On Halloween, another conversation took place, as we watched the replay of Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity on Comedy Central.
Annie: John, you will pick every last one of those Nerds out of that sofa. Do you hear me?
John: (Digging.) Hmph.
A: Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you.
J: (Swallowing Nerds. Those that didn’t fall into the sofa, that is.) Tell me what?
A: I solved the loveseat crisis.
J: Crisis? Was it a crisis?
A: Yes, John, as a matter of fact, it was. Is.
J: Well, I’m glad you solved it, then.
A:
J: Ok, ok. HOW did you solve it?
A: So glad you asked. If you recall, I was considering a number of pink and white fabrics for the loveseat.
But then, of course, we’d have to reupholster that AND those darn chairs.
But then I thought, well, what if I could reupholster the loveseat in a fabric that WORKED WITH those darn chairs? So that I didn’t have to reupholster them? Play up the earthy tones?
Except that earthy tones make me sad. And the fabric I liked was really expensive. And I just thought everything would get too matchy-matchy.
Even though, let’s face it, the room could use some matchiness…John, are you listening?
J: Hm? Yes. Yes, I am.
A: Fab. So I happened to wander into Mitchell Gold, which was having a great furniture sale. And there it was. The Mona sofette.
If I ordered it in one of their velvets, it would be much less expensive than reupholstering our loveseat.
J: How much less?
A: Well, ok. Our loveseat would have needed 15 yards of fabric. Let’s say I found some for $30 a yard (unlikely, by the way, for a cool pattern that would pull everything together). That’s $450. The labor to do the upholstery would have been about $800. And then some of the cushions – maybe all of them – needed to be replaced. Thanks to the cat. So maybe another $200?
J: Around $1450 to reupholster the loveseat, in other words.
A: Yes. Around that.
J: And the Mona sofette is…
A: In one of the velvets, on sale, and with a trade discount, about $850! Isn’t that awesome?
J:
A: And there’s a very pretty color – I might not have thought of it myself – but it’s sort of a medium brown with some green in it. It’s called Moss.
Granted, it’s a little earthy, but it doesn’t bum me out like the earthy patterns do. And it will balance out those darn chairs! The living room will be FINISHED!
J: I believe I’ve heard that before.
A: Yes, but this time I mean it! And this is so much less expensive than reupholstering ONE piece, let alone three.
J:
A: Plus I already ordered it.
J:
A: The subject is closed. I’m sick of thinking about this. And even more sick of talking about it.
J:
A: As, I’m sure, are you.
J:
A: Happy Halloween?
J: Yeah, yeah.
A:
J: Happy Halloween to you, too.
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. Look for her in the November 2010 issue of Real Simple.