Only the third night in my new digs and already I've developed insomnia, the sudden urge to blog late at night, and hunger pains before bed - probably because I've been staying up too late, but then I can't fall sleep if I'm hungry - it's a vicious cycle solved only by soy milk and muesli before bed.
Did I mention I have no gas and nothing to sit on except my jazz fest chair? (For those of you wondering what the hell that is - it's one of those expandable nylon lawn chairs with the beer holder in the arm rest) Last night I had to eat cold pita with hummus and pre-sliced cheese because I couldn't heat the pita and I didn't have a cutting board.
Without TV, I've suddenly become the most productive person on earth. Instead of eating dinner while watching re-runs of Seinfeld, Will and Grace or Sex in the City, I read the paper AND listen to All Things Considered on NPR broadcast from San Francisco. Then I clean the kitchen, finish unpacking, book a ticket and shop for a chair online.
You'd think that you could just walk into a furniture store, see something you like, and take it home or have it delivered the next day right? HAH. It's almost impossible to get furniture delivered faster than 2-3 weeks.
To make matters worse, I've developed an unfortunate taste for mid-century modern furniture aka $$$ and difficult-to-find-furniture.
Initially I tried to force myself to find something from one of the major brands because it's faster and cheaper - Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Ikea, even Urban Outifitters. I just couldn't. Then I allowed myself to upgrade to Design Within Reach, and of course the only thing I liked was a $3000 chair.
After hours of googling, I finally found the same chair for a third the price as well as another chair that would be cute as a set. But...should I tough it out and wait until the couch arrives and then buy the chair so I can try to match the couch and chairs? Or should I paint before I buy more furniture? If I buy furniture first, then I'll have to match the paint to the furniture. My co-worker said definitely paint first, because then I can match the furniture to the paint. WHA???
My couch is to die for. I bonded with Inga - Swedish lady at a vintage furniture boutique in Nolita - over the purchase. Though Danish mid-century in design, it was to be custom made in Jersey of all places. I decided on a mocha brown (which will look more dark grey with a hint of brown) with ermine (some sort of white) trimming and pleats. I imagined a 1950's grey wool peacoat a-la Marc Jacobs with silk detailing and piping around the edges, and that flares out slightly - Jackie O style. "I'm a fashion designer by trade, and furniture is like fashion" - Inga said. "Your couch is to your vintage coat with fur trimming as Crate and Barrel is to J-Crew." That would've made a pretty good SAT question I thought.
