This post begins as an ode to thrift stores.   Oh, how I missed them.  From the time that we found our new home and put in an offer until one mere week ago, I hadn’t allowed myself to step foot in one.   I figured it was just more stuff to move if I found something.  And I started getting twitchy.  Nervous.  Grabby.

I missed the hunt.

I missed the finds.

I missed the awesome 80’s slow-rock at Goodwill.  (Yes, I’m that weirdo who sings along with the mad tunes as I troll the aisles. …I mean, come on… it’s WILSON PHILLIPS!  Don’t tell me that you don’t pop into Goodwill strictly for a good WP fix.)

Anyways, I couldn’t wait to reestablish myself as Resident Thriftie of this establishment.   And NOW, I have some specific items in mind to find (which, despite my recent thrift store visits, I have not yet found.  So, it’s ON.)

For example, we decided to use Drex as a buffet in the dining area rather than our dresser in the bedroom…

(Please ignore the floor sliders under Drex… He ways a TON and I couldn’t get them out.   And also, I forgot they were there until I looked at this picture just now.  Go me.)

So anyways, now we need a new dresser for our bedroom.   I know, I know… If you read about the PROFOUND struggle that I overcame to find a mid-century dresser the first time around you think I’m crazy.  Well, I’ll have you know that I AM crazy.  It’s a sickness of the MCM variety.   I.just.cant.help.it.  I’m seriously craving another mid-century modern dresser to fill the dumping ground that is our bedroom.  Can’t you just see it??  …Isn’t it grand??  I’m hoping that the hunt is a little less taxing than last time and much quicker… I mean, poor Joey is living out of garbage bags.  Garbage bags, I tell ya!!   (In all fairness, I suggested that he use Drex in the bedroom until we found something else, to which he stated (and I quote) “I would rather live out of garbage bags than move that heavy {insert choice word here} again.”  So, really, maybe it’s not that big a deal (tohim).)

Now, let’s hop back to the dining area once again….

This space really excites me because it’s the one (and only) space that I know exactly what I want to do.  For example, the dining table will be painted white, then I’ll find a neutral, natural fiber rug (like jute or sisal) that’s large enough to accommodate the table and chairs.  We’re very lucky as Joey’s parents had these patterned Ikea chairs and gave them to us when they bought new ones.  Score.  Our Ikea Lack floating shelves will be hung above Drex and I plan to hang a pair of floaty white curtains alongside the picture window (with bamboo roman shades between them?? I’m trying to come up with a window covering option for night that doesn’t obscure the view during the day).

You can see that I’ve put zero effort into styling the built-ins.  Part of this was lack of time due to the many time-suck-must-do-tasks that have come up recently, the other part is that I want to paint the built-ins white before spending time making them pretty accessory-wise.

Getting back to my thrift store wish list, we’re also in search of a different media cabinet for the living space….

 

My cute little media unit from the last house didn’t work in here, so it’s in the foyer now.   It was just too small to be a media cabinet now that the TV rests above it.   We needed something larger to ground the TV.  You may recognize the cabinets that I revamped for the foyer of our last house standing in.   The TV stand between them was original to the set… I just need to paint it white if it stays.   I’m just not sold on it staying.  I’m on the hunt for some type of mid-century shelving unit or storage cabinet to replace it with, so that I can move these white cabinets to the atrium area of our bedroom.  So, I’m searching for something cool.  It might be a dresser.  It might be shelves.  It just depends on what I find.  It needs to be something relatively narrow, but wide enough to accomodate the equipment.   The world is my media-unit-oyster at this point.  So, we’ll see.

The rest of the living room currently looks like  this….

(Lucas, ‘er, Leonardo, requested a cameo… Icouldntresist.)

I haven’t officially hung any art yet.  I’ve just been leaning things against the walls to get an idea of where I want them.   As for window treatments, I’m kind of stuck on what to do for the sliders.   I tried hanging a pair of white curtains the other day and it just looked silly.  The fireplace is way too close to make curtain panels an option.   I took them down almost immediately.   I was thinking maybe bamboo roman shades hung high, but then the color is tricky as I don’t want them to compete with the fireplace. Hmmmm…. Only time will tell, I suppose.

And lastly, here is the wet bar as it is now…

 

I just accessorized a wee bit, though I’m still noodling with it.   As I mentioned in this post, this area will be completely transformed once we’re done with it.   Since there’s no lighting on this side of the room, I hung an inexpensive plug-in sconce from Ikea.    Because the side view of the mounting bracket wasn’t super attractive…

I simply wrapped it with a bit of burlap ribbon….

Problem solved.

So, that’s where we’re at with the living/dining space after 1.5 weeks of officially living here.  I still have a lot of work to do decor-wise, but at least we have our furniture in place and the spaces are functional for the most part.  Our spare room is currently stacked with boxes of decor that are just screaming to be unpacked.  You seriously can’t walk in there right now.   I’ll get to it soon enough, I’m sure.  And, of course, I’ll update ya’ll as we go.

So, does anybody have any window treatment suggestions for slider doors??  Any words of wisdom?