Louis Style Chairs

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Here are a few pieces that I am thinking about for the dining room. I am pretty focused on chairs at the moment. I’ve decided on a dark color upholstered dining chair. I think it will be a nice contrast to the white/grey walls plus spills/dirt will be less noticeable. I’m hoping to find a louis style chair in purple or black. & maybe louis style arm chairs at the heads of the table? Not quite sure yet!

I threw in a brass shelf and beautiful bench that I would love in my living room. I could browse eBay for hours!

New Table

A few photos of our new dining table. It is the 17TH C. MONASTERY DINING TABLE from Restoration Hardware. I was nervous about how it would look but am so relieved…I love the antique grey tones of it with our dark hardwood.

It will be so nice to serve dinner on a larger table. No more running out of space!

So, next up: dining chairs. I have 2 picked out…will share tomorrow.

Roses & new mirror for office

Rex & I stopped at produce junction this morning (one of my FAVORITE places). One of these days I will have to bring my camara with me. Anyway, they have beautiful (& CHEAP) flowers and plants as well as a farmers market. I picked up 2 bunches of roses for $12 total. I just finished a little arrangement for my office. I am hoping some new decor and lots of fresh flowers help to inspire me to get back to work.

I also hung a new brass looking mirror that I purchased from One Kings Lane (only $50!) I think it looks much better than the mirror i had previously hug there. I am waiting on a small brass table/bar cart to arrive that will go along the wall under the mirror and will help to hide all of the cable cords.

a few more details:

Craigslist Brass Coffee Table

I’ve been on the hunt for a brass coffee table or brass end table. There were about 4 or 5 tables that I loved from Neiman Marcus…but they were WAYYYY out of my price range ($500 +). I’m currently drawn to pieces with interesting geometric frames like this & this.

So, a few days ago I went to check out this 3 ft x 3 ft coffee table a few towns away. The sweet older couple offered it to me for $50 which I could not turn down! The husband even helped me load it into my car.

I am hoping to use it in my new living room…to be continued…

Sneak peek at our new hardwood floors!

WOW! I just returned to my home this evening and cannot believe how much they got done today…they ripped out the carpet and old hardwood and basically finished the living and dining room, half of the kitchen and a bit of family room as well! I am ecstatic, I just want my husband to come home to enjoy the new floors with us. I’ll get some better photos with my camera tomorrow after they finish the job.

Progress on my office

We had new carpet installed on our 2nd level on Saturday. (even though I HATE carpet!) I’ve started putting my office back together. I am changing it up a bit…not sure about the layout yet. I want to hang some shelves on the other side of the desk (the side that you do not see in the photo)…I also have 2 end tables, a rug, and throw pillows to add to the couch…

Shopping for Hardwood Floors (day 1)

2012…the year I’ve decided to take the plunge and do some remodeling! I’ve been wanting to put in new hard wood for years. My main motivation is to get rid of the UGLY carpet in our living and dining rooms. But I’ve also always wanted a darker/deeper brown floor. I am NOT a fan of the washed out red/cherry floors that we currently have. (see ugly carpet here and our current hardwood here.

So, my first stop this morning was to Dan Higgins Warehouse. Wow, I was soooo overwhelmed. They have so many choices and the warehouse walls and floors are covered with different colors/styles/brands. But they made it so much easier for me with an hour long presentation of products.. I felt like I took HARDWOOD FLOORS 101!

Here are my main requirements…
1. I want to go dark, but am not sure if I want a chocolate-y brown or something with redtones coming through.
2. I want something that will hold up well…the strongest possible wood. Two toddlers will be dropping and throwing toys on the floors. I also have a 65 lb german shepherd that loves to run and play and will definitely contribute her share of scratches!
3. I prefer something that is as budget friendly as possible…is that really possible when putting in wood?

So, based on my needs & my likes they suggested an oak wood with lots of texture and pattern coming through the finish. Texture & pattern will hide flaws, be less likely to show dirt, and really just come with “character!”

I took home 2 samples that I really love to see how they’d look in my home during day & night. I was also drawn to the re-engineeered wood. I thought it wood be friendlier on the budget but it was not! SOOOO surprised at that. The other drawback about it is that it cannot be sanded down and refinished in another color like the real hardwood can. I want this option because we will sell the house someday and it gives the new owners flexibility in case they do not like the color that I pick.

After my morning at Dan Higgins, I went to Home Depot. NO ONE in the flooring dept. offered to help me so I simply grabbed the 3 tiny samples you see above and headed out!

BTW, the one that I am leaning toward right now is the wider, 5 inch planks that you see on the left side of the photo above. It is a Johnson floor, Oak handscraped, color Chesnut. The sample on the right with the narrow planks is my FAVORITE COLOR/TEXTURE. It is by Shaw and called Mineral Bluff. Unfortunately it does not come in wider plank (BOO!!)

OLEBY Sheepskin on Bertoia Chairs

I’m just waiting for my new dining room table to arrive: the 17TH C. MONASTERY DINING TABLE by Restoration Hardware.

I’ve been chair shopping but I’m hesitant to buy anything until I see the new table in my dining room. I decided to soften my bertoia style chairs with some fluffy faux sheepskins from IKEA. They are called OLEBY and are only $9.99 each! I figured that for this price if they do not work I can use them elsewhere in my home. If they do work with the new table then I’ll only need end chairs. (I already have a few chairs in mind, I’ll post my chair picks later this week.)

Next on the 2 do list:
*new hardwood floors (the carpet is finally going to go in 2012…i seriously cannot wait!)
*new shades for dining room and master bedroom
*curtains for master bedroom
*refinish furniture for my daughters bedroom
*artwork for dining room
*kitchen remodel (yes, pretty much everything!)

a few more of my dining room…i cant wait for my new table!

& here is a little more sheepskin on dining chair inspiration. I LOVE the last pic. The bertoia chairs look much softer with the farm style table:

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apartmenttherapy.com

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