I am a Lucky Mother

Fernanda and Roberta setting out in the U-Haul together.

I am a lucky mother, and I know it.  I spent the past few days with my eldest daughter in Philadelphia helping her to set up her new apartment.  She has lived on her own for the last two years while getting a master's degree, but the apartment was on campus and came fully furnished.  Watching her take her first steps designing her apartment solidified my love of motherhood.

Roberta found a beautiful apartment in a historic complex.  Three beautiful stone towers, built in the 1920s and surrounded by lush greenery, a dog park, tennis courts, and a pool.  She did a great job finding a safe and beautiful place to call home for the next couple of years.  Bonus point for her mom; Grace Kelly and her family lived there many years ago.  This building has rich historical style throughout.

Shopping for the home is fun to do with a friend. Courtesy of Shutterstock

The Thrill of the Hunt

Decorating houses and spaces is one of my favorite things to do.  I love to search for great finds, both new and used, to make a space feel personal and special.  It’s the thrill of the hunt for me.  Sure we could go online to Ballard Design, or visit one brick and mortar store to buy it all, but that isn’t fun for me.  And it turns out that it wasn’t the way Roberta wanted to decorate her first place either.

Since we don’t live in the same state, she did some of the leg work on her own before I arrived.  Like a true twenty-something, she utilized Facebook Marketplace first.  She would text me ideas and ask my thoughts.  It was a challenge since I had not yet seen the space.

Hitting the ground running, we started at one of my favorite places to search for good quality used furniture.  Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore shops are a great place for used furniture.  They carry everything from furniture, home goods, building supplies and even like new washers and dryers.  Each store carries different items, and each day is different, depending on what contractors and individuals have dropped off that day.

We were not starting completely from scratch since we had a U-Haul full of furniture from our home that she wanted to bring.   The vibe she was looking for was mid-century modern with a twist. Of course none of the furniture we brought from home was mid-century, but it was all things that she loved and wanted with her.  Not to worry, there was more than one room for us to decorate.

The perfect swivel chair for her new apartment.

We visited the Allegheny Philadelphia ReStore and hit the used furniture jackpot.

Right off the bat we found two beautiful West Elm leather swivel chairs. 

“I wanted swivel chairs - this is awesome!”

We found a couch that was leather and in great shape but the color was just enough different to make us think twice.  We paced back and forth a lot deciding if we should get it or not which is a great way to really think something through. 

A great find and only $60!

Wandering the aisles we found a great glass and black metal TV console we both fell in love with.  After consulting the roommate we decided to purchase this as well.

Couch or no couch that was our dilemma.

We then texted photos of the couch and chairs to Roberta’s aunt Sally in LA to see what she thought.  Sally is our ‘assistant designer’ from afar.  She has fantastic taste and is my kindred spirit when it comes to the thrill of the hunt. 

“Too much leather,” was her quick reply.  She then searched online for us at IKEA to see if there was a good couch to consider instead.

Habitat for Humanity and ReStore

Habitat for Humanity is the organization that Jimmy Carter worked with actively after he left the White House. Known for repairing and updating the homes of people in need, they also build new homes in rural areas and offer financial assistance to first time homebuyers. In addition to this they also have brick and mortar stores called ReStores that sell a wide range of items related to the home.

The Manager and Assistant Manager at the Allegheny ReStore were great examples of people who work for this organization. They answered our questions, gave us the name of Mr. Fred, a local delivery guy (who arrived about 30 minutes after we paid for our purchase), and were willing to reduce the price of the chairs because of a slight discoloration.

Mr. Muhammed and Managers Angie Correa and AudreyElaine Coleman help us find the right furniture at the Allegheny ReStore in Philadelphia.

These ladies had wide smiles and were friendly and welcoming.  An older gentleman named Muhammed, dressed in a thobe stood near us and wanted to know what the two of us were shopping for. 

He loved it when I told him how much I loved Habitat for Humanity and their mission. I also mentioned that my late father had decorated his last temporary home before he died of cancer with ReStore furniture.

Restore’s are always worth visiting when shopping for good quality finds.  The two chairs originally retailed at closed to $1000 each when new.  We picked them up for $300 total.

After leading Mr. Fred’s truck back to the new apartment, and celebrating our first purchase, we headed out to our next store.  Armed with a tape measure and the dimensions of the door widths (old buildings have narrow door openings), we drove to IKEA. 

Never underestimate this store for great finds!  Yes, it is all Swedish modern in style but the quality is generally excellent and the prices fair.

Plan on lots of time when coming since it is a warehouse size store.  If you have kids in tow they do have a play place where Roberta played as a toddler.  They also have an excellent restaurant serving Swedish meatballs. 

And if you do not have a tape measure you can find paper ones to use hanging throughout the store.

We visited an IKEA in Virginia so we had a pretty good idea of what we were looking for.  Following the arrows on the ground, we took in the room displays and selections of chairs, tables, couches, kitchens, and baths.  There was so much to take in but we were on a mission!

Using her phone’s camera we took pictures of the furniture tags and dimensions of the pieces we liked.  Utilizing Sally’s online suggestions from earlier in the day we found the sofa she thought would work.  It was the right size and very comfortable with a bonus point of having different color slip covers to choose from. 

We filled out the order and delivery request while sitting on the couch.  It even let her choose the day she wanted the couch delivered to her.

New Passions Shared

This visit opened up a new passion that the two of us share.  We had never shopped for furniture together before and she had never had a reason to be interested in interior design.  Watching her face light up when she found something she liked was gratifying after all the years I had spoken to she and her sister about design and styles.

Sitting at meals we talked furniture placement and what was left to search for.  She is taking a proactive role in this adventure and at the same time she is developing her own sense of style. 

This is important to me because my own parents were very skilled and passionate about design but they were more interested in fixing my first apartment the way they liked rather than including me in the process.

Because they designed both my first apartment and the initial style of the first house I lived in as a married woman, I never had a chance to develop my own style.  Being supportive and helping to purchase furniture is quite different than directing the experience and neglecting to ask the future tenant if she enjoys the looks being chosen.

Please do not think I was ungrateful for both their generosity and help.  I gained many good design and style ideas from them when they were alive, however, the insistence that things be done their way was a disservice to me long term.

So going forward, while not every piece of furniture or design cue that Roberta may choose will be my style, I will be there for her in the capacity as her guide.  If she moves to purchase something before thinking it through, I will tell her. 

But if she falls in love with a piece of furniture, a rug, or mirror that she has to have, then I will help her to make it work with the rest of the room.

Going Forward

I can’t wait to see how the apartment looks when all is said and done.  There will be phone calls telling me about her first dinner party, her first holiday decorations, and yes, even her first mistaken purchase.  Now, I will send her clippings from magazines with ideas for the home instead of just cute cat cards.

Percy the Orange Terror

And best of all, I have another daughter getting ready to fledge from the parental nest in the very near future.  This means I have another opportunity to serve as a design advisor, taking her to some of the same stores and to new ones as well. 

She too will likely have strong opinions on what she wants and that is wonderful.  I will cherish every conversation and text, all the while watching her develop her own sense of style and interior design personality.

I am indeed a lucky mother.