Here's a partial list, just for starters.
1. I finally got the new fixture to replace this lovely hanging lamp
with this one 
Boring, yes, I know. Perhaps you need a close-up of the OTHER fixture. Well sorry, you ain't getting it. Because yuck. Nasty un-cleanable 70's brass and frosted glass with a million tiny candle bulbs. No thank you.
So I am waiting for my favorite electrician to call (SUPER RIDICULOUSLY nice guy, did a giant pain in the ass electrical box replacement for us a couple of years ago and was super helpful and laid back about the whole thing, big points in my book). And this is INCREDIBLY EXCITING LET ME TELL YOU. This will change the whole house, I swear.
2. Shades for the lamps Pop made me. My dad, for starters, is an awesome woodworker. So my Christmas request this year was a pair of little end tables to go on either side of the couch. So of course he decided that end tables need lamps. And gave me an early present. However, he knows as well as I do that shopping for shades is miserable. So they are currently nude. I found a store in town that will actually make me shades to order (not silk or anything fancy so the prices will hopefully not be unreasonable - she knows I need a pair) and I am waiting for a call from her with a quote.
Quick question - anyone have lampshade experience here? I am choosing between paper and linen and have no idea how either will hold up. They will be plain, cream-colored drum shades in whatever material I choose so which would you recommend for durability, cleanability etc? Paper or linen?
Once I choose it's like a month or two until they show up so that's less exciting. But the ball is starting to roll on that little project...
3. Paint the living room. We've come down to the short straws here, I have now painted every other room in the house. And it shows. We've got the nice leafy green entryway, the clean white kitchen and hallway, my chartreuse office, the navy blue guest bath and my jewel box blue master bedroom with a nice tan bathroom (used to be blue, that finally went away a couple of months ago and it is much better now). I have been putting off the living room because a. it is full of guitars and amps, b. it has more heavy furniture than anywhere else in the house and c. it is the most visible part of the house and already has that art and that rug. Both of which a. predate me, b. are non-negotiable and c. were bought by a color-blind guy.
I am keeping the wall behind Matt's technicolor art plain white, just so they don't fight. This wall connects to the wall in the top picture (note the red Strat - that is the connecting point) so I think it makes sense to have it all white.
I would like the wall with the windows (left side in above picture) to be a light sort of grayish tan just to anchor it a bit. And then echo that on the opposite wall (right side over top picture) because that seems to be a high-traffic area and the white wall is not aging well there.
Anyone have any thoughts on this? I don't want to get the whole place too much darker, I am just hoping to tie the space together a little bit - sort of on the side of the neutral furniture vs. the very bright art/rug.
Also I am on the hunt for new pillow covers (or possibly just fabric for the DIY'er in me) to tie the rug in to everything a little bit better. SO I guess that'd be #4 on the list. Any tips/opinions on my plan? Anyone? I have been putting off the living room for SO long that now I want to get it over with and do it right. And never have to deal with it again (Ha!).
8 comments:
Ok, a question reg. the lamp shades... Why can't you just buy ready made? I mean, linen or paper ones can't be THAT hard to find, surely?
I'd be holding beige paint chips up to the sofas and the guitars to see what gives you the best soothing "paint it out" effect.
Emma - maybe it's just me, maybe it's just Reno, but have you evveer tried to buy a nice pair of lampshades? Apparently your average lampshade buyer is an old lady with too many cats who likes big poofy ruched fabric lampshades, possibly with tassels.
I need a pair of small, plain white modern ones that are decently made, I actually found one I loved in stock but they only had one and it was Blood Red. My style, but not my color.
Wende, the paint chips are next on the To Do list. One can only paint out so much though. The red Strat with the blue pick guard and the patriotic strap? Not gonna disappear however hard I may try. Sigh.
The red Strat has to be considered an art object -- there's just no way around it. My thought is to let the wood-toned ones fade into the walls, along with the sofas, as there's a point at which repeated neutrals that aren't faded into the background gain sufficient numbers to start competing with the brights for the privilege of becoming visual clutter. Also, the red Strat kind of goes with the rug. You have to give your husband credit for having an instrument and a rug that coordinate.
Call me weird, but I am really liking your living room. The towers bother me, though. Can they be stacked to one side only--and then have the guitars grouped together as a collection--like you would other less unusual art pieces? Having them scattered about does contribute the the "music store" vibe.
I second Wende's suggestion for beige in this case--we need soothing.
ps: Congrats on getting rid of/relocating that ottoman you once had--and I swear your sofas used to be different colours, didn't they?
You have wrought miracles since we first became aquainted over the chinese silk on the piano behind that dratted light fixture. Glad that's finally going too! What a relief. Do pos5t a pic when the new shade is up and we'll do a happy dance.
Oh--and shades? I vote for linen. Easier to vaccuum. Longer lasting.
I feel your pain on the guitars. Michael has eight, plus a variety of other instruments. Including a red Strat. Right now they are in the office closet, except for the three in current playing rotation. What drives me crazy are the amps and the pedals and all the cords!
We also have a pair of conga drums in our bedroom because they just don't fit anywhere else.
I like Alana's suggestion to group everything together. It would be bit more cohesive and maybe then you could have music nook in one designated part of the room?
I think the problem is that the HOUSE is the designated music nook.
I am thinking now a very light creamy tan on the back wall and a shade darker on the side walls. At least it will harmonize with the couches.
I am also jonesing to clean out and store some of the CDs so there are fewer CD towers, we'll see how that goes over. Almost everything is in the computer so it's really just storage that I get to stare at and dust (or not dust as the case may be). We'll see how Matt responds to THAT idea.
And Alana, I had forgotten the red silk over the piano! The piano is now uncovered, next to the drumset, which is at least more logical and out of the way.
Lauralynne, I will post a picture for you someday of the other side of the living room. This is a non-functional but structural fireplace column made of brick and the actual fireplace is completely obscured by amps and gear. There is a reason I've never posted a picture looking out from the couch side. Also, that corner between the couch and loveseat? Guitar City.
Oh yeah, and this couch was our Christmas present. It took SO LONG to find. But the old one was burgundy (and hurt my back) and that may be what you are remembering.
Then I'm convinced it's an American/Reno thing - this ity is full of awesome lampshades and other goodies (remember the moose head lamp ;))! Good luck!
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