It all started with a grey sofa and a
move. We own two two-units in small cities right next to each other.
About 3 years ago we moved from one to the other so our daughter
could go to an alternative public school in the neighboring city. Our
living space went from 1800 to 1200 square feet, which meant I had to
get rid of a lot of furniture. It was probably a good thing to be
forced to sell; I had inherited some of my mother's furniture, none
of which was really my style, and that might have been the only way
for me to part with it. Along with her furniture, I sold our living
room sofa and matching club chair: ugly, over-sized late 1990's style
pieces in eggplant velvet. To the chagrin of my husband and daughter
who apparently LOVED them. I admit they were super comfortable, but I
was ready to leave them behind. They represented a younger me, one
that had no sense of her own style. I had my heart set on a simple,
sophisticated grey sofa with clean lines, small enough for our new
living room. I had never sat on it, but I couldn't imagine regretting
my purchase. I didn't. I loved/love it. Here's a photo – slightly
worse for the wear after three years – but still absolutely lovely
imho.
After doing some basic renovation in
the duplex, we had no money to purchase additional furniture. I made
do with what I had... my parents' old Victrola, a beautiful mahogany
piece in near perfect shape, and also my much-loved TV cabinet.
Here's the Victrola recently repaired by my husband and playing one
of my parents' old big band records..
After a few rearrangements of the
furniture, I came to love my new living room. It was full of
cheap, or free, items, and it was small, but the style felt right: clean lines, warm
wood tones, subtle colors, and a slightly retro feel. I was soon to
discover that my beloved sofa (and a table and chairs I'll share with
you another time) fit right in with Scandinavian and Mid-Century
Modern interior design. Here is a photo of the room.
I don't recall how I stumbled onto one
of my favorite blogs... My Scandinavian Home...but it was pretty much
love at first sight. My gateway blog. I found myself going to the
blog daily, looking forward to it, and saving image after image on my
phone or computer. And then expanding to other design blogs. (I can't
wait to share my favorites with you in future posts.) I never
considered myself a creative person, but I started dreaming about how
I would redecorate when I moved back to my former home, a Victorian
with high ceilings and large windows. On Clemons St.
In the middle of all this, I realized I
wanted to educate myself about Scandinavian, as well as mid-century
modern, design. And design principles in general. What better way to
share my new-found interest than write about it in a blog? A friend
of my commented when I told her my plan, “I love it when people
make a teaching opportunity out of their own learning.” I wouldn't
call it teaching, just sharing what I find interesting and hoping you enjoy tagging along. So here I am, blog post #1. And then in about 9
months, when I move back to my Victorian on Clemons and renovate and
redecorate, I'll tell you that story too. Welcome!
