It must be Spring

I was overwhelmed today by this incredible urge to rearrange furniture. This is seriously my harbinger into Spring (or Winter). This need to change my living environment has been with me as long as I can remember. I rearranged almost weekly in high school and college. There is always some better way for my furniture to be, something new I haven't explored.

Today I spent my son's nap time moving around almost every piece of furniture in my living room and dining room. Multiple times. I have a large (too large) amount of furniture, the majority which is family heirlooms or pieces that either I or D are extremely fond of. Finding a way to work it all into our space so that things flow and allow free movement and breathing space is difficult. I don't feel like I can get rid of any of the family pieces unless I give them to another family member (so far none have wanted them). But man, I crave simplicity and fewer things. The freedom from owning all this history would sometimes be very nice. Of course I probably would have been pretty bummed to have just had to buy things as well. Over the years, our Pottery Barn couches have been replaced by couches that belonged to my grandparents. A dining set by one that belonged to my grandmother. An empty formal dining room (crystal chandelier and everything) filled with the formal dining set of D's grandparents. All much better quality than what we already owned and all weighted by the knowledge of who they belonged to and how much those people meant to me/us.

Of course the only piece I would ever truly consider getting rid of is a table we bought many years ago and is so large it's a serious piece of furniture in it's own right. It's lovely burled wood and D really likes it or I would have parted with it ages ago. Today's exercise in dead weight moving was trying to find it a perfect home. I think I have succeeded for now. Of course it necessitated the moving of every single piece of furniture in the living room and most of the dining room. Luckily I'm married to a man who walks in the door bearing Aleve. Some women get flowers but my man knows what I like.

I may not be able to move tomorrow, but the living room is wide open for train track building and I'm feeling like maybe I made some headway. We will see, I will live with it like this for a while and see if it feels comfortable. I find I have to live in a space before I know if it will be right for me.

** Happy Homemaker Tip - to remove the furniture indents on your carpet, spray water on them, let it sit for 5 minutes and then rub with a towel. Voila! No more indentations.