medium saturation, the sort of color that art directors of independent films love. I call it Zooey Deschanel green. It turned out brighter than I expected, but will look great once I've hung some art and mirrors. With the china cabinet and floral elements, the overall effect is feminine without being pink, pink, pink. Sure, I fell in love with Midcentury Modern, but my personal style is more vintage eclectic.

This is my excuse for not starting my Knitting Olympics project. I'm sitting this one out. I'd planned to work on a cardigan in Manos del Uruguay wool that I stashed away a couple of years ago, but was otherwise occupied. While working on the living room, I found several unfinished knitting projects, which I plan to pick up again. I just finished a Wicked tee in Malabrigo worsted that only needed a sleeve cuff. Let's hope the rest of these UFOs are as easy.