As You Like It: Designing Woman

It all began when Steve and I saw the studio apartment that would be Mom’s home. We had already been concerned that she would feel that it was too small after having lived in an apartment. So when we saw a studio that belonged to a lady who liked stuff — there were things crammed in every corner and all of it on doilies — we gave each other a glance that said, “Oh God. This is definitely a bad idea.”

Mary, who had been showing us around, caught the glance and quickly said, “Let me see if I can get you into another apartment that’s a little less, um, cluttered.”

Luckily she did, because this lady had a good sense of what should be included in a living space. We heaved a sigh of relief when we saw that Mom could definitely be comfortable living there.

Mary gave us a floor plan so we could begin planning the space. My mom and I are so much alike. Neither one of us can stand clutter. We prefer clean lines and room to breathe. Steve and I set out to create an apartment that would have everything she would need, including empty space. Large furniture was out of the question. We needed scaled down pieces that would fit a compact space. It reminded me so much of when we moved into our first apartment after we were married.

We had all the basics: a small bedroom and living room with a kitchen so tiny that you had to leave if you wanted to change your mind. We both liked colonial-style furniture so we hunted for weeks through stores that equated colonial with huge, until we found one store that sold furniture that would fit our apartment. We spent weeks measuring and poring over their showroom until we designed the perfect place. Here we were, doing the same thing again. We both loved the challenge. It was like finding all the puzzle pieces and piecing them together till they fit.

We visited furniture stores, looked through catalogues, drew lines on our floor plan, erased them and drew others. Finally we saw that IKEA was the store that had what we needed so we toured it again and again, matching all the pieces together. And then we returned to Mom’s place with Mariel as a third pair of eyes.

The three of us spent hours measuring, discussing, imagining. It was all coming together pretty well except for one desk so we trekked back to the store. The twentieth time was the charm. We finally found it so we bought it all and had it shipped. But the hardest part was yet to come. Steve had to put it all together. I was useless at that task so, shopper extraordinaire that I am, my job was to shop.

It’s been over 30 years since I completely furnished a home, and let me tell you it’s a blast. Since I’m constantly looking at my house wishing that I could redesign it from scratch, being able to do it for my mom was the next best thing. And the pleasure of it all is that it feels like a gift that I’m offering her. I hope she has as much fun living with it as I had designing it.

Since we furnished our first home, my tastes have changed. I’ve come to appreciate the clean lines of modern and Shaker furniture. My color tastes have changed as well. Whereas my entire house is a sketch in rose and French blue, I’ve come to love a brighter palette of lime greens, soft yellows and even pale oranges and blues. Luckily for me, I was shopping for Mom in the spring and those were the colors the stores were featuring.

You tend to forget all the things you need when you’re setting up a home. Steve and I made a list and taped it to the refrigerator so we could add to it whenever we thought of something else. The big things are easy, but it’s the little ones that drive you crazy. The cutting boards, teakettles, bread knives and can openers. And what about dishtowels and a dish rack, a potato peeler and a cutlery tray? Our list ballooned and the few weekends that I had envisioned steadily grew to take over a couple of months. It’s amazing the silly things you can’t find no matter where you look. My current nemesis is a napkin holder. Steve is a firm believer in buying online, but I refuse to pay shipping costs for a napkin holder!

Last Saturday I started out at 10 and drooped home at 4. Steve took one look at me — and the packed car — and shook his head. I just looked at him and said the words I never thought I would hear myself say, “Shatz, I am completely shopped out! I couldn’t buy another thing!”

But it’s been fun and so very satisfying. Mom’s place is airy, roomy, colorful and welcoming. Steve and I should start a company designing small spaces on a budget. And it will all be worth it just to see Mom’s face when she sees her new home. And if she doesn’t like it, well, I’ve rested up — I could force myself to go shopping again!

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Posted by Joan Florek Schottenfeld on Jun 24 2010. Filed under As You Like It, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.