Old chair, new chair

Sorry I haven’t written lately.  Between the beach and trivia and work, I haven’t accomplished much to report.  I’m still in the unpacking phase, so until I get that completely out of the way, the painting will not commence.

One thing I can report is the sad fact that I have to buy two new chairs for the living room.  I was counting on being able to use two green chairs from my grandparents’ house for my living room, maybe getting them recovered one day down the road.  In my mind they were in good enough condition to use in the meantime one way or the other.

When I moved them in, though, I realized that I was sadly mistaken.  Not only was the upholstery stained and shredded by the claws of my grandfather’s cat B.G., the springs and the “guts” of the chairs had long since given out.  To have them rebound and reupholstered would have cost more than buying new chairs, according to my mom, so the decision was made to get some new ones.

Luckily for me, Malouf Furniture just so happened to be having a mega double blowout bargain basement rock bottom prices sale of the century with twelve months no interest, and while shopping there, I spied a retro-modern style chair that I liked.  After going back and forth on the fabric, I decided to wait until the new swatches come in to custom order the perfect pair for my living room.

The pictures above show the old green chairs I currently have and the new sweeping armchair that I intend to purchase.  They are very similar to a chair I like from West Elm, but much less expensive.

What was that sound, you ask?  It was the sound of more money leaving my wallet.

Oak, meet Special Walnut

The only thing standing in the way of me moving into my new home is the hardwood floors.  Victor is working hard to get them done by Thursday, but from what I understand, it is a ten step process. Victor’s motto when working on hardwood floors is that when the job is done, the floors will be “furniture that you walk on.”  I really appreciate the pride he takes in his work.

I went by the house today at lunch and got my first glimpse of the floors with the stain.  It really looks great!  We tested three Minwax colors: Provincial, Special Walnut, and Dark Walnut.  The Dark was too dark, the Provincial was too red, and Special turned out to be the perfect compromise between the two.  I think you’ll agree that it is an improvement over the original, slightly orange, finish.

Tonight, he screens the floors and starts the polyurethane application process!

Family, friends, and floors

I have the best family and friends.  And the best hardwood floors! On Wednesday night, my mom, Melissa Tribble, and I ripped out all the carpet and pad in the house to reveal some of the most beautiful hardwood floors I’ve ever seen.  Mom says they are white oak, but all I know is that they were well preserved under all that carpet.

Melissa and I came back after dinner and began pulling up the staples and tack strips that kept the carpet down.  We were able to finish the master bedroom and the hallway.  I have contracted with Victor Stokes to screen the floors, fill the holes, and re-seal them once Dave is done with his construction work.

The photos above show mom with a piece of carpet pad in her hand in the living room, as well as the floors that were hidden underneath the carpet in the master bedroom.  These are the floors even before they were swept and mopped, much less refinished, so you can get a sense of the condition they are in.

A big thanks to mom and Melissa for their help with the floors.  I have a feeling that before this house project is over with, I will be indebted to many, many more people than just the two of them!