New Shelves

 

 

One week after we moved in this is what our living room looked like. We had just gotten the sofa delivered and the shelving system was freshly assembled. We weren’t sure about whether or not we would put a rug in here because I liked the openness without it, but it wasn’t a done deal.

What was fully decided on, however, was that a change must be made to the shelves. I didn’t like the glass shelves included in the IKEA set because I thought they looked a little flimsy and insubstantial. I knew I wanted wood shelves to give the room more warmth and masculinity.

We decorated the shelves as they were because we knew (because we are who we are) it would take a while for the project to come to fruition. Here’s what the shelves looked like with the glass (please excuse the dark iphone photo):

Not bad, but not my favorite. We decided to go with a walnut stain, and you may remember that I didn’t like the results so much. Turns out I just needed to let the look sink in, as it were, and it eventually grew on me. I also figured out that with the open-grain pine we had selected, two coats of stain worked best. After giving each piece a good sand with a 120-grit and then 240-grit (thanks Adam!) we put on one coat of stain and let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping it off. I repeated the process, staining lightly with a 240-grit paper before giving each shelf another coat. I then added two coats of polyurethane and let it dry overnight. The whole process took almost two weeks, but that includes four days in Paris. We can also thank the weather and minimal daylight for the prolonged timeline. I could only do the project on our balcony and by the time the first coat would dry it would already be dark out. And freezing.

That’s all to say that I am so happy with the final results. For fun, here is what the room looked like the day we moved in:

And from the other direction. Here I am eating dinner the first night (why, yes, I am wearing hiking socks…) :

 

Do people ever not eat pizza and beer the night they move in somewhere?

And here is the room now:

 

I’m so pleased with how the room has come together. The above photo is so dark, but the winter sun visits us for a brief half hour and then disappears. And that’s only when it isn’t devastatingly foggy. It’s a little sad. Hopefully you get the idea though.

There are so many nice layers and colors in here and I am thrilled with the rug. It was an online forum purchase and it only cost around $50 and a little leg work from Adam. The colors are so great and it adds needed warmth to the room and brings the furniture together, to boot. I’m still very happy with the sofa, although the more I look at these pillows the less I think the blue fits in… I’ll organize them another time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dark wood, I think, helps tremendously and I’m feeling better about the whole room. The items on the shelves are always up for discussion and I think once we start traveling more they will feel a little more authentic.

We are still working on putting together a gallery wall of sorts over the sofa (at this rate, hopefully before the end of 2014) and of course continue to layer, or nest, if you prefer : )

So what do you think?! Have you ever attempted an IKEA hack? Is your living room also a never-ending process?

 

Correcting

How was your Thanksgiving weekend? It was nice to take a few days away and enjoy celebrating a holiday that is, of course, not recognized here. I went to an American women’s club luncheon on Thursday and was able to feast on a massive traditional spread. And yesterday we were invited over to our friends’ house for dinner with a few other couples to get serious on some turkey. Despite missing family and traditions that I hold so dear, it was a great weekend abroad.

 

I’ve joined yet another book club and am furiously working on finishing this week’s book before our meeting on Sunday, but in between reading that and a couple magazines I’m lucky enough to have lying around, I’m also rereading  The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. I can comfortably call it one of my favorite books. To note, however, it’s highly unlikely I’ll ever have a favorite-favorite book. Although Lois Lowry’s The Giver is giving that statement a run for its money.

I love reading The Corrections at this time of year because as much as this book is about glorious family dysfunction, it’s also about the spirit behind gathering together for the holidays. The novel openly grapples with why we make the mass exodus home for Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanza or your Pagan holiday of choice) and what exactly that means to each individual, even (and especially) if that portrait is highly unflattering. Salon’s review of the magazine is insightful and approachable, and I most resonated with O’Hehir’s observation that by a certain point in the book you no longer believe in the characters as just that but as actual people you know and have encountered. Franzen is a master at writing real people, as horrifying and mortifying as they truly are. As always, The New York Times has an intelligent review as well.

Whether you’re standing in line waiting to pay for presents, fly to an fro across the country, or actually lounging by the fire in cozy jammies and slippers (roasting chestnuts optional, but do note you will earn extra points), there should be one book by your side this season. In any event I believe reading it will prove to be highly therapeutic: you’ll either identify with the characters and shenanigans and finally know you aren’t alone out there, or find yourself immensely grateful for the great buffoons you call family. Let me know what you think!