Saturday, March 10, 2018

Lost In Translation - part 1

Living-Room Transformation

Yes, it's progressing again!


As I wrote in my last post, I took the occasion of Brittany school winter break to visit Ikea.

Comme je l'ai écrit dans mon dernier article, j'ai profité des vacances d'hiver pour rendre une petite visite à Ikea.

 
In December, I listed my old beige sofa on a classified ad website, thinking it would take months to sell... Apparently, I priced it really cheap as it was sold in a week, living my room bare. I immediately planned on buying an armchair to recreate my cosy corner. 


En décembre, j'ai mis mon vieux canapé beige sur Le Bon Coin, pensant qu'il me faudrait des mois pour le vendre... Je ne l'ai pas mis cher et il est parti en une semaine. Mon salon m'a alors semblé tout vide et j'ai immédiatement pensé à acheter un fauteuil pour recréer mon coin douillet.

As you can imagine, I would have loved a beautiful Laura Ashley armchair, but knowing that cats would probably spend at least as much time as humans on it, I turned to Ikea... I browsed through their armchair page for a while, but with my criteria of comfort, size and slip-cover, I found out that the armchair from the same series as my sofa was probably the best idea.


Comme vous vous en doutez, j'aurais adoré un superbe fauteuil Laura Ashley, mais sachant que les chats y passeraient sûrement autant de temps que les humains, je me suis plutôt tournée vers Ikea.  J'ai farfouillé sur leur page "fauteuils" un moment, mais avec mes critères de confort, de taille et de housse, j'ai compris que le plus simple était de prendre le fauteuil de la même série que mon canapé.

I then hesitated for hours between slip-covers. I thought that the blue one was a bit too dark for my Cottage, but I didn't like the idea of having the same ticking toile that on the sofa... It would be too matchy-matchy.

J'ai ensuite hésité pendant des heures pour choisir la housse. Je trouvais que la housse bleue était un peu trop sombre pour Cottage, mais je n'aimais pas non plus l'idée de reprendre la même housse rayée que pour le canapé. Le côté tout assorti ne m'emballait pas.

Then, as I browsed through my Pinterest file, I found this picture and knew I had to choose the blue armchair.

Puis, en jetant un œil sur les photos que j'avais mises de côté sur Pinterest, je suis retombée sur cette photo que j'avais oubliée et j'ai su qu'il fallait que je choisisse le fauteuil en bleu.


Ikea is an hour away from Cottage. I drove - with my scratched car - under pouring rain last Monday morning in order to get there for the opening. I wanted to go straight to the sofa area, but I actually had to stop to the bathroom first... All the rain had given my bladder ideas...

Ikea est à environ une heure de Cottage. J'ai donc conduit ma voiture - à l'arrière rayé - sous une pluie battante lundi matin pour arriver à l'ouverture. J'avais prévu d'aller directement au rayon "canapé", mais j'ai dû faire un arrêt aux toilettes... Toute cette pluie avait donné à ma vessie des idées...

In the sofa area, which right at the beginning of the store, the armchair was showed in blue and the sofa in grey... I had second thoughts. At the counter, I ordered the armchair with the ticking slipcover.

Au rayon "canapé", qui est peu après l'entrée du magasin, le fauteuil était justement présenté en bleu et en gris... J'ai eu des doutes. Finalement, au comptoir, j'ai commandé la housse à rayures...

 
Then began the endless walk thought all the different alleys - bookshelves, tv stands, bedrooms, kitchens, children's bedrooms, bathrooms... The more I walked, the more I had doubts... Why had I chicken out? Why hadn't I ordered the blue slipcover? 


Et là a commencé la marche sans fin dans le labyrinthe - le rayon des bibliothèques, les meubles télé, les chambres, les cuisines, les chambres d'enfants, les salles-de-bains... Plus j'avançais, plus j'avais des remords. Pourquoi avoir changé d'avis ? Pourquoi avoir refusé de prendre un risque ?


To be continued...

A suivre...


PS1: Pictures were taken without a pretty vignette on the coffee table, as I usually actually use that table...

PS1: Pas de beau décor sur la table basse qui, chez moi, sert vraiment à poser des trucs utiles...

PS2: When I sold the old sofa, the couple who bought it wasn't very good at getting it out of Cottage through the tiny front porch door. It reminded me a lot of that scene in Friends. I even told them "Pivot!", but it apparently didn't ring any bell for them. Please, for the sake of your keyboard, don't drink while watching...


PS2 : Quand j'ai vendu mon vieux canapé, le couple qui l'a acheté a eu toutes les peines du monde à le faire passer par la petite porte de la véranda... Cela m'a bien fait penser à cette célèbre scène de Friends. J'ai tenté de leur dire "Pivotez!", mais cela n'a rien eu l'air d'évoquer pour eux. 

27 comments:

  1. Je crois qu'il faut toujours rester sur son idée première et ne pas revenir dessus sinon c'est un bazar sans nom ensuite
    Je pense que tu as fini par prendre le bleu te connaissant ;-) enfin j'imagine parce que sinon ça voudrait dire que je ne t'ai pas suffisamment lu pour en connaitre suffisamment sur tes goûts
    L'avenir me dira si j'ai eu raison
    Passe un très joli week-end (au soleil de préférence)

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  2. Magali, I LOVE THAT BLUE! That is a brilliant addition to your soft whites. Very nice.

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  3. I love your ticking sofa. I think if I ever get a new one in my sunroom I may choose an Ikea one like that. Ikea is an hour from us, too and I hardly ever go. I need to go again and see all the new stuff.

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  4. I remember that scene from Friends very well - so funny! I love your ticking sofa too and I think whichever slipcover you chose will look great. For me, sometimes it just comes down to a gut feeling.

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  5. I cannot beleive you are leaving us in mid suspense! I think you went with blue.I also think your living room is looking quite cozy with the fireppace.

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    1. If you can't sleep because of the suspens, there's a clue on the last picture ;)

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  6. Hi....LOL, I said Pivot in my head as I read that, as well as hearing Ross's voice.! So, you say you chickened out, well now I'm anxious to see what you did get, I'm sure it's going to be beautiful, and slipcovers are the best. Hope you have a Fabulous weekend!

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  8. Oops. I didn't mean to delete my comment. Anywho...that blue is beautiful and I hope that's what you go with. You will love it!

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  9. I want that entire Ikea living room. Complete with windows and doors. Sigh....

    ps you should have taken the blue ;)

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  10. I didn't remember the sofa show! how funny you had me laughing this morning while drinking my cup of coffee, my husband looking over at me "what's so funny" I'm trying to tell him but he was never into Friends so didn't get the humor -- the bathroom is always my first place to stop - then I can shop in comfort :) The blue is great but waiting to see what you have

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  11. Your sofa is very pretty! We got a new cat and she already worked her claws on the arm of the sofa. I look forward to see what you got. I too seem to go first to the bathroom when I get to a big store.

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  12. So glad i put my drink down, i still watch reruns of that show it is so funny.I love how your living room is looking and now the chair, will be waiting patiently, maybe lol!!!Have fun admiring your new chair.

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    1. I also still watch reruns of Friends that air on a channel of the French TV during lunch time. And I can choose to watch it in English with the TV remote. By the way, I know watch them sitting in the new chair ;)

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  13. The suspense is too much. Can't wait for part two. xo Laura

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    1. If the suspens is really too much, there's a clue in the last picture!

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  14. ah les couleurs des sièges !! quel dilemme !! en 25 ans, nous avons testé le tout blanc, le tout écru et nous voilà avec un fauteuil roux, un taupe et un pouf café... lors de passage outre-Manche, je ne manque jamais d'admirer les fauteuils L H... bonne fin de week-end - monique59

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  15. sounds lovely... cant wait to see it!!

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  16. Well, sounds like we are a little alike, going all around the pros and cons and back again making a decision. I think I know what you decided, from that little clue. I love the sofa, fireplace and how your living room has come together. Hope we see part 2 soon! Have a good week.
    PS: I have to go to Atlanta to Ikea :(

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  17. Can't wait to hear the end of the saga. I say, go for it girl!!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  18. Et moi je pense que le housse sera finalement toute bleue parce qu'on a tellement de temps pour réfléchir en parcourant les allées de magasin qu'il est aisé de changer 10 fois d'avis.
    Il m'est arrivé de prendre quelque chose sur un coup de coeur et arrivée aux caisses de reposer cette chose en ayant réfléchi tout au long des allées. Il m'est également arrivé de regretter avoir reposer quelque...��...mais il vaut mieux avoir des regrets que des remords.
    Les p'tits chats sont-ils sages?
    Bisous bisous. Babette

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  19. I love that scene from Friends. It is so funny! I've been rewatching them with my daughter who has been viewing them for the first time. She loves the show. It seems to be still relevant. xoxo Su

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  20. I look forward to seeing what you selected, although I think I know based on the box on the floor!! :)

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  21. Oh, the suspense! I"m off to read the next post!

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  22. It's going to look wonderful when it all gets put together.

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