Something we saved for (new living room furniture!)
When we bought our townhome nine years ago, we used some of our savings to buy some new furniture. We bought a La-Z-Boy couch and recliner, thinking that they'd last for a very, very long time. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
The fabric on our couch pilled very badly, and for the last several years, the fabric on the cushions had been sprouting holes. In addition, I was starting to get annoyed at how difficult it is to keep a fabric couch clean with four kids.
Sometime this last year, my husband and I spied some leather furniture at Ikea which was very reasonably priced. We didn't technically need new furniture, though, so we decided that we would just try to squirrel away any extra money into a sofa fund.
I played for a wedding, and we put that money into the fund.
I subbed for the choir's accompanist, and we put that money into the fund.
We sold used books online and put that money into the fund, even if it was just $0.75.
Finally, at the end of December, we had enough money saved up for the sofa, but not the chair. Boo.
Then January happened to be the month where we got an extra paycheck (my husband gets paid every two weeks, and we budget off of that money. Twice a year, he ends up with three paychecks in a month, and those are extra money to us.)
We decided to use some of that money to finish up our furniture fund, so then we had enough for the sofa, the chair, and a new leather cushion for our other chair.
Woohoo!
And worry not-none of the old stuff hit the landfill. Our sofa and chair were happily taken by our friends, and the old cushion from the Poang chair replaced a more worn cushion on a Poang chair in Zoe's room. The worn cushion now serves as a calisthenics cushion for me to use (all the downstairs floors are hard surfaces, and are thus not at all suitable for crunches!).
Here's what our living room looked like with the old furniture:
And here's what it looks like now.
Old chair:
New chair:
And just because I love before and afters, here's what the living room looked like the day we bought the house.
This is with the old furniture, but with new windows, curtains, railings, and a much improved foyer (did you notice the ridiculous brick stuff in the first picture??)
And this is now!
It was hard to be patient and wait for the furniture, but I think that since we had to save, we appreciate our furniture more. If we had been able to just go out and buy the new furniture, it wouldn't seem so special to us.
I love the leather so far...I think it looks fabulous, and I love, love, love the fact that it is non absorbent and wipeable.
Update!
We eventually decided to buy another Ektorp leather piece-a loveseat. And we added crown moulding and painted our living room too.
So, now it looks more like this.
And this.
Three years into owning our Ektorp pieces, we're still really happy with them. The leather has worn way better than our fabric furniture did, and it looks so much more classy.
I love it! We have had a black leather sectional for over 3 years now I believe and it's so nice when you have children. No matter what, something is bound to get spilled or puked on or something and leather is so easy to clean. Our only problem is the claw marks left by the cat when she used to run and jump on it. Sometimes makes me want to smack myself for begging for an inside cat! I wouldn't get anything besides leather though, now that we have it. Enjoy your new furniture!
Yes, I'm sort of worried about scratching...we don't have a cat, but we do have kids. lol I'm also a little worried that someone will poke a hole in it, but so far so good.
Mmmm....I love getting paid every two weeks and those 2 times a year that a 3rd pay check comes in! Its like a semi-annual Christmas bonus of sorts!
Nice! I hope you enjoy it! I'm looking forward to the day we can have new furniture. We've been using my husband's parent's old furniture they gave us when we were married and needed something to sit on 🙂
We bought our first sofa 11 years ago and it still looks fantastic - it is made of some kind of microfiber and washes and wears so well. We didn't buy it thinking it would last so long, but we are thrilled that it has - even with cats, dogs and a toddler in the mix!
I LOVE leather furniture. And I can't wait for the day we get our own! Though, unfortunately my husband has bad childhood memories of sitting on leather couches with shorts on and getting stuck to the couch... I'll have to get around that bad memory somehow! 🙂
I got pulled away from the computer before I could write how happy I am that you are enjoying such nice new furniture! Congratulations for doing it in such a thoughtful and satisfying manner!
Have you ever seen a show on HGTV called Freestyle? I think that's the name - it may not still be on - I watched it a few years ago from a tv at the gym where I used to go. Anyway, they would go into a room and completely change it by moving around the furniture and "finding" other things for the room from other rooms in the house. I was wondering if you have ever tried to pull the chair closer to the couch (like where the piano is now and then the piano could go where the chair is). I think this set up would be more conducive to conversation. Also, do you have some colorful fabric that you could make in to a couple of throw pillows for the couch? And finally, you are such an amazing photographer I think the walls would really benefit from a collage of some of your photos - say 4-6 5x8's or 8x10's - either of your family or something else you love. (I remember thinking your dining room would also look fantastic with a collage like that, but I was just lurking then and not commenting. 🙂 ) I think just those few changes would make the room look so much more personal and cozy.
I'll have to show you a picture of how the living room connects with the dining room...if I put the piano over there, it would look sort of weird(it would be very near the table! lol). It would be handy for conversation's sake, though.
I do have some pictures on one of the living room walls(I'll have to take another picture!)...they're on a pair of black shelves. Can you tell I have a thing for black??
I'll have to think about putting some black framed photos on some of the other walls...I wonder what they would look like over the brown chair, to the left of the clock.
Franci, I'll let you know if we get stuck this summer. lol
Very, very nice! I love before and after pics too!! Enjoy your new paid-for furniture!!
Hurray! No credit bill to set you back. I wish you and your family well with your new furniture!
I love it! And I love the simplicity of your living room. It looks so clean, and clutter free!! 🙂 Do you have an area in your house with a TV, like a family room or something? Or do you and your family go without?
It does feel good to get new furniture paying with cash, instead of having months or years of payments! Saving for an item to purchase does
bring much more satisfaction and appreciation. We have leather also. We also have pets, and it has held up well. I will just clean with a damp
cloth, and have never used those chemical leather cleaners!
Nice work saving up for it instead of just putting it on credit and paying even more for it! The whole room looks fantastic! You've really improved it!
Very nice. I really like the piano though. I once had grand dreams of learning to play the piano and to go to my living room and playing Chopin's Prelude 15 op. 28 whenever I was in a melancholy mood or Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 Adagio Cantabile whenever I was in a relaxed mood.
Maybe when I become rich I'll either buy a player piano or hire someone to come in and play for me. Honestly, in my old age I hope to have enough money (or a young relative) to do that for me.
FG, we have a TV in Joshua's room(my son), but it's only used for games. We do have an antenna should we need to catch something on TV, but we don't have cable. Not having the TV in the living room SERIOUSLY reduces the temptation to watch it(not to mention it makes the living room look nicer! lol).
And yeah, I'm kind of a minimalist. The less stuff, the better, most times!
Battra, I love my piano so, so, much. I bought it(with cash) back when we first got married, and I have rarely played a piano that sounds better. Since I use it to teach piano, it's paid for itself over and over and over again.
I love the Adagio Cantabile, but I think I like the Moonlight Sonata just a teeny bit better. Both of those are totally the kind of thing I love to play, though.
Don't be tempted to pretty up that room! I think it's just about perfect. It is simple and comforting. I have a real thing against throw pillows. They always end up on the floor or mashed down between the couch cushions. And unless framed photos are big enough to have a real presence, they make the room look smaller and crowded. We get caught up in the "designer" aspects of home life that stores and television try to sell us. Keep it plain and simple!
We have a new leather sofa arriving in a couple of months, I can't wait. It will be our first major purchase of furniture since we've been married (14 years!). And, of course, it will be paid for with cash.
And may I ask, what color did you paint your walls?
Uh-oh. Now I have "Pretty it up!" and "don't pretty it up!" comments. lol Here's where I remind myself that I can't please everyone, I think.
Jen, the color is New Khaki, by Behr(sold at Home Depot). We bought it a number of years ago, but they probably still sell it, or at least something very similar. I LOVE my khaki walls. They're colorful enough to be less boring than off-white, but they're still very peaceful feeling.
Oh, gosh, my suggestions were just meant as...suggestions...of course, by all means, in all matters, only aim to please yourself! Those "home improvement" shows can be problematic for create feelings of "not enough" and that's why I loved Freestyle (or whatever it was called) because the point is that *0* dollars are spent and yet you can a have a new room - and you are already such a great example of that with all your Freecycle finds. 🙂
And on further thought, I realized that your living room is rarely going to be without your family - the most colorful, cozy and beautiful additions anyone could hope for!
Oh, it's fine...I'm totally not offended. I just thought it was funny. lol
And yeah...my family is usually in there, and there are usually plenty of toys all strewn around. Which, I suppose, adds color.
Since everyone is making suggestions I will just say three words: Bust of Beethoven. 😀
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is great. I have an LP collection of all of Beethoven's Sonatas I got free at a tag sale. It was free since it's missing one disc. Oh well, it's mostly complete. 🙂
I'm a bit surprised there are no photos hung up, though. I've been trying to decide on a good art print myself. I guess when you turn 26 and you've taken down the "college aged" pictures, you start to look at things like Winslow Homer prints and the like.
LOL That's exactly what Schroeder would prescribe, isn't it?
If you look at the picture with the old furniture, you'll see that we did have a huge photograph hung up over the piano. But, I decided that I wanted a large clock up there instead. It's really handy to have there while I'm teaching, so I can keep track of when I'm supposed to be done with a lesson.
And I think it looks really nice. :p
I thought that was a painting actually. Nice clock, by the way.
I've always wanted to have the "classical" pieces in my house: a portrait of Washington, a bust of Beethoven etc. I really have no idea why.
I love what you have done with your lounge room. Lovely sofas, we have had similar chocolate leather sofas and I would never go back to fabric ones with children.
Don't change a thing! Rooms can look too cluttered with too many cushions, pictures on the wall etc. It looks just right how it is, clean lines, uncluttered, less is more!
I love the color of your living room! Do you know the name of it? Thanks!
Yup, the blue-y gray color is Benjamin Moore Fusion. I love it to pieces! It's so peaceful and serene looking.
Hi Kristen! Is your furniture real leather or bonded leather? We recently bought a bonded leather sectional and ottoman at a local retirement sale for a steal. I have read reports of bonded leather not holding up as well.
Well, I'm assuming they're bonded leather because we didn't pay eleventy billion dollars for them, but I have no complaints about how well they're holding up!
Hi! We have this same sofa and now we want another one, but can't find one anywhere. Any thoughts on where I can find these pieces?
Ours has held up extremely well!
Thanks!