This year my New Year's goal is something that's been bugging me but I have been putting off for the past year and a half: getting rid of my Ikea furniture!
As much as I would love to be the kind of patient person who can hunt out the perfect items on ebay and craigslist to fill up my home with lovely finds, it's just not true. I need my space to be ready to live in like before I even find it. Well not that bad, but pretty damn close. I will refinish furniture, paint rooms, sew curtains, and re-tile non-stop for weeks on end until my space feels complete so I can sit back and relax and call it home.
However this comes with a price. For instance, if I really need a bookcase, instead of taking time to find and invest in one that I plan to have for the long haul, I've been known to take a quick stroll through Ikea for the right-now cure. The problem is that I then end up coming home with bookcase(s), mirrors, tables, planters, dishes, etc, etc. Ya know what I mean — we have all been bitten by the Ikea bug before.
Since we are renting, I didn't want to spend money on furniture without knowing the size of the space or style I want to go with in this "imaginary future home" we'll buy soon. So Ikea would just have to do for now. However, now that we have been in this same home for a year and a half and are too cozy to rush into the world of house hunting, the few spur of the moment Ikea pieces scattered throughout the house are now like a thorn in my side.
But now that it's a new year, I have decided they need a new home and so do I. I made a little bargain with them (because how could we not anthropomorphize our Ikea furnure after their commercials years ago). I promised that I would bring them to the best thrift stores in Seattle and send them off to a great family who would love and treasure them if they would just give me a little luck in scoring a few sexy, inexpensive replacements to make their way home with me at said thrift store. Now I don't want to shock them into their new surroundings or anything so we will take it nice and slow, maybe one or two pieces a month to start.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not totally bagging on the design style or convenience of Ikea, they are great for so many things. It's just that my personal tastes have been changing over this past year and I am much more attracted to pieces with a sense of meaning or history.
T'is is a pretty easy new years goal that is totally attainable and will make a huge difference in our home. So here I go, wish me luck!
Do you have any temporary furniture hanging around that has gotten a little too comfy?
Image: Alysha Findley
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