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Designing Woman
It all began
when Steve and I saw the studio apartment that would be Mom’s
home. We had already been concerned that she would feel that it
was too small after having lived in an apartment. So when we saw
a studio that belonged to a lady who liked stuff — there were
things crammed in every corner and all of it on doilies — we
gave each other a glance that said, “Oh God. This is definitely
a bad idea.”
Mary, who had
been showing us around, caught the glance and quickly said, “Let
me see if I can get you into another apartment that’s a little
less, um, cluttered.”
Luckily she
did, because this lady had a good sense of what should be
included in a living space. We heaved a sigh of relief when we
saw that Mom could definitely be comfortable living there.
Mary gave us a
floor plan so we could begin planning the space. My mom and I
are so much alike. Neither one of us can stand clutter. We
prefer clean lines and room to breathe. Steve and I set out to
create an apartment that would have everything she would need,
including empty space. Large furniture was out of the question.
We needed scaled down pieces that would fit a compact space. It
reminded me so much of when we moved into our first apartment
after we were married.
We had all the
basics: a small bedroom and living room with a kitchen so tiny
that you had to leave if you wanted to change your mind. We both
liked colonial-style furniture so we hunted for weeks through
stores that equated colonial with huge, until we found one store
that sold furniture that would fit our apartment. We spent weeks
measuring and poring over their showroom until we designed the
perfect place. Here we were, doing the same thing again. We both
loved the challenge. It was like finding all the puzzle pieces
and piecing them together till they fit.
We visited
furniture stores, looked through catalogues, drew lines on our
floor plan, erased them and drew others. Finally we saw that
IKEA was the store that had what we needed so we toured it again
and again, matching all the pieces together. And then we
returned to Mom’s place with Mariel as a third pair of eyes.
The three of
us spent hours measuring, discussing, imagining. It was all
coming together pretty well except for one desk so we trekked
back to the store. The twentieth time was the charm. We finally
found it so we bought it all and had it shipped. But the hardest
part was yet to come. Steve had to put it all together. I was
useless at that task so, shopper extraordinaire that I am, my
job was to shop.
It’s been over
30 years since I completely furnished a home, and let me tell
you it’s a blast. Since I’m constantly looking at my house
wishing that I could redesign it from scratch, being able to do
it for my mom was the next best thing. And the pleasure of it
all is that it feels like a gift that I’m offering her. I hope
she has as much fun living with it as I had designing it.
Since we
furnished our first home, my tastes have changed. I’ve come to
appreciate the clean lines of modern and Shaker furniture. My
color tastes have changed as well. Whereas my entire house is a
sketch in rose and French blue, I’ve come to love a brighter
palette of lime greens, soft yellows and even pale oranges and
blues. Luckily for me, I was shopping for Mom in the spring and
those were the colors the stores were featuring.
You tend to
forget all the things you need when you’re setting up a home.
Steve and I made a list and taped it to the refrigerator so we
could add to it whenever we thought of something else. The big
things are easy, but it’s the little ones that drive you crazy.
The cutting boards, teakettles, bread knives and can openers.
And what about dishtowels and a dish rack, a potato peeler and a
cutlery tray? Our list ballooned and the few weekends that I had
envisioned steadily grew to take over a couple of months. It’s
amazing the silly things you can’t find no matter where you
look. My current nemesis is a napkin holder. Steve is a firm
believer in buying online, but I refuse to pay shipping costs
for a napkin holder!
Last Saturday
I started out at 10 and drooped home at 4. Steve took one look
at me — and the packed car — and shook his head. I just looked
at him and said the words I never thought I would hear myself
say, “Shatz, I am completely shopped out! I couldn’t buy another
thing!”
But it’s been
fun and so very satisfying. Mom’s place is airy, roomy, colorful
and welcoming. Steve and I should start a company designing
small spaces on a budget. And it will all be worth it just to
see Mom’s face when she sees her new home. And if she doesn’t
like it, well, I’ve rested up — I could force myself to go
shopping again!
June 24, 2010
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