Just "freshening things up"

My husband gets a little frustrated with what he thinks are "frequent" urges from me to move things around a little. You know - freshen things up, make some changes. My urges aren't that frequent at all, it's just that he believes you put a couch there, a TV there and that's where they stay. Forever. And why do I need a new cushion cover anyway? God forbid I should go for a coffee table, it just takes up floor space (which apparently he needs for something, but unless he has a secret aerobics hobby I don't know what he needs the floor space for).

5 months into our current abode (above the shop), I am very much over the lounge room. It just doesn't feel "grown up". My husband bought one of those ridiculously large plasmas a few years ago that restricts lounge placement to, well, as far away as possible. So we have a 2 seater lounge at one end, a TV at the other, and under protest I managed to get in a side table and an armchair (hello, family of four require seating options!). But the room just looks bland and unwelcoming.

Conveniently, one of my Makers, Jeremy from karrottopdesigns, dropped in some lovely furniture yesterday and one piece, the vintage dresser, just had to go in the shop window. This required some rearranging. It started with the window display. Then I moved the pedestal that was in the window to the kids section. Which meant I had to move the vintage drawers from the kids section to...oh dear where can that go....oh I know - our lounge room. Stroke of genius.

karrottopdesigns vintage dresser $495

So I went up and moved the lounge, rug, armchair and side table to accommodate the vintage drawers. Then I had to track down the vacuum cleaner and while husband did battle with the monster dust bunnies the kids delighted in the discovery of forgotten toys neatly stashed under the lounge. Husband was then sent back and forth to his gallery downstairs to find appropriate pieces to put on the wall. Oh yay. With just a couple of knick knacks the lounge room will have so much more character! And it has a clean floor!

When I went back down to the shop I remembered another Maker, Quentin from Q. Design & Construction, had also dropped in some rustic wooden display cubes in while I was out. (As a side note, this guy can design and sew you an enviro conscious bag, and build an extension on your house.) I love a bit of initiative, and they are very cool, so best use them. Don't look good on the centre table. So I cleared the centre table and called husband to cart it away. It was too dark for the shop anyway. Back to the white pedestals.

Quentin's display cubes with and.O, Ivy & Jean, and Cosse ceramics 

Quentin's cycling bag (with waist strap) - $150

Rearranged shelf, oh dear that doesn't fit, must rearrange side table. Whoops, some things don't fit, have to rearrange counter. OK, getting closer.....to tears! What on earth was I thinking!! This is why people have retail fittings - they are fitted. There's no moving around on a whim. No opportunity to spend five straight hours of your life arranging and re-arranging. Yes, the shop always looks fresh but it's starting to cost me my sanity. In frustration call husband for advice on product placement, which I immediately dismiss.

OK. Turn around, deep breath, turn back around. Oh - that actually looks quite good. Oh yes, that's much better! Bless husband for humouring me. Time to reward myself with a hot milk and tim tam. The Osteopath can sort the rest out.