All This Furniture Moving–What Has Happened to Me?!

Welcome to the 667th Metamorphosis Monday!

I’ve never been one to move furniture around but I’ve done that more in the last couple of years than all the previous years combined. Many, many years ago, 1994 to be exact, I fell in love with the soft colors in this room featured in Traditional Home. I love old clocks so the beautiful Bornholm tall-case clock in this room definitely caught my eye.

 

That room was the inspiration for my upstairs family room.

 

Since the downstairs living room is a cozy, paneled spot that’s great for reading and movie watching… (photo from a previous Christmas)

 

…I kept the upstairs living room (aka bonus room/FROG) light and airy.

Upstairs Family Room, a Touch of Romance for Valentine's Day

 

Last year (or was the year before–my years are all running together) I added a little chest over in the corner near the clock.

Blue Painted Chest, Addition to Upstairs Living Room

 

I fell in love with the chest after my daughter-in-law and I placed one between my grandsons’ beds after giving their bedroom a makeover for Christmas. Since this photo was taken, my daughter found and hung adorable Christmas-themed pictures over their beds to complete the Christmas makeover.

Children's Room Makeover for Christmas

 

Anyway, I love this blue chest but it felt as if it was crowding out the clock a bit.

Blue Chest, Nautical Beach Themed Room

 

My favorite part about it being in this corner was the view coming up the back staircase.

Back Staircase View of Blue Painted Chest

 

Since I liked the chest there, to fix the crowding issue I moved the tall-case clock to the long, upstairs hallway that’s just outside that room. I liked seeing it here when coming up the stairs, but after a while, I never even noticed or thought about it. It’s funny how we often stop noticing furniture when it’s in a passage or hallway, I guess because we are always en route somewhere else, so our minds are definitely not on the hall or the furniture in the hall. Though the clock looks fine here at the top of the staircase, I really, really missed seeing it each time I walked into the upstairs living room.

 

So, I moved it back. Sorry about the dark photo, this was taken early this morning. Also, please ignore the dollhouse–it was on the trunk in the guest room until I moved the trunk out of that room. Now I need to find a new spot for it and the trunk.

Moving Danish Bornholm Clock Back to Bonus Room

 

Here’s a better photo of the room on a sunny day to get an idea of how the clock normally looks in that spot. I definitely like the new lamp I just put in this room a lot better than the brass one I previously had here. (See photo above for that change.)

 

So where did the blue chest end up? I moved it out into the hallway. The narrow wall to the right is where the clock was before I moved it back to the bonus room.

 

This hall is really long, running the full width/length of the house, minus the rooms at either end.

 

There’s another chest at the other end. I love how the two chests sort of balance each other out here in this long passage upstairs.

 

Here’s a view of the upstairs hall showing both chests. In the evening, it’s nice having both ends of the hall lit up without having to turn on the ceiling lights. Now I need to find a new spot for the trunk that I moved out of the guest room a few weeks back. lol See what I mean about all this furniture moving! I’ve thought about donating the trunk to a local no-kill, kitty shelter that has a shop where they sell donated furniture, etc… Just wondering if I could use it in another home if/when I move one day. In any case, I will be moving it out of the hallway sometime soon.

 

Have you been moving any furniture lately? Are you a regular mover of furniture or do you tend to leave things right where they are?

Looking forward to all the great Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

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Comments

  1. Susan, I love the colors of your Upstairs family room. I, too moved furniture around this weekend. I feel so refreshed and keep going to look at it and smile. It’s like getting a new outfit!

  2. Helène Reid says

    Would love to see the guest room minus the trunk

  3. Liane abeyta says

    Please, please do not give that trunk away . It is an antique that will always find a home somewhere. If not for you , than for your family. I would come and pay you for it , it I didn’t live in California !!!!

    • Sandra D in Joliet says

      I agree with Liane. I would find another spot somewhere or see if family would love it or even a close friend. I know someone who just started volunteering at a place that takes donations of furniture to “sell” that supposedly goes to Habitat for Humanity. She told me the employees and volunteers go over the stuff and take what they want before putting stuff out for sell. She actually wondered out loud if these people put the stuff up for sale on ebay or craigslist. She’s only been there a few weeks and it just surprised her that the same people grab all the really nice items (but usually not the huge stuff). Not saying this place does that but you think your donation will go to help a cause but not always. Maybe I’m just getting cynical as I hear these stories.

    • Liane, I’m sure you’re right–I should keep it. It has sentimental value because it was one of (if not the first) antique item I ever purchased. I bought it at an antique auction in Anniston, Alabama when I was around 24 years old–paid $35 for it. It’s in amazing condition, even the leather handles are still intact which is rare on old trunks. You, Luanne, and Sandra have convinced me I should hold onto it. Thanks for that input!

      • Luanne Jones says

        Yay! Glad you’re keeping the trunk. Don’t think you’ll be sorry, but you could have been sorry that you gave it away. The perfect place for it will show up again, sooner or later.

  4. Last year after Christmas I determined that the painted hutch in my dining room was not the right shade of cream/white. I vowed not to redecorate it until I painted it. So it sat empty of decor until March when I finally kicked into gear painting it and another painted secretary I had in my living room the same color. That led to rearranging the living room. A friend who lives too far away but whose decorating sense I trust helped me rearrange my living room via our cell phones. She spent several hours on the phone texting and sending pictures back and forth with suggestions of new ways to try things. I would do what she said, snap a picture and send it to her and she would “yay” or “nay” it. Anyway, it was very fun and it was like we’d spent the day working together…..which we did, but not in the traditional way! I loved the end results too!

  5. Sometimes another set of eyes is all we need!

  6. Funny something must be in the air……….I too moved furniture around yesterday. But I moved it all back because I decided I needed to paint. We moved in two years ago…then my husband had a triple bypass and then there were issues after that they don’t tell you about at the time of surgery……anyway we were always intending to paint and yesterday when I looked good and hard at the walls….I knew…we really need to paint! The house is only 5 years old but the first residents had COPD humidifiers which caused streaks from running humidity in the house. So we are buying paint today….but it is going to be a slow process.

    • Glad your hubby is better, Nancy! I so badly need to paint several of my rooms, just keep putting it off. I didn’t know humidifiers could do that–good to know!

  7. Darlene Gardner says

    Hey Susan! No, I am definitely not a furniture moving person. The only room in our house that we have moved furniture is our guest bedroom/office and that happened only once! I really like my furniture where it is, so why change it? Not to say that your changes aren’t fine. I can understand how you missed seeing your clock and stopped really noticing it in the hallway. Having the two pieces in the hall do complement each other, but I have to say I really loved the blue chest in your family room. Have fun moving things!

    • That’s exactly the way I am normally. lol I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Really? It did go well with the other pieces in there. Thanks, Darlene!

  8. I tend to leave things where I put them. I shared a room with my sister growing up and never knew where my bed would be. One time she didn’t even leave a path to the closet. We had to climb over my bed to get our clothes!

  9. Luanne Jones says

    That’s an antique trunk you’re thinking about donating somewhere! Me personally, I would think long and hard before getting rid of it. Surely, it can go somewhere. That’s just me. Your house is beautiful.

    • Thanks so much, Luanne! You and a few others have persuaded me to keep it. I just need to get it moved downstairs since there’s really no place for it upstairs right now.

      • I agree with Luanne — Susan, maybe keep it awhile and do some research online (and maybe the library) about the trunk. The kitty shelter is a wonderful thought, but sometimes charities don’t realize the value of what they’ve been given to sell. We might even see it on Antiques Roadshow!

        My parents sold my steamer trunk from summer camp in the 60’s and now I wish I had it back. Yours is so much more valuable, and beautiful.

  10. I love to move things around and change things up, it’s also a great way to make house cleaning more fun 🙂 Thanks Susan!

  11. Susan,
    I love every room in your home! You are a great decorator! I love the boys’ holiday bedroom too!

  12. This is the first time I’ve noticed that gorgeous armoire in your den. Beautiful! Thanks for having us over, Susan!

  13. franki Parde says

    Shhhh…I have to do it…stealthily…my hubs is a “creature of habit.” I mostly move small items…rugs, pillows, even lamps…I look…and like…till the next time…. Luv your clock!! franki

  14. Tina W Reynolds says

    You know a piece of furniture is a true classic when it just looks great no matter where you put it! I don’t move much around, but now I have “the bug” to do so. Each year Christmas decorating causes a bit of a “fruit basket-upset” in the living room to accommodate the tree. I think I should do more of that refreshing of the house by shopping from my other rooms! Your home is exquisite and so beautifully welcoming. Now, I am off to move a lamp…or a table…maybe BOTH!

    • Thanks so much, Tina! I have to move a table when I put the tree up, too. The tree is way prettier than the table though, so it’s a win-win! 🙂

  15. Cindy Moore says

    We had 2 family trunks that I used as bedside tables in my children’s rooms. When they started their own apartments or got married ( my daughter) the trunks moved also along with an antique chair, clocks and bookcases. Would a grandson use it eventually???

    • That’s a great point, Cindy! I should hold onto it, especially since I’ve had since around the age of 24. Just need to find another spot for it. That’s so awesome that your children were able to take the trunks to their first homes. What a lovely memory for them!

  16. Keep the trunk! Love it!!
    The clock is impressive in the hall.
    I like the clock in the upstairs den too.
    A story about a family antique,,,,,Lane Cedar Chest: I have my mother’s Lane Cedar Chest which she purchased in 1932 as her ‘hope chest’. She and my Dad were married in 1934, so she had plenty of time to stock the chest with many housekeeping treasures. The chest is gorgeous, ornate, still smells like cedar when the lid is opened. I have no children or siblings, so I don’t know what will happen to it when I pass away.

    • I remember hearing about Lane Cedar chests when I was growing up…such a sweet tradition. What a beautiful piece to inherit! Whenever I purchase an antique table or chest, I always wonder about the person who originally owned it or the person who had it before I purchased it. I think we are just caretakers for these special pieces until they are passed on to the next family or generation.

  17. just a thought …but is there room behind the reddish chair in the judges room for it to be stored and not in the way for awhile? rls

    • Thanks for that suggestion, Robin. Unfortunately, there’s not really enough room back there. Plus, that chair is a recliner so it takes up a lot of room when it tilts back. I think I’ll move it down to my “formal” living room that’s never used and has really ended up just being storage.

  18. Such a beautiful clock! It does so much better on its own!

    Just a thought: you might want to visually balance it by adding a long narrow hanging on the wall between the window and the stairs.

    But your house is lovely, regardless, and I always enjoy reading about what you are up to.

    • I agree, it looks like it’s back home now. I really missed seeing in the bonus room. I used to have a very tall plant stand at the other end for that very reason…for balance. I ended up removing it. I probably should add something back there, although there’s not a lot of room.
      Thanks so much!
      XXX

  19. Such a beautiful clock! It does so much better on its own!

    One thought: you might want to visually balance it by adding a long narrow hanging on the wall between the window and the stairs.

    But your house is lovely, regardless, and I always enjoy reading about what you are up to.

  20. Anne Lovell says

    I do switch things around in our living and dining rooms in fall and spring. Its nice to have a change of view

  21. Glad you are keeping the trunk! You will find a place for it. I like the clock back in its original spot. It just looks right there. It was a bit crowded with the dresser, but the natural wood and the paint really complimented each of the items. Do you think the dresser might stick out a bit in the hall? The other dresser has a nook to nestle in. I moved bedroom furniture around a few times, but now it is frozen in place. I’ve moved my piano three times in my small parlor trying it out on three different walls. I think the last move is the last there. I think even if you move lamps or chairs or even pictures it gives a room a different look. My husband hates it when I change things around!! I love how the new lamp looks versus the brass. Don’t you use the doll house in your Christmas decorations? That would give it a home for December.

    • Actually, I was really surprised and happy to discover it doesn’t stick out too much. Many years ago, I had a larger chest on that wall and it did feel like it crowded you out as you walked by. This one doesn’t at all, you don’t feel like you’re having to go around something. It’s feels just right.
      Thanks, I much prefer the new lamp, too! I like brass but that was a lot of brass since it was a big lamp. lol
      I do use it sometimes, I just need to find a good spot for it. It’s pretty big so it takes a large table to hold it. I wish I had a really great spot for it. It was really cute on the trunk.

  22. I like the blue chest in the hall….and agree, it’s nice to have a light come on in the evening. I do move furniture, though since we downsized to an apartment there is not a lot to move. I have several little occasional tables that I cannot part with and I keep moving them to different spots!

    • It really is! I may put it on a timer so it automatically comes on. Sometimes we just have to move things to find out where we like them best. 🙂

  23. Cyndi Raines says

    Yea! So glad you are keeping the trunk! I would have been sick if you had given it away. It is such a lovely timepiece and in such great shape. Susan, you have an empty room that you are waiting to decorate and / or your basement, so for now you can store it, but don’t get rid of it, please! I know you would regret it. I got in a cleaning/ change frenzy one time and sold a beautiful antique Royal typewriter and also a darling feather weight antique sewing machine that came in it’s own small carrying case, — it was the sweetest and still worked. I regret those decisions to this day. I think you are changing up your nest to snuggle in for winter, hehe.

    • Thanks, Cyndi! Yup, everyone talked me into it. I guess I should have listened to my gut because I was feeling reluctant to part with it. Glad I mentioned it in this post because you guys convinced me that I needed to keep it. Yup, I can just store it in my downstairs “formal” living room that’s mostly just storage since I never use it. Oh, sorry you regret getting rid of those pieces. I hate that feeling so I get it. Maybe that’s it, I’m like a squirrel, preparing my nest for the cold winter I know is coming. lol

  24. Thanks, Deb! Have an awesome week!

  25. Ha! Susan I feel your pain. I love to collect furniture and lamps too. But I am unfortunately out of room. If something comes in another piece goes out. Squeezing things in no longer works!I hate that because I love the thrill of the hunt.

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