UncategorizedBalancing Style & Function March 13, 2015My husband will be the first to tell you that this is not my strength. I’m big on style and can picture the exact item I want aesthetically, but function, comfort, and practicality are the last thing on my mind. Usually, I find just the piece I was looking for, get it in, and then realize it isn’t comfortable. But who cares? It’s pretty! For example, every single week when we host community group at our house, my husband apologizes for my white metal dining chairs. They really aren’t that bad, but was comfort why I bought them? No. In the nursery, I was determined not to make this mistake. There were two big furniture purchases in this room that I knew had to function well. The glider and the changing table. I’ve seen so many unique chairs used in nurseries and was so tempted to pick something solely because I loved the look of it and it was right for the room. But I remember reading a post by Emily Henderson back when she did her son’s nursery and what she said about gliders has always stuck with me. Now, she is the queen of style, my style icon in fact. But her advice was to pick a chair that was tall enough in the back so you could rest your head and that had high enough arms for you to hold and feed the baby without having to lift. Those were my main guidelines in finding a glider for the room. I knew I would spend the next ten years of my life or so in that chair (for multiple babies 🙂 ) and wanted it to be comfortable. For the changing table, I found some great wooden mid-century options that I loved, but every single one was too short. Several times I tried to compromise on the height that had been recommended to us, but Chris wouldn’t let me budge. I read online to pick one that was atleast 33″ high (based on your height of course) to make changing them comfortable. The last thing you want is to bend over the dresser every time you change them. I’m so glad I stuck to that now! I’ve changed her several times on the bed and after one time, my back seriously hurts! So there were my guidelines as I started the search for these key nursery pieces: Glider with a tall back and arms Dresser that was atleast 33″ high Oh, and the last one, BUDGET FRIENDLY. The look of it was important to me, but it was second to these. That last guideline is super important too. Gliders can be so incredibly expensive! Although this is a chair I know I’m going to spend a lot of time in, I couldn’t see spending $500 or $600 with as many other things as I wanted to purchase for the room. So, to meet all of these guidelines, I knew I might be doing some work to the pieces I found. I came across this chair first. I found this gold glider at a thrift store for $9.99. Just by looking at it, I could tell that it had a high back. After sitting in it, I was so pleased! It was very comfortable and the back and arms were the perfect height for me! Only problem? The color. But for $9.99, I decided it would be worth it to reupholster it and choose the fabric. I went back and forth when choosing the fabric. I really wanted velvet. I debated doing a fun color, but I really wanted to be able to use this chair in future nurseries, so a neutral was really the way to go. A local fabric store had a sale on velvet that I stumbled across and that ended up making my decision. They had just enough of this dark gray velvet on a remnant table for $2.99/yard! My reupholsterer had said to get seven yards. I was blown away and rushed to the cash register! We have a local reupholsterer who I hired for this project. This is one DIY skill I have not tackled yet. I would love to learn and am really considering trying it for some upcoming projects this year. It would save so much money! But I know it isn’t that easy and I didn’t want (or have the energy) for the nursery chair to be my first go at it. They charged $250 for this chair with the tufting, so I was all in at $281! Still an expensive chair for me, but way cheaper than I could’ve bought it ready-made at a store and I love it. The fabric almost turned out navy in the room, which I actually love! I was debating between navy and gray. Rosie and I love sitting here! I already read to her in this spot, even though she’s just six weeks old. For the changing table, I was determined to get a cheap piece at a thrift store and re-do it. I’ve seen such great dressers at thrift stores when I wasn’t in the market for one. And of course now that I needed one, I couldn’t find it. I had the hardest time finding one tall enough. The few I found that were atleast 33″ tall were either incredibly expensive (who is going to buy a $300 dresser at Goodwill?) or the drawers were in really bad shape. I knew this piece would get a lot of wear and tear over the years and we really needed it to be functional and a good source of storage. I started looking for reasonably priced dressers online and came across this Sauder Harbor View dresser from Wal-mart. Yes, Wal-mart! It was $250, but I liked the lines of it and knew the drawers would work well. Plus, it was exactly 33″ tall! So we ordered it. I really wanted a navy changing table. I thought it would pop against the kilim wall. I used Miss Mustard Seeds milk paint in Artissimo. I’ve never tried milk paint, but have always heard about it. After reading about it, we realized that we needed a bonding agent to mix in (we used hers) since this piece wasn’t real, raw wood. The bonding agent made it stick to the wood and it turned out great, but I initially wanted a distressed look here that milk paint is famous for. I sanded and sanded, but it made no difference. Our laminate dresser does not want to be distressed. I love the color and finish, though, now! The handles got some Rub n’ Buff treatment in gold leaf. I couldn’t be happier with these two pieces! With a lot of searching and a little creative thinking, I got the style I wanted while not compromising on function. I’m now starting to see the truth in what my husband has been preaching all of these years: comfort is important! I knew that, but it never held a candle to style. But with a little patience and ingenuity, you can find a piece that truly has both! I’m currently busy sourcing items for some upcoming projects this year (that I can’t wait to share very soon!) and this is my new goal: find pieces that are just the look I want, but are comfortable and functional! Happy weekend, friends!
cassie says March 13, 2015 at 11:36 am the good news is that bonding agent works really well! 😉 and the dresser looks fab either way. the chair- that velvet- what a score! Reply
Rosalind Ross says March 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm The nursery looks great. I can’t believe you found that chair for $9.99. That’s such a steal… even if the fabric was questionable. And the dresser looks great too! Reply
Hannah says March 14, 2015 at 8:05 am Beautiful and functional–gotta love it when a plan comes together. Would love to know more about the community project you host in your home if you don’t mind sharing. Reply
deonna says March 14, 2015 at 4:43 pm Love the navy…haven’t tried the milk paint yet either. I have done the chalk paint a few times and it’s so easy but does come off some….guess that’s the appeal 🙂 Reply
Corinna - For My Love Of says March 14, 2015 at 5:58 pm The dresser looks really pretty not distressed! The darkness of the chair and dresser make it feel so sophisticated. I imagine Rosie is going to be a sophisticated little girl, LOL! Reply
Colleen Pastoor says March 15, 2015 at 7:04 pm Ahh I’m a sucker for pretty things, but I’m like your hubby- if it doesn’t have a function, I can’t bring myself to bring it into our home. That’s probably why I’m so slow to get rooms finished enough to share! Your glider makes me green with envy. I have a glider almost identical I started reupholstering myself when I was pregnant and when I was put on bedrest, the process slowed down and then my babes came 5 weeks early so it’s STILL sitting in my basement, just waiting for the cushions to be finished 🙁 My mom bought me a plain one from Toys R Us that has all the function but none of the style. If we have another baby, I WILL finish mine… especially after seeing this! Reply
Sena says May 3, 2015 at 4:14 pm Love using the Walmart piece. Maybe #walmarthack will be a new thing 😉 Reply