"Just do it."
*****
Whew. When I was a young woman it seemed I'd rearrange our living room every two weeks. But now? If I rearrange actual furniture once every two years, it feels like hyperactivity.
But Tom left at 6:00 a.m. by taxi and later, after I drove to a semi-estate sale in a house even tinier than ours (and bought nothing), I found myself sitting here watching House (don't you love to hate that guy?), missing Tom and needing something large so to focus my concentration. Finally, after one whole year of often considering this, I rearranged our living room.
Two episodes of House later, it looked like this:
... and this:
... and my favorite part is this:
Who knew I'd come up with a shelf for our new elephants (formerly from the floor)? With the couch there (and the fact they weigh probably 15 pounds), they'll not fall from the sill. Just shows if I'd not taken that first step, I'd not discovered this surprise along the way.
Anyway. Some of the changes I don't like as well, but others I prefer and just the differences, themselves, are refreshing. But I needed something today in which to focus and fling my energy and all this rearranging was the perfect prescription as I begin yet another set of days alone-but-not-alone.
As I've read and as I've said--to a woman, rearranging the furniture serves as a kind of vacation. The feeling which comes afterward is almost like she's taken a trip and landed in a new place with unfamiliar vistas and yes! Yes, it does feel that way today, especially after rewarding myself with a meal from Burger King upon the couch on its opposite side of the room while watching yet one more episode of that crazy ol' House.
Happy sigh.
*****
"I don't enjoy living in a white box flooded with light. I like shadows, small spaces, old furniture."
..., Kevin McCloud
― Josh Stern
“The key to life was rearranging the furniture.”
― Robert Ferro
*****
Thank-you much for your prayers for Tom and his mom!
Oh, and to clarify... as soon as the humidity leaves, I'll be fine. It's happened that way for over 20 years now. :) In fact, today was both cooler and a bit less humid and I put in three intense hours of rearranging not only the living room, but a hutch and kitchen display shelf. Hooray!
5 comments:
Love the quotes. I agree. I cannot move our furniture in our front room but can move the table lamps and such. Even that little bit makes such a refresh to the room.. even..the whole house! You can change out the cloth napkins you use as dresser scarfs and such through the seasons and such too. I don't think men sometimes even realize things are different by that is ok. We do. Also as you are moving things around you find something you no longer love to donate. You notice the dirt behind something! Oh my!:) Usually something gets moved too to another room thus changing it too! ..I love being a women! Having a home to share. We are SO blessed aren't we. Who would have ever dreamed that the lay off at Tom's job would have ended up with his international job now??? !!! ...well we know Someone did! :-) Sarah...by the way the room looks Great!!! And yes I too love that crazy ol House!!!
I love the new arrangement, Debra! I'm a firm believer in the value of rearranging the furniture and decor often. It's one of the ways I express my creativity, and I love how for $0 it makes me feel like I have all new stuff, because I see my old stuff with new eyes.
I especially love your beautiful cat sitting on the arm of the chair. The finishing touch! :) Makes me miss having a cat in the house.
Oh, I love to rearrange furniture. I used to do it regularly but now, about once every six months. Partly because there are some things I can't (shouldn't) move. And partly because I have limited energy and done like to stop until I am satisfied with the results!
My husband, on the other hand, wishes everything would always stay the same so he doesn't get lost coming home. He's a good sport though and puts up with me.
Your change looks great. I am glad you are pleased with it.
I have wanted to rearrange my living room for ages but there is only one wall long enough for my sofa -- opposite the fireplace. I get so much inspiration from seeing the changes you make, Debra, (big & small). I love the way you have created small nooks and corners in your rooms and filled them with art and beauty.
Thanks, Everyone! I appreciate your comments and am inspired by them. I've discovered there are just two ways to arrange my living room, but that's ok. I think I did enough rearranging in my younger years (in a lot of houses) to make up for it! heh. :) Thanks again... Debra
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