A Clark Griswold Moment

I shared with you a couple weeks ago about our design dilemma after having bought new living room furniture that we loved, but was not working in our space. You can read those posts here and here if you missed them. 

I really debated about switching our living room and dining room spaces because I knew the work it would take to get it done. And the chaos that would ensue.  But deep down, I knew that it had to be done to make our living and dining spaces right. It really never has felt right having our living area in the big room off of the kitchen and our formal dining room in the front of the house. I never could put my finger on it, and now that we have started the process of the switcharoo, it has become clear to me that this just works much better for us. 

It really is like we have played Fruit Basket Turnover with our furniture. Everything is in complete disarray. I mean, I'm having a hard time thinking straight in the chaos (and that kind of makes me want to go all Clark Griswold, but I'm reigning it in).  But, I wanted to share this process with you......the good, the bad, the ugly, and the Clark Griswold moments. 

First, we had to have our satellite provider come and install the cable necessary for us to be able to watch television in the new living room. (was the formal dining room) That was a fiasco in and of itself. The gentleman that came and worked on it ran into some snags and he ended up being at our home from two-thirty one afternoon until after seven pm after having been up since four that morning.  I felt so bad for him. But he persevered an didn't give up until he got it all worked out. Bless him! He was such a nice guy. 

Once we got that all worked out, we were able to start moving the dining furniture into the "new" dining room, and start the process of moving our monster of an entertainment center into the "new" living room.  

We had to take our entertainment center apart into three pieces, then reassemble it.  It may not look very large in the picture, but it takes up the majority of the wall. (That is a 55 inch tv to give you and idea of size.) Once I got it into this room, the blue that I painted in the back was too bright with all of the natural light that flows into the room. I am now in the process of painting the backs a classic black to tone it down and give me a more sophisticated and neutral palette to work with. I can't decorate and put things into place until I finish painting this........ 

........thus, all of the baskets and bins on the floor. As soon as the paint dries, they are getting put back in their home!

Currently, we have no window coverings in this room. The curtains that were in here got moved into the other room. (I took the navy ones that were in the other room down.)  I have ordered custom blinds, but they have yet to come in. 

My kitchen countertops are currently housing a lot books and accessories that will go on the shelves of our entertainment center. 

Here is where the Clark Griswold moment comes in. My husband turns into the raving, borderline psycho Clark Griswold anytime he has to assemble anything. (Like in Christmas Vacation when he "fixes" the newel post, or finally breaks down and rants "......hallelujah, holy crud,where's the Tylenol." You know....minus the profanity and name-calling.)  Anywho, when I ordered our new dining room chairs, I didn't notice the whole assembly required thing.  So I had to assemble six chairs with a husband who despises to assemble anything!  Like I said, he turns into some semblance of a Clark Griswold teetering on the edge of being in control and completely losing it. (I have a wonderful husband! He is so amazing to me and our girls....I just need to learn not to buy things that require assembly!) 

I love the way the chairs look. All of them are great except one.  The pilot hole was drilled into the wrong place and now we have a lopsided cross bar. I guess I will be on the phone with customer service at some point today to see how to get the problem resolved. I hope they don't tell me to disassemble it and ship it back.  That may put Clark, er, um, I mean Jared over the edge. I kid, I kid. 

I am going to be hustling this week to get our living/dining areas put back in order. I had to put progress in our laundry room on hold until I get all of this done. I'm looking forward to being able to cross these things off of my list.