Selling nearly all of your furniture for an international relocation is tough but on the flipside it’s extremely liberating. It’s a lot like dashing outside and dancing in your front yard, in a bikini, in the rain singing Dancing Queen as loudly as possible. I did strange things like that as a child, only in my polka dot bikini with the ruffles on the bum. The things you can get away with as a kid! When you’re little you just want to be big so you can be free — and when you’re all grown up you often realize how free you really were as a child – you certainly could jump on the bed, wear crazy clothes, pull someone’s hair when you were mad, or yank the cat’s tail and sure — it wasn’t necessarily good behavior but you weren’t measured in the same way as when you’re an adult.
“She’s young honey, it’s a phase.”
If I were to dance in a bikini with a ruffled bum, in my yard, during the next big T storm I may end up being carted off for a very long time. I think as adults we often lose a lot of our freedoms that childhood allowed, or simply overlooked, and in some ways it’s a bit sad. I guess that’s why lots of us rebel and want to be an adult but still maintain a bit of the child we once were and still sort of are. Which leads me back to relocating and selling most of my furniture. There is a great feeling of freedom with this and in a sense, a clean slate is before me now. A childlike feeling like, “yeah who cares, it’s just stuff!” and I’m liking it. Sure, my home is a hot mess right now, I have bubble wrap and tape everywhere and watch out! because you just may stab yourself if you sit on anything because likely there’s a pair of scissors or knife waiting for you there. But this is fun (not the sitting on sharp objects part but the removal of stuff part) because it means out with the old and in with the new. “Yeah, baby, Yeahhhh!” – Austin Powers.
Which now brings me to the new. You know how you feel after you’ve done a detox cleanse? You eat the house, am I right? So I assume it will be the same as I start anew. I’ll be wanting everything to replace all that I left behind. I will need shelving for my new office, a wardrobe, and a slew of other things. I’ve started a little wish list and I’m liking some of these options at Car Moebel in Germany. They have excellent quality products and delivery, and their customer service is exceptional.
I love that they now carry some of the TineK Home line, one of my favorite furniture & interior accessories companies in the world (their website is heavenly, a glimpse from the TineK catalog can be seen in all of the above photos). Here are some other great finds from the Car Moebel collection.
Konsoltisch (console table) or in this case, a nice side table idea for the bed that doubles as a writing desk or a place to use your laptop.
Another great table with an antique finish. I can’t say I would own it, but I love the little window and how well this space is styled – I want to relax in a bathroom like this one.
Computerschrank (computer closet) Very practical for a dining area or living room though I prefer my computer on a standard desk. What about you, in a closet or out? No that’s not a personal question – he he.
Regal (shelf) – these are great and I love that you can order them in white. Perfect for my new office, maybe… Something for me to bookmark.
Lampenfuß (lamp base) and Lampenschirm (lamp shade) in black – love! I wish they sold that gray blouse and purse, it’s so cute. Scratch the shoes though, I’d fall on my butt and sprain something.
Kleiderschrank (clothes closet) – the chubby ball feet are the cutest (vs typical square legs).
Sitzmöbel/Bänke (I guess this is like a ottoman or footstool — something along these lines maybe? Sitzmöbel is like saying “sit furniture” in English, right? I’m still learning!). I love how fluffy this one is.
And finally, a really pretty and relaxing bedroom space with a high gloss white floor. I have the exact lamp on that little stool by the way, it’s in my living room here.
So yes, I’ll no doubt be returning to my wild ways once I land on new shopping turf with a few rooms worth of stuff missing. Then I will hit places like Car Moebel and flea markets and repeat the process of building a nest once again. Only this time I will make smarter purchases, try not to make impulse purchases (ok, who am I kidding?) and I’ll at least have all of you to vote in on my choices as I go. But for now, may the decorator’s cleanse begin!
(images: tinek home and car moebel)
The blogs are a buzz with sharing and chatting about the new IKEA PS collection for 2009. It’s funny to read all the opinions out there, some love IKEA, some discredit it as being for the college crowd only, and others don’t seem to have a set opinion — me, well I really love some of this stuff. I I mean look at their latest additions, what’s not to love?
I’d use the coffee table as a bench for displaying books and art in my office, the stool would be great for stacking towels in the bathroom, and the light would be gorgeous suspended over a circular wood table surrounded by these great chairs also shown above. The vase I’d use for a patio space, several in a row would look nice on a bench. You can even have some fun with this stuff and paint it, the stool would be cute if you decoupaged the top and painted each of the legs in a fun color, for instance. I can see that chair in black leaving the white part white with a black/white patterned cushion on the seat. Fun!
To me at least, IKEA is not just for the college crowd or for people who are broke or in need of some temporary furniture. Sure, some items aren’t made too well just like the stuff you’ll find at Target and other big box stores, but overall I’m very happy with the things I’ve purchased there throughout the years (I shopped IKEA before they came to the east coast, carting stuff over by place from England).
Truth is, I’ve purchased things from designer wares on down to thrift store finds, spending $500 on a single lamp to $20 for a flea market find and in the end I don’t always see price as a sign of quality or craftsmanship. Sad, but true.
What do you think about shopping IKEA and particularly, about this new collection?
(images from IKEA)
This rustic solid elm coffee table is gorgeous. I wrote about it today along with some other gorgeous deals over at Real Simple because I’ve had my eye on this particular table for a year now and nearly died when Shabby Chic slashed the price yesterday from $695 to $199. Problem is, I have since purchased another table so I have to pass on this beauty.
I love large coffee tables like this one because I enjoy sitting on cushions dining by candlelight or serving snacks to my friends – we’re big on fondue and sushi parties but also serve a lot of cheese, wine, bread, and olives around here and so a large surface is extremely helpful. I just slide over my decorative items and stacks of interiors books and there’s plenty of room to get down to business and eat!
I currently have a large wood table like this in Germany and I love it, it’s a prized piece in my flat because it’s not only a beautiful chunk of natural wood (adds great warmth near my crisp snow white slipcovered sofa), but it is highly functional because I use it daily for everything from eating to entertaining, card games, board games, even crafting and painting while I watch television. Don’t miss the other huge savings over at Shabby Chic online! Get them before they are gone for good! I’m hoping the Ella Bench goes on sale because it would be perfect for my home office.
(image by shabby chic)
Sashay, Tarjay! I feel like I’m talking about Target a lot this week which surprises me because I don’t think I mentioned them as much last year as I have this week. I don’t know, I didn’t find them that exciting in 2008. So far for 2009 things have changed and Target is suddenly back on my radar. I’m on the hunt for budget finds these days for the various assignments I have, the focus currently is on affordable finds. While I wouldn’t outfit my entire home with Target furniture, I like to mix things up from various sources and throw in a little vintage, I could easily see myself grabbing a few affordable pieces like these killer slipper chairs. A very special thanks to reader Kate who commented earlier today on these slipper chairs spotted over at Target (thanks, kate!). My, my, my how nice they are. Perfect for those shopping on a budget but looking for a chair with personality. These armless beauties are great for small spaces. Most shown below are $299 (or less), some have free shipping, and many are also an additional 15% off of that! For those living in tax-free states (like me), you can save even more. For wood and foam alone you’d pay that, forget the upholstery… so this is definitely a good deal for a chair.
Do you like any of these patterns? I feel like I’ve seen some of these prints before, a few look very John Robshaw or even Thomaspaul. What do you think? Do you own one? Do you have a photo of it in your space? I’ve never shopped Target for slipper chairs so by all means, school me.
(images from target)
I read about Home Decorators Collection this morning in the February issue of Real Simple magazine, have you heard of it before? News to me, I had to google them to learn more and found out that they’re a pretty good resource for furniture and accessories!
I could really have fun with the Noland Settee ($399) because first of all, I’d paint it either a bright color (like yellow) and reupholster the seat cushion with a fresh, modern print. It would look great painted navy blue or white with a red and white zigzag print on it – I’d love to put it in an entryway! Even a zebra print if painted red would be great. Fabrics shown from Rubie Green. You can cover a seat cushion like this in an afternoon with your trusty staple gun. Just don’t do what I did last time I used mine and stapled the center of my palm! Oh YAY. That felt amazing. So be careful with your tools ladies.
(image from home decorators collection)
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