We all know the adage, “When the cat is away, the mice will play.” Well, I tend to do all of my decorating, redecorating, and in this case re-redecorating when my husband is deployed. I think this a common theme among military spouses, and I can’t quite figure it out. Maybe it is because we have less, shall we call it “oversight”? Is it because we need a distraction? Perhaps both, but for the Marlowes I think it has just become tradition. I am certain my husband would be disappointed to come home to the same, old, boring home (yeah right :).

Like all grand adventures, this room all began with an idea. It was a dark and lonely night and I needed a distraction. Naturally, I had the idea to search craigslist. Since Boise craigslist doesn’t take long I then thought of searching the Utah classifieds. It was there that I saw it! Glowing on the screen I beheld a post for four chairs. Sure, to most people they were just four ugly, pink chairs, but to me they were so much more! These Milo Baughman, double-banded, 1979 brass beauties were listed for only $85. If I squinted, the industrial upholstery almost looked like a blushy velvet (at least this is what I am still telling myself until I get around to reupholstering them).
I quickly responded to the ad and shared the good news with my mom (a saint of a woman who lives within driving distance to the location). Long story short, she is a rock star and presented them to me for my birthday. Thanks again Mom!

Perhaps my favorite part of the story? Shortly after my mom paid $85 total for my set of four, I found these on 1stdibbs for $633 per chair.  #shoppingvalidation

Often when I switch-out one thing in a room it initiates a cascading effect of change…the table, the rug, etc. I should have seen this coming.

I have good news though, perhaps even more than I love the chairs, I was smitten by this solid glass table (AKA the heaviest table known to man). Where did I score this beauty?  You guessed it, craigslist.

The joke of the neighborhood is that I have been going through a “phase”.  I like to call it my “Sexy 80’s” phase.

Sure, it does shows finger prints, but it is so worth the little extra effort.

The rug you ask? Interesting choice…I know. I love how it anchors the space with a little moody-floral drama. To get the look I simply flipped over a heavy wool traditional rug. The result is a stain resistent, durable, and beautifully aged-patina finish. I dare you to glance at the back side of all of your area rugs.  You may be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.

The scale of this mirror was a little too small for the large wall.  To remedy this I cut and painted plywood.  I finished it off with nailhead trim.

I wasn’t ready to part with my twelve inch stripes from the former design scheme.  They added subtle interest and make the room feel wider. 

I wanted a moody floral place setting, so I took faux flowers and painted them with watered down white and purple paints.

I picked up this mid-century rosewood cabinet for 5 GBP while in England.  I painted it a sleek black finish and added geode handles.  It is the perfect perch for serving food or drink (notice my Martinelli’s-ain’t no party like a Mormon party 🙂 

I found this frame at a local thrift store for 30 bucks. I purchased a large canvas and DIY painted it using acrylic paint and lots of water.  I plan to keep the frame and repaint new art in my next home. 

I look forward to transitioning to this upcoming home in New England.  While not traditional North Eastern choices, I am excited to see if I can work these thrifted items into my next design scheme.  If I fail to meet this challenge I always have a trusty back-up option…craigslist :).