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gina_s91

First home: blank canvas

6 years ago

It's time to turn over the keys to my son. The granite hasn't been installed yet but it has been ordered. I have to get blinds yet and am leaning toward simple charcoal colored roller shades.


My son doesn't have any furniture. He has a mattress and frame, tv, and took his brother's desk, table, and two bar stools out of storage. He has a black sectional picked out at Nebraska Furniture Mart. He never asks for anything but asked me for a commercial popcorn popper for his birthday (I don't know why--I suggested a small one but that isn't want he wants ). So, that needs to co somewhere.


Here is the design dilemma. This is an old school house and the layout is mostly open in kind of an "L". The first picture is the entry door. I know he wants a bench and hall tree on the far wall. He doesn't like that shelf at all but his dad made him take it, lol. He doesn't know what to do with the space in this room other than the entry tree/bench and the dining table.


The 2nd picture is the opposite side of the entry and where he put the table from his brother. Next is the kitchen. Walking through the kitchen is the area where he will have his sectional and TV. Right now he is planning on having the sectional on the wall where the windows are. I'm not sure how it will work but ... that is what he is telling me he wants to do. He needs everything -- rugs, coffee table, end tables, media cabinet ... actually, he doesn't even have a coffee maker, toaster, dishes. When he went to college he took his clothes and bed -- truly a simple person. My point is that he needs to prioritize and budget. Edit: the pictures are in the opposite order than listed. His style is simple, masculine, he likes blue and neutrals. He loves the pendents and seems to lean toward industrial.

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Comments (21)

  • 6 years ago

    You helped him with the kitchen and flooring, if memory serves? I think Robbin Capers is right: your son can figure out where to place his furniture where it suits him. And if he can't, he can come here and ask for help himself. :) He can also shop for what he needs. FB Marketplace and Ikea are great places to furnish a house on a budget.

    Gina S thanked tartanmeup
  • 6 years ago

    He is doing it himself. He asked me what to do with that entry space -- and I don't have an answer. He also didn't know how to fill up the space from the kitchen to the living room.

  • 6 years ago

    FB marketplace has a lot -- I found some really creative people there making some clocks, lamps, benches out of recycle iron. Really neat -- @tartanmeup


    Just a reminder -- I own the house. That is why I chose the flooring, countertop, etc. I would do that with any renter but tried to do it with the things he preferred.


  • 6 years ago

    I did not realize you owned the house. Misunderstood the situation, sorry about that.


    If you have a layout of the space with measurements, I'm sure people will be able to suggest furniture arrangements. Often, sectionals aren't the most practical seating options.

    Gina S thanked tartanmeup
  • 6 years ago

    Is that sectional going to fit? The width of the room does not look that wide. What are the dimensions of the sectional and the room?

    Gina S thanked shirlpp
  • 6 years ago

    I'll get the measurements. @tartanmeup --I'm glad you caught that. I kind of giggled to myself that anyone thought I was making the decisions -- if I were the one choosing he wouldn't be getting a sectional or a huge popcorn popper. This is all on him now. I just feel bad when he asks me for advice and I don't have an answer.

  • 6 years ago

    He should tape out a silhouette of the sectional on the floor in the spot he prefers. Also put tape on the wall at the height of the sectional. That way you can get a better idea of how much space it will hog up. If he's anything like most young men, he's thinking man cave style and that may block the windows and eat the square footage. Once he gets a correctly sized sofa, the issue of filling up some of the space may disappear.


    Gina S thanked decoenthusiaste
  • 6 years ago

    @decoenthusiaste -- I will try that. I don't see how it will fit either. I do know that wall to the door is 5 feet. He's pretty non-negotiable on the sectional. I didn't think of it but maybe he probably is thinking man-cave style and doesn't care about blocking the door and windows. LOL.


    I will try to get the link on the sectional and then maybe you can help me answer the questions he wanted help with.


    Also, I know this is so far away from what the designers and home makers here do -- want to do. But, if you could help me with your creativity and be patient I really appreciate it.

  • 6 years ago

    At the least, make sure he can return the sectional if it doesn't work as he expected. If he is at the age to start dating toward marriage, he should consider what the ladies will think of his lair! Never hurts to style it with them in mind.

    Gina S thanked decoenthusiaste
  • 6 years ago

    I recommend he get a regular sofa, perhaps long enough for him to stretch out on. Then save up to to get a nice chair that looks like this. Finish the grouping with a fabric chair, not oversized and with a swivel if he can find one at a good price.

    Eames® Lounge Chair and Ottoman · More Info


    Gina S thanked tqtqtbw
  • 6 years ago

    @deco.. "he should consider what the ladies will think of his lair." Gross. What a cheesy male stereotype not to mention the degrading reference to women being taken back to a 'den'. He should style to his tastes, not a woman's. And if she doesn't like his choices, she isn't the right one. And finally, you're assuming his sexual preference. Stop.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Yup. Just what he needs...a $6,000 chair. 6 feet long, with ottoman, and 3 feet wide; takes up as much room as a couch. SMH

    Gina S thanked tatts
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    “Looks like.” I’m not suggesting he spend that much on a chair. There was a man who posted during the summer about designing an apartment for himself and two teen sons. Newly divorced, I think. With help, he found a stylish chair and designed a comfortable space. I’ll look for his post. James, I think it was.

    edit: it was John, ”single again clueless”, here is a chair suggested to him. https://www.macys.com/shop/product/annaldo-leather-swivel-chair-ottoman-2-pc.-set?ID=2873937&CategoryID=76617&swatchColor=Midnight#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D150%26ruleId%3D78%7CBOOST%20ATTRIBUTE%26searchPass%3DmatchNone%26slotId%3D30%C2%A0

    Gina S thanked tqtqtbw
  • 6 years ago

    Is he wanting a sectional or a chaise sofa? With a chaise sofa, look at one where the chaise can be move to either end of the sofa.

    Gina S thanked tqtqtbw
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I really believe that you should suggest to your son that he NOT try to finish and furnish the house all at once. As a practical matter, once he, as a bachelor, has the barest of necessities in place, he can move in with the house mostly empty.

    He'll need to have the utilities on (including heat, plumbing, electrical) in a home that is "in the dry". He'll need a refrigerator and a microwave and a toaster oven (so he can prepare food). He can wait to choose a table for between kitchen and living room because he could eat at the peninsula /bar -- as long as you get the countertop w/bar overhanging in place.

    Once in, HE can and eventually will begin to decide what he needs and wants -- hopefully within his budget rather than going into debt.

    My only specific suggestion is that IF he will be eating his meals at the peninsula for the foreseeable future, he should choose at least one extremely comfortable bar stool (but preferably two -one for him and one for the occasional guest, be that family or friend); however, if he expects to get a dining table of some kind soon and wants a practical and less expensive bar stool, he might consider a pair of wood saddle bar stools.

    FYI: About six years ago I bought a desk chair at Big Lots for about $100. Although the first one fell apart almost immediately, they took it back and I'm sitting on its replacement (the same kind of chair) as I type this. A chair doesn't need to cost $6,000 to be useful.

    You might enlighten him about the existence of Habitat for Humanity Restore Stores and Salvation Army Family stores and GoodWill and charity thrift stores and even used/vintage/antique stores and consignment shops.

    Gina S thanked suezbell
  • 6 years ago

    Facebook Marketplace has been fabulous for me as a source, also.

  • 6 years ago

    Would recommend against a sectional. It limits furniture placement and if any part of it is stained or damaged, a lot of seating would need to be replaced to get rid of one ugly spot.

    Gina S thanked suezbell
  • 6 years ago

    Thank you @tatts @tqtqtbw @suezbell I don't have much of an update and really appreciate your advice. He does plan on moving in without anything but a bed, tv, hand-me-down table, desk, two chairs and his personal items. :)


    I feel bad that the countertop and blinds aren't in -- that was my responsibility (remember this is my home) -- and I am a little frustrated that the people I have hired aren't -- ok, that is another story.


    Because of that he doesn't have a kitchen sink but he says he can live on pop pies and frozen pizza and wash everything in the bathroom sink. This is a true bachelor first time on his own kind of life style, right??


    @suezbell - that is so interesting about your chair. I have some furniture, now banned to the basement that has held up for over 15 years. It is leather and looks better now that the day we bought it. I didn't know a thing about quality, bonded, brands ... anything. We bought what appealed to us on the storeroom floor. Our new furniture by smith brothers (suppose to be a good name) started to peel while under warranty and we had it replaced.


    I have my painters tape ready and he has agreed to get the dimensions before he goes to get the sectional. I have asked him to wait until Black Friday to get a deal at Nebraska Furniture Mart . I hope it isn't a mad house. Maybe that is bad advice.

  • 6 years ago

    My first experience with the kind of "leather" that is a waste of money was a belt I bought a long time ago. At least my lesson on the subject was a relatively inexpensive one.


    If you have good furniture in the basement you're not using, and if you want to do so, there's no reason why you shouldn't at least offer it to your son as an option.


    One more thing I forgot to mention: Anyone buying end tables or bedside tables should at least consider upscale filing cabinets -- the two drawer kind or the kind with a third shallow drawer -- can double as storage for all those documents every family ends up needing to keep. Some of the more upscale ones are very attractive. Also on the plus side, some are lockable and others are fire resistant. In addition to securing banks statements, etc., from prying eyes, they could also be a place to keep a class ring or expensive cuff links or a computer or expensive camera equipment, etc. -- any of the kinds of things your son might not want any visitors or delivery people or persons working in/at the home even knowing is there much less handling them..


    Let us know how the project turns out.


    .

    Gina S thanked suezbell
  • 6 years ago

    Even the newer (no strings) white mini blinds ar affordable at WallMart and are relatively easy to self install. You might aim him in that direction.


    As to the countertop, if your son is in a hurry to move in and the countertop will be delayed for a while -- weeks -- your son might check about getting the local big box building supply store to cut some smooth "finish" plywood (preliminary sanding already done) to the size/shape needed as a temporary countertop.. Your son could then use that same plywood for DIY shelves when the countertops are installed.