Living it up by the sea

uralmaid

@bluenose1 We had to move the tv aerial point right across to the other side.  I might try advertising the sofa again in the Spring. If it was up to me I would give it away but as we paid over £4000 for it the thought of it makes hubby go pale. I keep saying it is only worth what someone will pay but even though we advertised it for £1000 ono we got no takers. I think it is because it is too big for most peoples houses.  It is a leather  Duresta one and so excellent quality but no takers. Watch this space....... It's funny - there are so many sofas to choose from but until you live with them for a while you don't know if they will work and it can be a costly mistake.  You will have to keep dropping hints to your hubby - subtle but plant the seed.

Clowance

As someone who buys sofas second hand - all leather recliners in two rooms, I dont pay more than £100 for a sofa. They tend to last a good few years and are usually in decent condition. Used to buy new but nowadays won't spend the money - Yorkshire war cry "" 'Ow much?"  it has saved us a fortune over the last 15 years or so. I don't care recliners aren't stylish!

uralmaid

We are originally from Yorkshire too.  We bought our current sofa for our last house but it is really too big for our current home.  I suspect we will have to take a big hit on it to move it on. There are lots of inexpensive leather sofas around but not the same sort of quality. Ours has feather seat cushions and is very comfy but very big and very deep.

bluenose1

Haha, good luck selling your sofa, you are definitely tempting me @uralmaid. My long term master plan is to put my new sofas in the back room. The leather sofas in there are 20 years old but still really comfortable and still look good as always been in the spare room.
My new sofas will grow on me more when I can take the throws off them that protect them from the dog. In fact I am currently looking for throws that match better so that should help.

I was thinking of selling some stuff on Vinted to raise some money and help with my decluttering, though not going well. So far I have bought some new silver earrings and a necklace and not listed a thing.

uralmaid

I am the same @bluenose1 - Every week I think I will advertise some stuff but then just buy something instead.  Although I have just this week advertised an antique gun cabinet locally.

Humboldt

Morning @uralmaid, how are you doing? Any update on the sofa sale?  We donated our last sofa to the Br!tish He@rt Found@tion.  I contacted them via their website, sent them a photo of the item as requested, and confirmed that it had a fire safety label attached. Not only did they collect it for free, but later sent me an email stating that they had sold it for £100. My sofa was certainly not as expensive as yours (I was surprised how much they sold it for), so I understand why you would prefer to sell it privately if possible.  In other news...I think that I am a step closer to choosing a paint colour, off to get sample pots this weekend.

@Savvy_Sue that's a long journey home, but pleased to read that you enjoyed your holiday in Barcelona.  When on a cruise, DH and I enjoyed a whistle stop tour of Barcelona.  Would love to go back for a long weekend to explore further. Porto was also a port destination that I would love to revisit. 

@bluenose1 I have 2 loads of washing on the line today.  Fingers crossed it dries. 

uralmaid

Good morning @Humboldt. Haven't sold the sofa.  To be fair I am not advertising it at the moment.  We moved everything around in the lounge/dining room when we got back from our holiday to make it feel a bit more cozy.  Will probably try to sell it or donate it at some point.  Ooh glad you are getting nearer to choosing your paint colour.  What sort of colour are you thinking of?When we moved in here the Lounge/dining room and the stairs and landing were painted in a raspberry and white combination. We changed it to a very dark black cherry sort of colour then papered one wall in an art nouveau paper and also have some rust coloured accents in the curtains and carpet.  Sounds weird but works. The curtains are heavy velvety material and we have 3 full length pairs in the Lounge.  If you want to see the colour they are called Belmont from Dunelm and we have matching cushions on the chairs and sofa. Ir works well with our furniture which is all dark oak.  
Unfortunately I bid for some items on the local auction last week. I got a beautiful carved oak tall plant stand from the 30's an also a white gold and diamond ring may have been acquired.  Oops!!.
The thing I am currently researching is new bathroom furniture.  When we moved in here 3 years ago it was one of the first rooms to be done. We paid quite a lot for the furniture which is blue but it is terrible quality as the finish is all starting to flake off.  The room gets very wet even though we have a strong extractor fan, which together with the fact it is a walk in shower rather than a cubicle is not helping.  Can't seem to find what I want though - everywhere seems to do a variation of the same.  I have been in touch with our plumber to arrange a date for the New Year so will have to get sorted.

Savvy_Sue

Humboldt said:

@Savvy_Sue that's a long journey home, but pleased to read that you enjoyed your holiday in Barcelona.  When on a cruise, DH and I enjoyed a whistle stop tour of Barcelona.  Would love to go back for a long weekend to explore further. Porto was also a port destination that I would love to revisit. 

If I may give you ONE piece of advice, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO 'DO' BARCELONA ON A LONG WEEKEND. Seriously, even a week felt seriously rushed and 'hard work'. 

And if you must, then anything you definitely want to see 'properly', and especially Sagrada Familia, book it before you leave, or you either won't get in or will only get in after a long queue. 

I'm sure I could go back for another week and still not see everything on my 'missed that' list! 

Porto is a spot I'm quite tempted by. A friend has just got back from there, looks gorgeous, and we are twinned with them, but their iconic bridge is upside down ... 

Humboldt

Morning @uralmaid I find moving things around in the home can make a huge difference to our mood and enables us to embrace a new season with minimal cost. I love the rich colours that you describe, however, I feel that our current home needs a more neutral, contemporary approach.  The sample pots that I am collecting today include Elephants Breath and School House White (who names these colours!).  Good luck with researching new bathroom furniture. 

@Savvy_Sue all advice welcome. 

Savvy_Sue

Humboldt said:

@Savvy_Sue all advice welcome. 

Well here's another: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gl1k53l10o

"Manchester will become the first English “guest city” at Barcelona’s famous La Mercè cultural festival next year."

The festival is late September: we were there for it although we weren't seeking it out (don't like crowds much), so you could get a feel for it without a passport. 

Although I'm not sure who's organising the weather for it: it was a bit damp on our first day ("oh gosh let's grab a coffee and see if this ever stops" kind of damp - but it did stop!) but after that it was gorgeous, warm and dry ...