First, I picked up some pigskin from Tandy's so I can make one of Rachel's awesome projects for my online sewing class. Then, I went to an antique mall and picked up a few birthday/christmas presents (not sure which yet) for Lincoln and a bowl for me.
Then, I stopped by a Goodwill that I have never been to and found a vintage, tufted and curved sofa. I freaked out inside a little bit and started taking photos of it with my ipod to show Jeremy. I fell in love with the bones of the sofa and decided I could live with the vintage floral pattern until one day I could have it recovered and hoped it might jump start my creativity and help me out of the slump I have been feeling for the past several months.
And here's a fun story...
And here's a fun story...
While I was checking out the sofa a nice older gentleman, also a customer, asked me if I like vintage furniture and mid-century pieces. I told him I did but I had never purchased a vintage couch before and felt a little nervous about it. He was so kind and looked over the sofa with me, gave me tips for vacuuming and cleaning it when I got home and measured if for me while I was talking to Jeremy about it on the phone! I was so grateful for his help and found out the he lives in the nearby town of Washington and buys and sells mid-century pieces on craiglist. Well, Washington sounded familiar to me and I began to wonder if this might be the man Jeremy purchased some things from last summer. I mentioned that Jeremy drove to Washington last summer to look at some mid-century pieces, liked them and decided to buy them, then he drove to the bank to get some cash to purchase the furniture and the ATM ate his card! So he had to call the man back, tell him the machine ate his card and couldn't buy it. Jeremy was afraid that really just sounded like a silly excuse to not come back and buy the furniture. Then a few weeks later, Jeremy and the man reconnected near the seminary with cash in hand to buy two chairs and two stools from him.
The gentleman at the Goodwill was the same man! He even told me he was driving near the seminary last week and wondered if Jeremy was still there!
This is what we purchased from him last summer. We intended to purchase these items and then resell them later, but I liked them so much I couldn't part with them, so we sold some of our other stuff instead.
Now back to the sofa. I have been looking for a vintage sofa to replace our Ikea Ektorp. It is still in great condition, but the shape and color don't fit the style of our home. But now that the vintage sofa is in our apartment I keep questioning if it's a good change. I feel nervous about it being used (silly right? because I know I can clean it) and I have an emotional attachment with the red couch since we have had it for so long. I even got a lump in my throat when I saw Jeremy drive home with the vintage sofa to replace the red one.
Here is a before:
Here is a before:
And here is the new one, with old red peaking out behind. It's more green in person AND I feel out of my comfort zone sharing this picture of the vintage sofa while I'm questioning the change. Your thoughts on the vintage sofa are welcome we have a week to return it!
Change is good, risks are good and challenging your creativity is good, but it's not always easy!
9 comments:
Love it. Here's my two cents.
Those bottom fabric flaps...are they hiding really great legs on the couch? If so, I've heard where people take the flaps off (seam ripper, I'm guessing) to get a whole new silhouette from their couch! If not, I still think it's lovely and paired with some teal or green pillows will be a keeper for a long time!
Great story about the older gentleman, too!
Also, LOVE that cross pillow! ;)
Also, isn't it fun having two couches in your house at the same time! NOT! This was our living room last month, too. The kids loved the theater seating, though.
totally love it. and its way more you than the red one. and really, its just a couch! and considering how much you probably paid for it, you can always buy a new one!!! (but really, totally goes with your new home!
it's funny, I was going to ask about the legs of the couch too. Taking that bottom flap off would be the easiest way of making this a little more modern. I do like it though! and I completely understand couch-related emotional attachment. I still wonder about an old family couch I let one of my roommates in college have.
and I'm excited about your Fisher Price little mart! I look for that stuff obsessively on etsy and at the thrifts and I don't think I've ever seen that one before.
i really love the floral pattern on the new to you couch. so, i realize this will sound strange since i don't know you, but after seeing photos of your home i think the new couch fits in perfectly. i love the contrast of that floral with your more modern feeling pieces.
p.s. as soon as the photo pulled up of the new sofa i said (outloud, mind you) "yes! so much better!" the photo of the red one did not give me that same reaction.
I LOVE the couch! This is the same style as a sofa that my grandmother had which I have been mourning that it somehow ended up getting sold outside the family without me knowing about it until after the fact. Anyway, she recovered it like 3 or 4 times during the 60+ years that she had it and it was beautiful everytime!
so sweet of your hubby! and cute couch! if you remove the skirt, i'd love to see HOW you remove it:).
Hmmm...I do like your new couch, but I also really liked your red one. Helpful, huh?? Of course, this is a week too late anyway...I have a vintage sofa, older than yours, and I love it, but it needs some serious lovin'!!
Elise
such great finds! i love seeing those gifts for lincoln...totally takes me back in time!
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