Day 203: Hand me downs
Hand me downs can be great - they have got us through so many years and its great when you have nothing to be able to accept free stuff so that you can gradually get what you need. When Joel and I got the keys to our first flat just before we got married we had no furniture whatsoever - we went out with the £20 we had spare and chose to buy a wooden towel box. For a good few weeks that was all that was in there and I slept on the floor! Our bed was a wedding gift and we made a home out of hand me downs from people at church, old church chairs out of the basement there that we were told to help ourselves to and stuff that we found a bit broken in the ikea bargain basement... oh and things people had put out in skips. Hollys first wardrobe was a storage unit out of a skip, our towel box is now stained and is the treasure box of dressing up that the kids use and, falling apart as they are, all the chairs in our house are still those old church chairs that I love.
But what about hand me downs that cost you? What about when they're kind of good and a bit what you need but not ideal and might need investing into?
My mum and dad have been quite determined that we strongly consider taking their sofa bed... these are the factors in no particular order...
1. They probably feel guilty about throwing it out - it was really expensive
2. We could really do with a guest bed
3. The colour is pinkish and really clashes with the dark pinkish wall in the lounge
4. we already have 2 sofas and dont really need another
5. I wouldn't want to get rid of one of the ones we already have - we chose them to last us
6. the sofa bed will ONLY fit in the lounge and there is no space and it is too heavy for upstairs
7. Its a really comfy sofa bed to sleep on.
8. mum prices up reupholstering at nearly £600.
9. oooh now the Christmas tree is gone there IS a big space just right for a sofa!
So instead of turning it down OR paying a fortune to invest into it OR living with an ugly clashing sofa in my nice lounge I've invested just a little...and decided we WILL make it work!
1. Throw (that I've wanted from ikea for ages)... navy and knitted (£25)
2. 2 cusions from pound stretcher and committment to finish off some knitted patchwork ones I once started. (3.99 x2 and free left over wool cushions)
3. Potentially a new can of paint if these tricks don't disguise the clash (£10.99)
So voila... new sofa bed all comfy for guests all for the grand price of 43.97. BOOM.
But what about hand me downs that cost you? What about when they're kind of good and a bit what you need but not ideal and might need investing into?
My mum and dad have been quite determined that we strongly consider taking their sofa bed... these are the factors in no particular order...
1. They probably feel guilty about throwing it out - it was really expensive
2. We could really do with a guest bed
3. The colour is pinkish and really clashes with the dark pinkish wall in the lounge
4. we already have 2 sofas and dont really need another
5. I wouldn't want to get rid of one of the ones we already have - we chose them to last us
6. the sofa bed will ONLY fit in the lounge and there is no space and it is too heavy for upstairs
7. Its a really comfy sofa bed to sleep on.
8. mum prices up reupholstering at nearly £600.
9. oooh now the Christmas tree is gone there IS a big space just right for a sofa!
So instead of turning it down OR paying a fortune to invest into it OR living with an ugly clashing sofa in my nice lounge I've invested just a little...and decided we WILL make it work!
1. Throw (that I've wanted from ikea for ages)... navy and knitted (£25)
2. 2 cusions from pound stretcher and committment to finish off some knitted patchwork ones I once started. (3.99 x2 and free left over wool cushions)
3. Potentially a new can of paint if these tricks don't disguise the clash (£10.99)
So voila... new sofa bed all comfy for guests all for the grand price of 43.97. BOOM.
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