I LOVE the blue of the dresser. We have that colour going through our own home, so I'm a bit biased! Storage drawers come in handy, and it matches the pillow. I vote yes on the dresser.

Thanks Angie! You’ve moved often enough, and have lived in small enough spaces, that you get why I really want to have it all done. Having 3 rooms means if one is a wreck, there’s no getting away from it. No kitchen table yet means no place to sit and eat. And so on. That blue is gorgeous on you, so I can see you surrounding yourself with it as well.

This is my first concerted effort at secondhand shopping. The unpredictability is beginning to get to me. I might throw in a new pillow too. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/b.....-30534077/

Pretty dresser! How is it constructed?

The blue dresser, wicker chair, and metal bed would certainly give your bedroom a different look from the office (or whatever room has the new desk and sewing table.) Would you be able to see one from the other? And, if so, would the juxtaposition of natural wood and painted wood bother you? I think it's fine to have dramatically different looks in each room, if that's what you want. My main hesitation would be that you'd mentioned that other items are a priority.

Agree that the table looks a bit small. I think you can do better.

Thanks for the help thinking this through!

The joints on the drawer are the nice kind that I forget the name of. But I think that gets overridden by the price of the dresser, the growing expense of this trip, and those priorities.
Instead of staying in Tampa and spending $100 a night on hotels, I’m now a couple hours down the coast at my parents’ between Fort Myers and Naples. I’ll check out what’s available in those places, and if I don’t get at least the couch and a wicker chair, then I’ll stop at places in Tampa on my way North in a couple days, but I’d like to just pay for one more hotel night this trip.

I like the ombré effect on the dresser and the color, might try doing that myself to a dresser bought inexpensively where I’m living.

The dresser is a beautiful blue. Are they dovetail joints?

Style fan, yes! Now that I’m rested, “dovetail” comes to me easily. I wonder if it’d be too cheeky for me to call him up and ask the name of the paint color on the dresser I’m not buying. I’ll tell him I’ve already left the area but keep thinking of it.

Whilst I obviously can't be of much help with FL shopping destinations, just wanted to applaud how quickly you're getting this all done - meanwhile we spent just over a month in our new flat with only a bed & table (before even buying any chairs), lol!

Thanks Zaoebi! I appreciate the encouragement, and letting me know somebody’s there. Two weeks of just a mattress on the floor and some chairs borrowed from a neighbor were enough for me! I have to smile at your choice of essentials—German common law marriage centuries ago was defined as “Bett und Tisch teilen” (share bed and table). I always thought that phrase, with all the suggestions of life those items bring, was poetically sweet.

The question of using style and color to differentiate spaces or unify them is interesting. I suspect the difference lies in the size of the home. If this was a design blog, I’d start a new thread about that.

Did he do the painting and distressing on the dresser himself? You could pick up one of the similar colours from the pillow and use that. There are YouTube videos on how to finish a dresser like that. I did things like that years ago - pre-YouTube.
I don't know how much you know about doing stuff like that. I would take fabric to the paint store, and they would match the paint for me.

Style Fan, i haven’t done exactly this, but am not intimidated. I think the trickiest parts will be the gentle fading color and the hardware. If the ombré is too difficult, I might just paint each drawer front a slightly lighter shade than the one before. I see he painted over the hardware as part of the “shabby chic” look, but my apartment has enough t painted-over hardware, tyvm. I plan to use that gold but if trim on the curtain stays, so will match dresser hardware to it. Do you think I’m underestimating the skill level required?

I don't know if it would be difficult for you. Are you going to watch some YouTube videos or just go for it and make it up as you go along?

I’ll watch some videos on doing the ombré, of course, but figure I’ll also ask the dude his advice when I call to ask the paint color.

The dresser and pillow are a great combination. Lovely colors.

I vote keep looking for the kitchen table — that table is not made for dining and will likely drive you crazy with its small space and lack of leg room.

I finally got around to watching the Bunny Williams video. Love the emphasis on how the land connects to the building connects to people’s lives. I’m a human geographer, so social-spatial connections are what I’m all about. My neighborhood was laid out by Frederik Law Olmstead and my building is a harmonious part of it. Being able to completely redo spaces the way she describes sounds so fun, and I know well that feeling of living someplace a couple years, getting to know it, and ideas for how to move these walls, add on over here, etc form in your mind. I don’t have the 7 months she mentions to completely furnish a place—I might only be here for a year! Had to smile at her trepidation about whether her then-fiancé would like her space. I want this place to be very much “me” to support who I am, be built around and reflect who I am, so I can be happy doing my thing *and* I really hope that being in it will be a way the dude gets to know me (& that he likes it, of course). Her emphasis on entrance halls gave me a little twinge—I don’t have one! There is a great little entry in the back that I think will be a very sweet mudroom, but the front door opens directly onto the living room, and the way it’s laid out, the tv will likely be straight in front of the door. Oy vey! I’m rambling now—video gave me lots of thoughts. Thanks for the link, April.

Janet, thanks for commenting. I cannot picture what kind of table I want, and am hardly seeing any little ones down here. You’re probably very right about the leg room on the other. I have a set I got from Target 7 or 8 years ago that I think I’m just going to use until I have a better idea.

Today’s assignment: a COUCH

The living room is shaping up.

It is not a simple room. There are two walls across from each other that have French doors, one to the porch and one to the den/study/library/rest of the house. The front door is in the corner of a side wall adjacent to the library doors. The approx 7’ next to it is the biggest blank wall space in the room. The wall across from the door has the fireplace in the middle of it, and a window in the corner near the porch doors (diagonal from the front door).

Here’s the plan. If you see a way to improve it, please say so. The L-shaped couch will go next to the front door, wrapping around to the wall next to the porch doors. The tv will go on a diagonal/corner stand diagonally across the room from the couch, which puts it right straight across from the door. My sweet new little chair will go in the corner with the window, diagonally from the front door.

It doesn’t look like I’m going to find the couch I want secondhand, so all the lower priority stuff is being put off so I can get a new couch. That includes all the bedroom furniture. Any fun to be had on bedroom furniture will need to be transferred to the couch.

Or I might put off the couch & get everything else—fridge, pantry shelves, bedroom furniture, tv, porch swing—for less $$$

Option 3 would be a couch from Wayfair that fits in the budget. I’m leery though, of the difficulty of returning it if it isn’t comfy.

Option 4: order now, pay later.

So maybe no bedroom furniture this month, but I do have fabric for the curtains. The gold band will go on the tie-backs.

Still thinking about the couch. I want it to have a chaise (best if it can go on either side) & a pop-up bed in light grey, sea foam green, or blue. I prefer a little styling, not a chaise that looks like they flopped a mattress down there.

Wayfair has some for under $700, but there’s no way to try before you buy.

This is the Serta dream sleeper Layla https://www.worldmarket.com/pr.....38;from=fn I want it in a lighter color, wonder if other stores carry it.

West Elm has this for $1k https://www.westelm.com/produc.....nal-h8984/
And several for over twice the price
https://www.westelm.com/produc.....%20sofa~47
https://www.westelm.com/produc.....%20sofa~47
https://www.westelm.com/produc.....%20sofa~47
Why do they all start with “H”? How different are they all?

Pottery Barn’s start with “C”. Again, the difference in quality is hard to find online.
https://www.potterybarn.com/m/.....iving-room has 3 different arm styles.
https://www.potterybarn.com/m/.....iving-room

Suddenly, they’re all over. I’ve never heard of this place
https://www.abbyson.com/produc.....WsQAvD_BwE
Home Depot has 43 versions!
https://www.homedepot.com/pep/.....lsrc=aw.ds

Any words of wisdom, particularly from familiarity with these couches, with couches elsewhere that meet my criteria, or with couch-buying in general, would be appreciated! I don’t want to spend “extra” money just ‘cause, but I do want a comfortable piece of furniture. If you can add to this advice, please do. https://www.apartmenttherapy.c.....a-36809606

Good luck! I have no practical advice, since I've always had living rooms that would be overwhelmed by sectionals with a chaise. Have you had any success locating a used/free couch near your new place? If you might only be there for a year, buying a new one seems like a lot of extra expense.

ETA- Oops, yes you answered that. Second-hand is not likely. I think I'd opt for the ones you can check out in-person, so you can gauge comfort and quality yourself.

I am REALLY sick of my things being spread thither & yon. Sure, it’s fun to retrieve a cache of clothing from here or there, but it’s a pita to realize that the thing I’m reaching for is elsewhere, and I miss my books. I don’t buy duplicates of what’s in another place, but then I don’t have what I need.

I might only be here for a year. The next place I live won’t be an exact duplicate, and my sartorial needs will change as well, but I really want to get it all together here, so I have a functioning, cohesive home and wardrobe. I’ll make changes as necessary, but I’m old enough to have the central thing established.

I think it’s really important to actually sit on a sofa before buying it. I am a fan of sofas from Ethan Allen and American Leather. They are made in the U.S., and are really solid. You can actually sit on them in stores to see how they feel. The American Leather has the best sleeper arrangement I have seen. We have moved to only buying leather, as it looks better with a patina, rather than worse. We have also had an indestructible leather library chair from Pottery Barn, but found their sofas too squishy. We first tried out less expensive sofas in various stores ranging from IKEA on up, but found most of them really squishy. And if you go too far down market, you may get to the ones with stinky out gassing foam. I would take your time and find something you really like for the sofa since it’s your largest purchase after your bed, and if you do it right, you won’t need to spend like that again for many years.

Cat2, that’s a very good point. I had to gear up for the run down here, because I didn’t have that much time and a lot of consignment, thrift, and decorator shops to hit. Now that that part’s over, I need to downshift and move more methodically. Btw, did you see that my little $22.50 occasional chair is Ethan Allen?

What a fun find! Their upholstered items are all made here. Their old case goods were as well, but at some point they moved some production to Malaysia and the quality dropped.

If you don’t want to spend a ton of money, I recommend lazy boy. Most cities in the US will have a store nearby. And if it matters to you, I believe that most, if not all of the production is done in the US, so less shipping/ smaller carbon footprint. They also offer free design services so if you wanted an expert opinion on size/shape for your space they can help.

Thanks! I’m hearing bad things about delivery times for PB & WE, so appreciate suggestions of better places to look

Z, i hope you’re still reading, because I just DM’ed you

Starting to unpack those boxes, I see that I can deprioritize the throw pillow case sewing project! The middle row is recent acquisitions. The second picture is one of the 2 placemats I’d planned to make into a pillow.

I had to smile looking at you first picture - even in the home decor we are complete opposites. I have 4 throw pillows total in my 3 bedroom house

Irina, that’s too funny.
I never would describe myself as a throw pillow queen. But then again, before ylf and thinking about my wardrobe, I would have said I don’t wear pink, or flowers

I know that sectionals and chaises on end are very popular, but they are very room- specific Re: measurements, usually pretty large, & therefore limiting— and a big investment. A lot are not comfortable.
I’d look more for a not- huge sofa— ~ 84”, 3 cushion if you can find it, and use sofa- chair groupings & inexpensive ottoman type pieces for feet, extra table space. That’s’ just me though based on previous moving around the country AND furniture shopping and having family members who bought furniture online and often could not return anything. .

If you can visit some more consignment- type stores you might find a sofa. It is hard to achieve a tight color palette but hopefully something would turn up.