Done

We've come to the conclusion that we're just going to buy everything for the home at Target from now on until and unless we have the money to buy EXACTLY what we want.  There's no point in wasting money on intermediate versions of things while we wait to afford the good stuff.  Target stuff is good enough, and often actually quite nice. 

Case in point...

We needed a rug for the kids to sit on and roll around on (and spill stuff on), but couldn't pay for the authentic ones.  I found one I really liked on the clearance pile at a true Middle Eastern rug place, but even with DEEP discounts it was $950.  No way.  We got this perfectly serviceable one at Target for $230.  The colors match really well.  It's probably more than we wanted to spend, but now that it's in the room we can't imagine the room without it.

You'll notice that we put our original bookcases back in the corner.  Sturdy, all-wood bookcases for a price we were willing to pay are not to be found anywhere.  They're all particle board and have a shelf load limit of 50 lbs or less.  Of course the Amish furniture store has perfectly lovely ones, but they're $900+ each and we're not spending that.  We'd need at least two.  Actually, our ideal configuration would be two on the long wall, a corner unit and one on the window wall.  Target has some cheap ones that were tempting, but we've decided not to spend one penny more bookcases that are bound to gouge and bow.  David's just going to build more of his excellently stout ones to my exacting specifications.  It might take him a year (or more), so we'll just hang onto the old ones in the meantime.  This way we'll have exactly what we want in the end.

(And for those of you who are looking, the best options we found for sturdy, solid wood bookshelves in a variety of sizes were library supply companies.  They have shelves that are just as sturdy as the custom or Amish sorts of places, but cost more like $600 each instead of $900 each.  It's still more than we can spend right now, but probably worth the investment if you don't have a woodworker for a husband.)

What else?  Oh!  The big news is that we've decided to buy a piano.  The room needs it.  I want it.  Tommy's getting old enough to start lessons.  It's time.  Everyone knowledgeable that we talk to says it's too big of a risk and expense to move my family's piano 1/3 of the way across the US, so we'll buy one locally for about what it would cost to move the old one.  Interestingly, the owner of the nice used and new piano shop we've found is from the small Mennonite community in Manitoba that David's mother is from.  Small world.  We'll definitely be buying from him in the next six months when he gets some used ones in for us to consider.  There's not much available right now because it's the start of the school year. 

One other thing.  We're still not sure of what to do about the window.  I'm starting to think we don't need to do anything because there's plenty of color in the room from the fireplace and rug.  We still have the hefty old valance that can be recovered in new fabric though.  However, but I don't want to waste my time and money if it's not needed.  What do you think?  Do we need something over the window?

And with that, the room is done.  It's nice to be finished.

P.S.  If you're curious the name of the red paint is Salute from Sherwin Williams.  I figure it can be a kind of homage to my red-wine-loving mother.  Salute! (That's Italian, I think.)

Comments

[Grammy Nancy]

Oh la, la! Fantastico! Throw in all the other languages to say job well done. Classy with an attitude. I love it. It does have the richness of good hearty red--from the Yakima Valley preferably. I think the glass raising Italian phrase is "salut" without an e--but I salute the good job no matter what.

It will be hard to remember what it looked like before the transformation. I can't wait to see it in person.

Grammy

[Beth Mears]

This looks AMAZING! What a transformation. It looks so new and clean and warm and inviting. I love it, and LOVE that you have such a good-looking rug that won't be a financial tragedy for your boys to live their messy little kid lives on. I've always admired the Target home things, but haven't ever had a good excuse to buy any of it. Perhaps when we get around to actually furnishing and decorating OUR living room, we can take a page out of your book.

[Astrid]

I LOVE how your room turned out! What a transformation! It really looks warm and inviting and that rug just adds that little extra touch. I think you do need something on your windows but I'm not sure what. (I'm not the one to ask as my windows are mostly bare since I can't decide what to do!). Try looking at the Country Curtains website for ideas.

I'm curious about Tommy starting piano lessons. Has he shown an interest in learning how to play the piano? We're thinking of starting Annika but she claims that she doesn't need lessons since she already knows how to play! (ummm....yeah, right!) :)