Getting through all the furniture Bull....

I never get what I want from Life; mainly because there is too much Bull... to wade through; and, I don't have the boots for it.

When we move into our Montana home, the furniture will be slightly rustic compared to our California home; and so, we won't be using most of that furniture.  We were looking for Southwestern, slightly rustic items.

At High Point, NC, there was one well-used Turkish rug that would have fit perfectly in our Library room, but it was faded in parts and had repair stitching in off colors that the Turkish dealer wanted $950. 

He said, " It has historical meaning and that is why it is so valuable." 

I laughed. 

I said, " It's someone else's history, not mine. I don't want a worn out rug, especially at that price."  He laughed out loud. 

I think someone must have thrown it out on the road and he picked it up. Earlier we had bought some better quality runners (rugs) from him for less; one was, also, considered an antique.

I don't want high price rustic furniture, after all I could take a piece of furniture and bang it up with chains and a hammer for the same effect for less.

After the 3rd day of trying to figure out what kind of furniture style I wanted to see throughout the house; I got a sense of what I was striving for in design, as I started seeing antiqued or old furniture with reclaimed wood (slightly grooved and worn) with metal legs or arms. These were unique to me and creative in design.

Although the furniture tables and benches have wood and metal; the Great Room and bedrooms will have cushioned furniture for more comfort which is being upholstered.

Entry bench with distressed wood: reminded me of Big Horn Sheep Ram.

Hallway table with distressed wood, metal design and wood legs

hallway runner, Turkish rug has a Southwestern tribal feel

2nd Turkish Rug, Runner to Master bedroom

Display bedroom at High Point showroom. Bought the bed, nightstands,and dresser (only) for Guest bedroom # 1 
The copper plates will tarnish in time for that patina effect. 

The other guest bedroom will be a very high, paneled, headboard with metal curls on distressed wood.

Looking at Quality and the Time that passed: Our California home dining set is airtight and keeps silverware from tarnishing. It's better built than anything I could afford to buy or want to buy at prices of today even at the bargain prices at High Point.
  We had purchased our California home dining set in the 70's from an antique dealer for $3000 which included mahogany inlaid china cabinets on solid wood, dining table for twelve with 6 chairs and a Buffet. Built in 1929 with the store tags, Lord and Taylor, 424 Fifth Ave, New York, NY, glued under each item.

My current California buffet we bought in 1970, dated 1929.

I was told by my designer (April 16) that the buffet that we had ordered from High Point, to be altered, to fit our home could not be made to specifications.I am so glad because now I can sneak in my CA buffet after the house is built. The buffet at High Point was almost as expensive as my entire CA dining set and it was not half the quality. 
I will just call the dining room COLLECTIVE which I think means a hodgepodge: confusing mix of furniture.

After all, the Interior Design world is as full of BS as any other profession.

And after you read this, you will be surprised that I really do get along with my designer and we plan to be friends. What a shock!

Whenever I liked a piece of furniture, my Interior designer ' friend' would say, "You shouldn't get that; it doesn't fit the decor,"

Whenever she wanted me to buy something she liked, she would say, "but it could be Collective." 

And I would say, "In that case, let me use my California furniture."

And she would say, "We can't do that!"

She would always use superlative words; the ones I would use, mostly, to describe the sunset or the Grand Canyon, not an ordinary piece of furniture. Beautiful and Fantastic meant nothing to me, after hearing it all day long.

So much Bullsh#*.

To top that off, I think she has a little meanness in her spirit. I actually asked my husband if I heard her correctly. He said, "yes." 

Remember that "Blue Louise" granite that I found on the Internet and asked if I could get it? My designer and her granite company ordered the exact piece I wanted.
Blog: Friday, December 17, 2010     Merry Christmas and Happy New Year One and ALL

Only to tell me later that the Brazilian company told them that they had sold my slab to someone else; however, the Montana granite company had already ordered a shipment of Blue Louise from that Brazilian company for their store; and it was on it's way to Montana and should arrive in January.

Instead of waiting to see what the shipment had for Blue Louise,  my designer said I need to purchase granite for my kitchen and since my granite is not coming on this boat, I should buy something else.  She told me to look at the Blue Louise in California just to get an idea of what it looks like in person; and see if I wanted to purchase it from a California company, instead.   

I learned that it's not granite, but Quartz. It has lots of defects, grooves and pits and the color is very dull. All the Blue Louise that I saw was not acceptable and very ugly in color design.

At the High Point, NC show last week, she tells me, "the Blue Louise granite arrived at the Montana granite company, around the same time you had bought your other granite. The shipment had your granite; and it's BEAUTIFUL." 

I thought I would have heard in January about it. But nothing was said. So it didn't sound true to my ears; not mentioning the fact that she would not look at me when she told me.

I decided not to kill her on the spot since I was in shock and while thawing out, I was able to take everything in, including all the Bull Sh#* I have heard over the last year. 

When the Montana granite company did not get a straight answer from the Brazilian company and my plans had to change, I had already resigned myself to getting Less From Life. Add that to my designer's lingo: " It's beautiful." 

So I figured what's beautiful to her (the shipment of granite), is not necessarily beautiful to me and I am Over it. 

I cannot help thinking that she told me out of spite. On hindsight, I do give her a hard time about what I want to buy and it's not what she wants most the time. Yes, I am the client, but she wants to feel essential, not just a 'tool,' she told me last week while shopping. We are still trying to find a balancing act that we can work on together. So far we agree on what we have purchased.  What a surprise!

Being an indiscreet German, she probably wanted to tell me about the shipment arrival, but why the emphasis on "it's beautiful," if not to upset me?

I was more shocked and puzzled by her remarks than the screw up of granite.

I didn't get the Blue Louise quartz slab I wanted. I gave up a higher calling of using my artistic talents for a more mediocre design that is O.K. and nobody cares, but me. With our second choice of granite, since it is no longer my choice anymore; the Blue Louise being 6x more expensive, I was able to buy 5 slabs, instead of 2 slabs, to cover all my counters, walls and then some; with the less expensive granite; that is probably, in better condition from what I had learned about Blue Louise quartz.

Library Floor lamp: reminds me of Galileo and his Galaxy.You really have to have an imagination for this one.

I agreed with my designer friend that we would go slightly wild on color accessories of blankets and pillows to liven up the grayish brown tones of the Living room as we plan to be in the Parade of Homes in September to show off her interior design and our builder's construction which they have asked us to do for them, although it adds more stress for me to get things done faster than I would like.

One of two Library desks we ordered: distressed wood with metal design. 
reminds me of a desk being anchored to the floor of a ship.

Great Room table: reclaimed, distressed wood and metal. Looks rather butch.



..to be continued....
if I can just find some wading.....
boots.

High Point Furniture Buying on a Budget

High Point furniture buying on a budget in North Carolina, is there such a thing? I heard from family and friends: " Get rid of your Interior Designer and don't over spend."

Naturally, I was very worried since in our older age we are spending far more on furniture than we have in our life; and considering where we started from:

When I joined the Air Force and had my first real job, I saved as much as I could, so by the time I met my husband 2 months later, I had $600 saved. I didn't have a car expense like he did, so I gave him $300 dollars with a marriage license attached, so he could buy a stereo. There were many times he didn't think it was a fair deal...for him.

We must have been on the same page when we married because we saved my paycheck and lived like paupers. People were always making fun of us, but we were young and had a goal. I drove around in a beat up old VW that needed paint.

I can't imagine what our friends thought, especially the Colonel and Captain who came to our first rental home for dinner. A beat up old trailer in a white-trash trailer park. Climbing up the metal steps into a small living room displaying a banged up metal military chest placed in the middle of the floor with a tablecloth draped over it.  A WWII chest that belonged to my father.  My mother's bargain fines, from off road antique shops, of sterling silver servers. Her fine crystal glasses filled with cheap wine and her antique Wedgwood dishes. I prepared, what I considered, a gourmet meal taken from my Bon Appetite magazines. We had no chairs. 

A year later, we purchased a new brick home with 3 bedroom and 3 full bathrooms.

Today, we use the same philosophy.  We saved all of our life and now we are trying to reap the benefits by spending what little the government doesn't tax away.

What we learned along the way while in High Point, NC.

The whole point of going to the early April Merchant and Interior Designer wholesale furniture shows in High Point, NC is to buy furniture at discounted prices. There are antique, reclaimed wood, reproduced, and the latest furniture at low prices. 

This week, April 2-8, 2011, of wholesale buyers was an opportunity that our designer offered to us and we were too unknowledgeable to know what to expect, until we got there.

Our designer had been there a few days before we arrived, to select furniture that she thought we might like, as there were too many showcase rooms to see; in fact, she had forgotten, half the time, where some of the furniture she had seen, was displayed.  After running through 13 floors of furniture in one of the buildings; getting lost with her, we decided to stop following her, until she found the furniture first.  

We told her, "You go ahead and when you find it, we will be waiting here for you." She laughed.

This was the only way we could keep from getting completely worn out. We ran around High Point from 8:40 AM until 7:30 PM; stopping to eat only briefly, the catered food and wine.

We did this from Monday through Thursday morning until we flew back to California.

We each had to have a Buyer's badge with a bar code which she gave us; to get into all of the furniture showcase buildings. We were scanned into every building and through every showroom; and then, escorted throughout the room by a representative from that product line. 

We had to 'pretend' we were assistants to our Interior Designer who had the business license; and she was the only one who could purchase any item on the floor with her business Tax I.D. number. The rules are that clients should not be present, but if we are discreet, we will not be thrown out by security.

We did not know the full extent of the savings until we looked at the differences between wholesale and retail prices which were given on each item. 

For example, our Great Room rug which is 9' x 12' was listed at $1999 wholesale. The retail price was listed at over $5400.  In this particular room, this Rep knew we were clients because he knew our designer.

The Rep wrote up the purchase for our designer and she paid for it out of her account since we had already sent her our furniture deposit for this item in advance.

In one of the showrooms, where the representative didn't know our designer or us, he discussed the prices as if we were all buyers.  

Leaning over to whisper in our ear, he said, "go to our website for retail prices and take off  50%; that is your price; I should not be saying this within earshot...."

We were able to get 40% to 60% discounts with a 5% markup from our Interior Designer.  Originally, I thought she said 10%, but the bill stated otherwise. 

In spite, of all the savings we could get on furniture and accessories, we held back buying items too expensive or unnecessary which left us with over half of our allowance still in the bank; although, our designer kept telling us that we were still under budget. I said that there are many things we need later that are unforeseen and some foreseen:  Mattresses, sheets, window treatment which I am sure we could have bought at this show but there was no time left. The wholesale show only lasted one week and all the furniture rooms were spread out so far that it would have been impossible to visit them all. Most the people there were exhausted from the experience, including us. 

Montana: Down to the Wire

Builder and my husband Talking about minimal landscaping

It was a whirlwind 4 day trip to Montana to decide where to place furniture and correct minor mistakes on cabinets, etc.  The plane trip on Allegiant from Los Angeles, CA to Missoula, MT was delayed 4 hours. Getting in at 11:30 PM, canceling our initial plans to drive to Columbia Falls, MT and instead spend the night in Missoula. We were so jet lagged that by the time we started talking to the loan officer the following day; all we wanted to do was crawl up on his desk to sleep.
My husband stop in a parking lot and fell asleep for an hour while I ate the largest Dairy Queen dipped ice cream cone I had every seen. I am watching my weight...
.....grow.
The construction loan officer was impressed that we didn't go over budget, but it was a no brainer when the allowances we had were already set in stone in the loan amount; that had to be compared to the estimated costs from subcontractors.  What part of staying within the allowance limits did we not understand? I know it is easy to go over budget since there are high grade and low grade items to consider; but my rule of thumb for purchasing anything is, "I want to be able to sleep at nights" and not think about debt. Our Interior Designer said she repeats that comment to herself when looking for items for our home.
We had heard some slight horror stories from people going over their loan amount. In all the stories, it seems it was the woman's fault for overspending.  The husband was out of town and the builder or designer convinced her to buy more or build more. In my case, my husband is the woman.


To be fair to the over spenders, we had paid for much of the unexpected costs, like blasting a large hole in the rock on which our house is built, before we even had a construction loan, which we then just added as a cost into the loan. No one expected that much blasting. That was one of the major expenses; besides, my husband's remote control setup for the entire house: audio, TV, security, temperature, cameras, lights, radiant floor heating which can be controlled from California before we arrive in Montana. I am sure there will be some things we can't control on that Ipad in which case we can call a friend to stop by.


It doesn't take much to please me. Even in my youth
I would say, " as long as I have a roof over my head and food on the table, I am fine." Of course, when I moved to California,
I added, ....." and gas in the car."


The builder and designer tell me all the time, "the house is beautiful."
I like to say to them, "It's custom made; it should be beautiful; but since I did not completely design it myself, it's not as beautiful as it should be."
I am sure they are baffled by my response.
I will never get the house I want; although, I am sure it is a nice house and I will like it once I know how it feels to actually live in it. After all, it will have a central vacuum system, a commercial Wolf stove, more storage space; and a well thought out functional kitchen. Not forgetting my art studio where I can make a mess and let it sit without having to hide it when company comes.

My biggest fear is how we will decorate it without having it look like a Bordello or a Native American Indian tribal hut.

The lights
looked cute, that the designer selected for the small guest bathroom,....but when I wanted a light on the ceiling of that same guest bedroom, the designer asked if she could choose it.  Not Thinking that she would use the same pattern which was Only cute in the bathroom...  

After seeing this light hanging from the ceiling....
That wrought-iron bed that I like, would match perfectly, however

 this lamp with a wrought iron bed...... all I can envision is .......

Bordello guest room #2

The designer picked out some of the powder room tile that I find interesting since her custom built home that she and her husband built with their own hands; is very neutral in colors and yet her choices of tiles and lamps for my home are like pieces of jewelry. Although my husband likes the powder room; I could not get my mind around the rustic tile; until I dreamt of a vision that it could represent: 

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. 

It has a shiny reddish stone border that looks like stones for a necklace combined with rough edged tiles with uneven wide grout lines. The granite counter top is a completely different design. I had to force myself to
image Harrison Ford stumbling across this cave like room with it's rustic looking walls and floors....encrusted with rubies.
 All the bathrooms will have wall to wall beveled mirrors; so maybe it will look better once finished and cleaned up.
Next week we head for High Point, NC to pick out the furniture and fabric for all the rooms and I am already worried. 
The designer wants me to look at native America Indian blankets for the beds. 
Having an Indian blanket lying under a Bordello lamp? 
For some reason I can't see it
 unless
I envision an Indian lying on a wrought-iron bed with a prostitute. 


Here are some pictures that we took. 
more are on this page linked to Kerry House Blog.

Front part of house as it angles around to the Master Bedroom with Balcony to Library. Art Studio with french doors just below the Great Room Window.  On either side of the Art Studio are the 2 Guest Bedrooms.

Back of house sitting on 5.99 acres of land. 

Daily site by the house. Builder said he saw a small herd of Elk walking through the other day. It was unusual to see Elk.

Great Room Window. Sorry to see the tree go, but I would like a VIEW of the Valley.

There are bathroom lights that I like 

Great Room Fireplace.  That's our lunch on the box. Looking out back towards the laundry/mud room and garage.

The stairs leading to the Art studio, guest bedrooms, wine room, bar area, gym, theater and mechanical room. 

Looking from the Kitchen/dining room into the Great Room to the Library leading out to the balcony that joins the Master bedroom.

Kitchen Island Granite. 


 I will post more pictures when the kitchen is done; but only if that Indian goes back to his Tepee and that prostitute goes back to her Bordello.