My Parlour

A person likes to think they have some style.  It's time for Mitch and me to face some facts and realize we have no sense of style when it comes to furnishing our home.  Mainly it's because we have never actually bought furniture, but have inherited almost every piece we have in our house.  The only things we've actually bought were the crappy, ugly stools I have next to our island that I got from Shopko ten years ago, and the two bachelor-pad leather recliners Mitch found on Craig's List that are actually very comfortable, but kind of ugly and they tend to make a person's nether-regions get a bit sweaty.  (I don't think they are leather so much as they are vinyl.)

Recently I inherited some of my grandmother's furniture.  How could I say no to a free sofa that is way nicer and more "quality" than anything I'd ever shell money out for?  The couch I had in my living room was one I got from my parents when they moved and I loved it, but it was getting worn and ratty.  I took my grandma's nice couch, even though I wasn't crazy about the floral, slightly shiny, super fancy upholstery, and I also took a love seat that she had in her house for ever and ever that I always liked.  Here's the couch:

Fancy!

It's very comfortable but I was really really starting to hate the floral pattern. It made me look at the rest of my furniture with new eyes and I discovered that we don't have a comfortable living room so much as a fancy old-lady parlour.  Here, I'll show you:

"Me and the pelvis are going to prom!"

This is a chair Mitch has always liked that was at Johnson's cabin for years and years.  It used to have a kind of funky dark red bumpy upholstery, but it was ripped up so he had it re-upholstered.  This is the material he painstakingly chose (complete with gold tassles!).  It looks a little weird in the picture because the gold leaves are shiny and they made a funny reflection when I took a picture.  We decided that if furniture got dressed to go out, this chair would be going to the prom. Next we have this gold chair that is from Mitch's parents that I took because I love it. 

 I don't know what I like the most about it, the gold color, the velvety upholstery, or the little brass do dads on the arms.  I'm not kidding.  I really like this chair.  Except for the way it collects dirt on the arms.  I could do without that. 

Next we have another velvety chair that I got from my Grandma Zetta when she moved.  I like it because it's velvety.  

I really like velvet.  

And last here is the little loveseat I got from my grandma.  Nobody likes this but me, but I really like it.  When I said I wanted to take it, my aunt said, "...Really?  Oh, okay.  I suppose you could get a slipcover or something.... You really want that?" and Beth said, "I suppose you could get some cute pillows for it at Pier One.... Or something."

I like it.  I think the upholstery is made of wool and I like the little pillows that go with it. 

Before we got my grandma's fancy couch, the velvety fanciness of the room was kind of muted by the crappy plaid couch, but now with the fancy couch it looks like all my furniture is dressed to go to a wedding, so I ordered a slipcover for the couch.  Here it is:

Much better!  Here it is accessorized:

Now instead of looking like an old lady dressed up for church, it looks like a lesbian professor at her favorite coffee shop. The best part about the slipcover is that it's velvety.  Now the biggest piece of furniture in the living room is casual again, so the rest of the furniture can relax and not feel so stupid.