Young House Love

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A Series Of Unfortunate Events

First there was a fortunate event. We found a giant piece of art in a pretty wood frame selling for $20 at a yard sale in our neighborhood. And when I say giant, I mean giant. It’s over 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall. The only issue with it was there was a small dent in the frame, which is totally not a big deal for us, so we went for it.

Cracked Painting

John wasn’t really a huge fan of the painting itself, but we figured you couldn’t even get a canvas this big and build a wood frame around it for $20, so it was a good deal if only for the “base” that it gave us (we could always paint over the artwork or place a large print over it, etc). And in the meantime, while we figured out what we wanted to frame/paint on top, I thought I would just lean it up on the back of the buffet to see how the scale looked since we were thinking about hanging it there. But before I could say crapIshouldbemorecareful I had somehow managed to knock the glass based lamp off the left side of the buffet while leaning the hulking new piece of art there.

Lamp Broken 1

Thank goodness Clara was sitting in her yellow highchair at the dining table eating (no worries about her bare feet and the glass) but we were having a random power outage (it only lasted about an hour) so that meant I had to sweep and sweep and sweep until I was sure all the glass was gone since I couldn’t vacuum that corner just to be sure until the power came back on. So that’s two unfortunate events going on (broken lamp + power outage). Not the end of the world, but… #Bummers.

Broken Lamp2

Bet you didn’t see this coming…

Second Lamp Issue1

Seriously, I couldn’t make this stuff up. The picture that had been leaning just fine against the wall for about thirty minutes while I cleaned up the broken lamp suddenly shifted, sending the other lamp flying over the edge along with the art itself, our bowl of postcards, and my little resin pineapple.

But somewhat miraculously, the cord for the lamp was juuuust short enough to keep it from shattering everywhere. #Luckylittlelamp

Second Lamp Issue2

As you can see from the picture above the last one, a few small pineapple points broke off in the fall, but thankfully it’s not noticeable. And the art (which doesn’t have a glass pane, just a wood frame around the perimeter) and the ceramic bowl full of postcards weren’t harmed in the fall. Whew. #CanThingsPleaseStopJumpingOffThisBuffet?

Around this time John came home from an errand he was running so I got to tell him about all the chaos he had missed. Thankfully the power was back on at this point so I vacuumed the corner while John used a heavy duty anchor to hang our jumpy little painting once and for all. Seemed like the only surefire way to get him under control (the painting, not John).

Hanging Painting

Then I let out more than a few sighs of relief. It’s not necessarily art we would have picked out in a store for $300, but for $20 from a yard sale it definitely works for now. And we’d love to use it as a backdrop for a print that’s more our speed someday – or even paint over it to see if we can whip up something more “us” eventually. Until then, I’m just happy he’s staying. on. the. friggin. wall.

Entryway Corner

So perhaps I jinxed that poor glass lamp when I mentioned that we had him for over five years in this post (they were actually from our wedding registry) but somebody was looking out for his twin brother.

Entryway Vertical

Thankfully all of the items on the buffet are just there on a “for now” basis, since we’re just working with things we already have. But someday I’d love to upgrade to two matching lamps that feel a little more special (maybe with sculptural bases like the artichoke ones in the bedroom, or a fun bold colored shade). You know we’ll keep you posted!

Art Wall Side Shot

I still kind of can’t believe that the frame somehow jumped over the faux coral and the ceramic leaf dish and only managed to topple the bowl and the lamp (neither of which broke). Maybe there were some fortunate events worked in there with the unfortunate ones.

Art Detail

And for anyone wondering where Clara was while I shot the after pics, I’ll give you a hint:

Wheres Waldo Clara

Yup, the girl likes to run through my shots. Sometimes while holding “her” iPad. Kids!

Any fortunate or unfortunate events going on at your house? Did you see the third unfortunate event coming after I shared those first two? I didn’t. That’s for sure. Scared the bejeesus out of me. Although I gotta admit Clara was some good comic relief. She totally shouted “oh no, it fall down!” from her high chair. And then she went on to mutter something about “the picture fell down and hurt the head.” Pretty cute…

Comments

  1. Stephanie says

    Aw, what a bummer!

    Not sure if someone posted this already (there are a lot of comments) but I knew that painting as soon as I saw it like I’m sure a lot did, maybe yourselves as well. I put it in one of my idea books on Houzz!

    http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Caroline-Gold-Shoreline-Unframed-Canvas-Art/4745952/product.html?rcmndsrc=2

    I would have snatched that baby up in a heart beat for $20! Awesome find even if you don’t want to keep it the way it is. And if you change your mind you can sell it… I know someone who might be interested ;)

    Reply

  2. Donna says

    I don’t want to say this, ’cause I love you’re website and all, but the ikat drapes ( which are super modern ) and the french-country buffet ( great deal on Craigslist! ) are super-weird together, IMHO. Then you add the hotel-worthy art ( which is an easy fix, no biggie ), and there just seems like no method to your madness, and you’all are too cool for that! I don’t mean to be critical, but what is your mojo? I ask b/c I take most of my decorating tips from your humble website!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We love how they go together! Mixing old with now and a room that looks collected over time is something we’ve always been drawn to. To us the color completely ties them together (they both have similar green & identical brown tones). We actually love that they aren’t the same color AND style since that might be too much, but that color link is enough to make the room make sense to us. And to us ikat is more transitional / new traditional than modern, and lots of people mix curvy old furnishings and ikat (ex: Ballard Designs). In the end, I’m sure it’s not what everyone else would do if this were their house though!

      xo,
      s

  4. Katharine says

    Something similar just happened to me about a week ago! My roommate and I finally found a really nice shelf to mount above our fireplace (handmade and only $10). After we hung it, it was fine for probably a week or so and then one night I swear it just jumped off the wall! The hooks on the back of it were still in place and there were no scratches on the wall so we still have no idea what happened. The fall broke the mini vase that was sitting on it and some of the trinkets sitting in front of the fireplace on the floor. It was a sad day for sure but I will be searching for a new (lighter and less jump) shelf this weekend!

    Reply

  5. Maggie says

    Please forgive me, but I laughed and laughed reading that post. It sounds like something that would happen at my house! Your blog is delightful and I really enjoy it. We’ve made lots of changes around our house that you guys inspired – like the film on the bathroom window and painting outdoor furniture a bright blue. Oh and Clara is a doll. My daughter had the same type hair ’til she was about three when it came in very curly and now she has a head full of gorgeous hair! Keep up the good work!

    Reply

  6. Angela says

    Bummer! On a completely unrelated note my seven year old has been reading the Lemony Snicket books and was bawling the Monday night because the books were giving him bad scary thoughts and he didn’t even want them in his room anymore. Poor little dude.

    Reply

  7. Anne B says

    This reminds me of the story of the haunted Aunt Pratt painting at Shirley Plantation! Also totally unrelated, I was at a friend’s house for dinner and she had a kind of sofa set-up with the dining table. Her dining room opened into the kitchen like yours, and it was really comfortable and fun and unexpected. Just an idea if you are every looking for a change up! http://ciaointeriors.com/seating/sofas-for-dining/

    Reply

  9. Suzanne says

    Very unfortunate! I’m hoping you saved the non-glass part of the lamp for a future project.(not sure of correct term for cord and light bulb kit part) But I’m thinking you could probably reuse that down the road by finding a cool jar or vase with the right sized opening.

    Reply

  10. Sheri says

    Sounds exactly like something that would happen at this house, and then my husband would sigh and laugh at me saying ‘Only you Sheri, only you…’ while he repaired the damage.

    (Come to think of it, maybe it’s the name!)

    Reply

  13. Erin says

    I guess the buffet wanted to give input on its own design, kinda like a teenager wanting to pick out her own clothes?? But, gotta tell you, I like it better with one lamp. OK, full disclosure, that’s how I have it on my own buffet. I think it’s better that way not being so symmetrical. More interesting. And I have a large painting over mine on the left side, as you do, but I centered my artwork in the space between the lampshade and the end of the buffet. Don’t know if you’ve tried that, but it gives a smidge better balance to the overall look. If you push your buffet just a tad toward the closet door…

    Reply

  15. rivka says

    I LOVE you guys! And I love that painting! (sorry John!)…but you’re always hanging things too low. It needs about 2-3 inches upwards.

    I’m so sorry about your lamp, but the whole thing is like an I Love Lucy episode!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      When we hang items over buffets or things like our sofa we like for them to connect to the item under them instead of flying high over them, so we use the rule about leaving around 8-12″ of space to visually connect them to the item under them.

      xo,
      s

  16. Andrea says

    Can I just say that I love the look of the hutch with only one lamp much better. You see those matchy matchy lamps on a lot of blogs lately and they really bug me for some reason.

    The picture really works too. Great find!

    Reply

  17. Mamaw says

    OK, I have to laugh hysterically here. My husband would swear that this was my post if he read it. It’s something that would happen to me.

    Reply

  19. Kasey M. says

    When I was a kid my dad and uncle use to install garage doors which requires a lot of running up and down a ladder with tools. The developed this habit of loudly yelling “dropped something” whenever something hit the floor. Well it turned into a joke and now whenever someone drops something (particularly if it makes a loud noise or scares the bejesus out of everyone else) my family, myself, and most of my high school friends are trained to shout, “Dropped something!” Although these days I usually help pick things up afterward.

    In case you are wondering – we are a very sarcastic family. Except for Mom who is literally deaf to sarcasm.

    Reply

  20. Melissa says

    Now you know why that frame has a little “dent” in it & why it was only $20. This clearly isn’t the pictures first foray into adventure. I think it’s jinxed. You’ve only got two choices. Burn it or splash it with holy water. Good luck!!

    P.S. –

    I ADORE you guys, I’ve been reading your posts for a month or so, it’s super informative & hilarious!! Keep it up!! xoxo
    OH! One more thing, my 5 yo, Joey requests more pictures of your puppy!! Thanks!

    Reply

  21. how2home says

    I like that you added bright yellow with the ‘mold’ I think the colors together are very striking! At least you didn’t get hurt, that’s the most important part. Plus, this gives you another reason to buy or thrift for something new right! :)

    Reply

  22. Rachel says

    Haha the broken points reminds me of when Lisa Simpson got bits of her hair cut off and the little triangles are in her hand.

    Reply

  23. Jan says

    I actually like the whole arrangement with one lamp, not two. And a quick tip for getting up every last sliver of glass. A piece of nice soft bread! It will even get what a vacuum leaves behind and as you probably know even the tiniest sliver of glass can cut you. Worried about bread with glass in it? Put it in a bag and better yet spray it with something yucky like window cleaner, just a bit. However, if you get it into a secure outdoor trash can all should be well. This tip has kept our feet glass free more times than I can count.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s just a weird iPad glitch, but if you clear your cookies or your data/cache it should be fine! Wish we could fix it but we didn’t change anything on our end- iPads are just finicky for some reason:)

      xo,
      s

  26. Jac says

    Ok… Now your readers have mentioned haunted I can just see the plot for Paranormal Activity 4…. Old furniture from ‘the basement’ is craigslisted/garage saled to unsuspecting lovely, normal(ish) couple. We watch the terrors unfold via increasingly eerie blog posts and YouTube video updates….

    Reply

  27. bella says

    Oh I just had a series of unfortunate events at work today. Just as I was leaving (early but still too late for an appointment which already made my boss a bit mad. I was already late for work because I woke up and I had to take my cat to the vet because he was so sick) anyways, just as I was leaving I knocked over her teacup onto a powerplug and suddenly we had a poweroutage with a full store where all the cashregisters work electronically and even set off a police alarm because they get informed if our alarm is out of electricity and all our surveillance cameras stopped working for an hour or so.
    Everything was wet of course seeing as the teacup was completely full. I left early to look at an apartment and the apartment ended up being REALLY dark and ugly so it wasn’t even worth the hassle. It was really one of those fml days. Must be the full moon.
    At least my cat is better now :P

    Reply

  28. Maren says

    ha! Yea that twin lamp sure got lucky!! Our AC died last Tuesday, and three days later, our basement toilet flooded… and we didn’t know. An inch of water in the basement later, and our Friday night was ruined! Oh, and did I mention that we closed on our house June 18th? ha, welcome to home-ownership!

    Reply

  29. Kelsey says

    I actually really like the bird where he is in conjunction with the painting – it looks as if he’s about to fly out of his wall, past the door, and into that lovely skyline! I love that! It inspires a decor-version of Toy Story.

    Reply

  32. erica says

    I was wondering if the main door color was yellow on the inside too. I was trying too look for some pics, but in all the pictures featured, the main door is open. Look forward to your response.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s just yellow on the front (facing the street) and white on the inside, but we’re thinking about painting the inside part yellow too. Will keep you posted!

      xo
      s

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