Harmony's Nook

Sometimes we own furniture that we don’t just think of as a…ummm…a table for example. We don’t just think of said table as a functional piece. We think of it as the table we fell in love at, or the table where we served that unforgettable Thanksgiving at, the one we laughed at, cried at, completed jigsaw puzzles with a sibling at, etc. The item stops being a piece of furniture and becomes a testament to our youth, our success, our life.

I certainly don’t feel this way about every piece of furniture I’ve ever owned, I’m not COMPLETELY crazy, but there are a couple of special pieces that do tug at my heart strings. I parted with a vanity that meant a lot to me about a year and a half ago. This year I decided to sell my vintage stainless steel medical cabinet. I have been waxing poetic about this gorgeous piece of furniture since the moment I set eyes on it.

When I was in the Navy I was responsible for doing a lot of inventory. One day I was inventorying a warehouse that was full of items that were going to be sent to auction. That’s when I laid my eyes on my gorgeous cabinet and it’s sister, a stainless steel hutch. I HAD TO HAVE THEM! After a month of negotiating, greasing some wheels, and calling in some favors…they were mine for free! It was arranged that they would be “thrown out” and I would “just happen to drive by” with a pick up truck and two beefy Navy men and collect them. The plan went effortlessly and I had my first items of adult furniture. I didn’t own a bed yet, or a couch, but I had two vintage stainless steel medical cabinets by golly!

Everyone thought I was crazy and continued to think so when I wouldn’t part with them when I went overseas ( I put them in storage instead), I wouldn’t part with them when I moved across the country, I wouldn’t part with them when offered huge amounts of cash for them. My mother especially has thought that I’ve been nuts and is rejoicing that as of two days ago I sold one of the cabinets on Ebay.

I was very sad at first. I have such amazing memories and associations with this piece of furniture. I was young when I got it. I had it when I fell in love for the first time. I had it in 1999. We won’t speak of 1999. What a horrible year. I imagined using this piece at my “grown up” home. I also dreamed of re-purposing it to use as kitchen cabinets or an installation in the wall.

These are the hardest things to give away, the things you treasure. But I think it’s also the most rewarding. There is of course the monetary profit I made, but besides that, giving it up is very freeing. It made me feel light. It makes the stainless steel hutch that I still have more special. I get to pass it on to someone else who will hopefully love it as much as I do. I won’t have TOO MUCH furniture in my new place. And if the day comes where I absolutely have to have it back and I can afford it, I’ll buy another one.

The lesson is:Don’t be afraid to get rid of things even if you treasure them! They are just THINGS after all. Memories last forever and will with or without the stuff you associate them with!

So like I told you HERE and then HERE…once again our move date has been moved. It is now August 15th. The good news is that the inspection has passed, they started dry-walling yesterday, and they’re giving us half of the month of August free because of all the hassle. I feel like all I’ve done is complain and talk about this apartment lately, so instead….you can hear it from my roommate Eric. Eric take it away:

So we finally have a set move date! At first we were supposed to move June 1st (and lost that apartment to another couple), then this apartment (which is being built) was supposed to be finished and ready by July 1st. Well, our leasing agent contacted us and told us that we couldn’t move in until August 1st – which was extremely frustrating because we had already started the packing process! When we went in mid-July to see the apartment, all the plumbing and electrical wires were installed, but they had to wait for their final inspection before they could close up the walls, and that hadn’t happened yet. SIGH. So, he called us the other day and let us know that they passed their final inspection (yay!) and they have started the drywalling. SO, our new move date is August 15th, absolutely, for-sure. Huzzah!! The apartment is so beautiful (we saw other, completed units when we signed onto it) and is going to allow me to emulate my dream bedroom! We have exposed brick, European-style cabinets, a dishwasher, laundry in-unit, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedroom, and an office. I can finally have my own office!

Anyway, here’s the colors we picked (will be with exposed-brick accent walls):

(Office, Living Room, My Bedroom, Harmony’s Bedroom)

I’m also going to do a Marilyn Monroe themed bathroom, with my Vanity Fair collector’s edition framed!

This is the kind of feel I want my new living room to have. Light, Airy, Comfortable, Welcoming, Interesting, Beautiful, and Peaceful.

This is the kind of room that makes any unpleasant task that much easier. This is the the kind of room that you actually enjoy cleaning. This is the kind of room that makes heartache easier, sicknesses seem less dire. It might even make uncomfortable situations less uncomfortable.

It might make calling your leasing agent and getting some real answers a little less annoying. (Now this is COMPLETELY hypothetical)

Actually, I don’t know if this room would do it.

Ahhhhhh that’s better. I could call anyone from here. Annoying leasing agents, inspectors, contractors. BRING IT ON!

If you are completely confused as to what this post is about, first join the club, then read about it HERE.

*Both photos are from a profile of a gorgeous home on the blog Desire to Inspire. Check it out!

Well we went for a walk-through of the apartment yesterday. The purpose was to sign the lease, drop of the paint for the contractors, measure for furniture, and honestly to see how far the progress had come on the construction.

We walked in and there are no walls yet. Sigh. The electrical wiring is done, the plumbing is done, the wood floors are laid, the bracing for the walls are up, but that is it. Supposedly they are still waiting for the inspectors before they’re allowed to drywall. Has anyone else gone through this with a new construction? This is the same excuse they gave us for pushing our move date from July 1st to August 1st. Now I know inspectors, and contractors to some extent, kind of do whatever the heck they want, but an entire MONTH has passed with little progress. Can they really just come whenever they want? It sounds so bizarre to me.

I’m trying not to think the worst…that they’ve run out of money or something, but it really seems like they are using every stalling technique they can think of. Also he had the lease there for us to sign, but it WASN’T signed by the owner! So what good does that do us? He said that he’d get it signed and then give it to us. Why didn’t he have it signed when we showed up? Is this common practice? I’m trying really hard not to think anything shady is going on. Hopefully it’s just incompetence and poor planning and not anything worse.

Honestly, I’m just excited for the day that I don’t have to deal with this leasing agent any longer. The good news is that the bones of the apartment are gorgeous. I see the hook-ups for everything that was promised such as washer/dryer…etc. There is plenty of light which was a concern for me since it’s technically a garden unit. Also, all the furniture I had planned on keeping fits! So if we can just get this mythical inspector beast to approve the damn apartment we’ll be in the clear. I’m tempted to have them give ME the inspector’s phone number. I would make sure it was inspected…you KNOW I would. I’d give him/her a little of the “New York shuffle.” That’s what my dad calls it when him or I get involved in problem solving and get EXACTLY what we want where others have failed. We’re both a little hot-headed. Anyway, my  roommate told the agent that we’re moving in August 1st, walls or no walls. So please cross your fingers for me that I’ll have walls!

Thanks much,

Harmony