Livin' Large.

Today, I am dissembling the living room. Painting this room has been on my todo list for many years. It really wasn't bad, so kept getting shoveled aside for the more pressing items on the list. When we moved here, the house was very early 1800's. I mean, it was built then, and when the K.'s restored it, they were faithful to the era. Lots of dark red, mustard gold, and chalky blue. I am partial to light. Sun, reflected light, windows, there is nary a curtain in this house; the need for privacy already addressed by 1400 acres of soybeans. So, I painted, lightened, whitened, brightened.

Slavish devotion to light demo'ed in my sunroom addition

But the living room, part of the original structure, was a sort of flat white, aged to oncewhite, with trim in a nice green-grey color. Pretty acceptable and neutral. Now, it has been close 30 years since it's last spiff- which coincided with the deportation of the raccoons, cows and Rush devotees. It is time.

I couldn't ask for better structure; 10' ceilings, wide board wood floors- so original, there is bark between each plank. Four deep set windows, and wood plank ceiling, embedded chair rail and transom topped front door- the room is beautiful. So, I have taken out the furniture and rugs, leaving a piece or two that I will ask for assistance to move so as not to groove the floors any further. And I will paint. White and bright. Then comes the part that has me wondering. See, I do love to decorate my home, but I am what one could call, thrifty. My furnishing choices are an amalgam of sorts. I pulled out a glass front secretary, made by an ancestor, has always been in the family and is full of pottery bits the kids have created and ancient books, several of which were rescued out of the middle of the road in front of my farmhouse in Clayton North Carolina, no doubt bound for the dump. I moved a sideboard picked up for $30 on a tip from another dumpster diving friend at the Salvation Army in the Columbus projects. A dresser of sorts, in a wonderful lurid blue-green from the back of my Gram's sagging garage, the feet of which are bolted on 2x4s. Two matching one-armed dainty couches, covered in gold brocade in 1953 for JC Reynolds; my Mimi and Grandpa's treasured living room furniture, slipcovered by me in heavy white cotton duck with muslin ruffle and blue ticking cushions . A chest forgotten in Mimi's attic as a coffee table, filled with the kids games- a house without closets is always a challenge. My spinning wheel and quilting frame- reasons to sit.  A gorgeous Bokhara Rug, castoff from my Mum, bless her, as well as an antique sheriff's gun cabinet- also a discard from my Mom, housing what passes for electronica in our house. The "chicken chair"- a $5 yard sale challenge from a friend who thought it hideous, and we made a bet that in 24 hours she would want to buy it from me.  A dutch hall mirror off ebay, a heavy gold antique mirror from a yard sale, I have to say not a new thing to be found anywhere. In fact, the couches from 1953 are probably the shiniest penny in the bunch, and my financial commitment in the room totals probably less than $200. But, that is how I've always done things, and I like my house rather well. I suppose I should point out that there is some new things in the room, like the enamel Jotul woodstove we put into the fireplace (when we moved in, the fireplace had snow in it- a 36" flue with no liner, etc. I could look up the chimney and see the stars). And one winter in the house convinced us to have new windows made, with double panes for a bit of insulation.

The room playing host at my eldest's Greek Birthday Party.

Still, I'm wondering if I can bring myself to fill the newly painted room with my previous mishmash. A bit like Cinderella going to the ball in the dress the mice and birds pieced together. Would I do something so unheard of as to buy a piece of new furniture? Or, my more common solution- move around the bits and pieces already in the house to create a fresher mashmish.? I guess we'll have to see.....

<>

From the front door.