I was disheartened to learn this was happening in Portland, Oregon instead of Portland, Maine. I could definitely use a little llama lovin’ when I fly.
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If it’s considered humane for Fido… why not for Florence?
Remember how thrilled I was that my husband found a living room set he liked?
Well, I went back to the store to pick out the fabric before ordering, and sadly …. I wasn’t thrilled for long.
Oh, they had plenty of decent solids, but when it came time to choose a pattern for the coordinating pillows, chair and ottoman I was seriously underwhelmed.
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They were ugly.
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They were colorless.
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And I didn’t want a single one of them in our house.
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WTH?
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These were the only two out of what seemed like hundreds that even came close…
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But neither of them gave me the warm fuzzy I need.
Matter of fact… the only real color in the entire store was this pillow of what looked like grass.
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Lazy Boy doesn’t allow fabric substitutions so I can’t buy material elsewhere and bypass their awful selection.
This is not good news.
We finally found the furniture… but we hate the fabrics.
We have two fully installed, functioning, trimmed with the right color stain windows and I have to admit I was beginning to think it would never happen.
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It’s hard to tell in the photos but they look quite nice.
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I had my doubts about the color but it blends really well with the existing trim…
Living room furniture shopping with my husband continued, even though it ceased being fun a while back. Nothing pleased the man and I was doubting we would ever find a set that checked all his boxes. Until we walked into… of all places… Lazy Boy.
I despise recliners and that store wasn’t even on my radar, but damned if it wasn’t where he finally found a couch he liked.
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Rolled pillowless back, good length, solid arms.
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It looks almost identical to the set we have now… which I didn’t really want, but he’s worn me down with his fussiness and I’m ready to cry uncle.
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Miracle of all miracles you can pay a few hundred dollars more per piece and get the firmest damn cushions on the face of the planet (think park bench comfort) which is his number one issue.
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They’re actually temperpedic, like the mattresses… and that sealed the deal for my spouse.
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He’s not smiling, but trust me…. Goldilocks was pleased.
The new door frames have been painted and sealed..
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As have the doors, which are currently blocking access to the man cave pool table.
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Next on the list? Staining the new trim and sills the contractor will be putting around the two previously installed windows.
Our house has honey colored trim throughout….
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So the goal was to match the existing.
And like every other renovation project we attempt, it did not go well.
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The color the contractor bought wasn’t even close.
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The first color I bought was too light.
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The second color I bought was better but it took five coats to achieve the desired shade and no one has time for that when you’re paying a contractor by the hour.
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Numerous trips back and forth to the store later, the husband got involved and came home with solid stain cans that I hated because it looked like paint and covered the grain.
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He argued that the color was closer but all I saw was brush strokes.
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So the contractor showed him how to apply it with a rag for less coverage … and seeing that I was not going to be easily pleased… promptly turned that job over to my husband.
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I love my guy, but he’s not one to take his time with finish work and I feared the worst, picturing streaky spots and dribbles.
After some slight… and I thought quite valuable supervision of the application… I was told to get lost and kicked to the curb.
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At the end of the day I compared my 5 coat sample (on the right) to one of my husband’s.
I think mine is a slightly warmer shade and a closer match to the existing color, but I can’t argue with how much time (and money!) was saved doing it his way.
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.