Style Cure Day 12, 13, & 14: Shop, DIY, and Layout

Well, we had quite a weekend loading and unloading, driving back and forth between three districts of Seattle. I finally picked up the leftovers from my room at the old house -- and found a (temporary) new home for my beloved trundle in the same day! With the deep cleaning and roommate goodbyes behind me, I finally feel like I'm really starting fresh. J and I still need to bring my desk over, but we're finally getting to the light at the end of the tunnel.

Now that I've gotten to spend some quality time with the living room, the color palette is starting to take shape in my head. I managed to match the wall color to a Benjamin Moore shade: "Palace White":

Off the computer screen, it has a slightly warmer tone.... Something similar to the flower petals in this picture. (Thank you, Design Seeds.)

Going off the colors of what's definitely going to be in here -- shelves, walls, flooring, and rug -- I think we're looking at something like this for a color palette:

I'm delighted at how cozy some of these colors sound.

So, going back to my earlier list, I've made a few cuts and additions:

To Purchase:
-1 bookshelf, probably black, probably from Ikea; shorter than J wanted, perhaps, but loooong, to fill up northern wall space
-1 mini end table for futon; hopefully vintage & funky
-entry mat; something with "Fireweed," "Bracing Blue," or "Rosemary," perhaps
-curtains (3 for living room)
           *Thrift Find: 2 secondhand Target Home brand long curtains in "Studio Taupe" shade
-1 futon cover; will likely order online -- "Firewood" or "Bracing Blue" to pick up entry/oriental rug hues
-2 or 3 throw pillows; I think these will be my DIY -- that way I can be exact in my color choice. I can't start this very easily without my sewing machine, so that'll have to wait another week or so. By then I should have a firm idea of what hues will work best.

There are, of course, a variety of other odds and ends I need to pick up today as J and I traverse the thrifting fields. Value Village, The Salvation Army, Goodwill Outlet, local antique stores... I just can't wait to do what I love best: shop on the cheap! God as my witness, I will resist Ikea as long as possible. I certainly feel the temptation to buy new, but underneath it all my true feelings align with Phoebe's. It's more interesting when there's a history behind it.

J surprised me yesterday by unpacking the majority of our items -- including hanging up what he thought was the entirety of my wardrobe (oh, honey...) in our closet, setting up most of the kitchen (he's claimed this as his project, and I've happily stepped aside), and positioning the futon in the place we agreed it fit best. I was glad for it: after playing around with full-sized furniture by myself all afternoon yesterday, I've decided I like the floor planing part much better. So I guess layout is pretty taken care of!

I'll get some pictures up as soon as I can. Internet doesn't come to our place for another week, so I've had to make do with coffee shop and lunch break cramming to keep updated.

More soon!