Furniture
As I alluded to last week, we scheduled delivery for our new pieces of furniture. You cried for photos and today I will deliver.
First, we had our chair and ottoman delivered. Ethan Allen arrived 10 minutes BEFORE their scheduled window (that never happens!) and I almost missed them because I was out running with the dog (expecting to be tied to home all afternoon waiting for that delivery!). Miguel introduced himself, shook my hand, introduced Felippe and whisked the chair and ottoman right up to our second floor home. They unwrapped the plastic, told me where I could get any questions answered and I sent them on their way with a small tip.
Sweets came home that night and didn’t leave the chair for the rest of the evening. I told him we were going to have to negotiate custody over that chair. Not because I want time in it (it’s beautiful, so I prefer looking at it!), but because I want time with him. On the couch. Where we both used to sit before that chair came into our lives. We agreed he could have the chair Tuesdays and Thursdays and every other weekend.
The next day, Room and Board showed up with our sofa at 8:30AM. We were their first delivery of the day (again, that never happens and now never will again because I’ve used up all my good luck mojo on these two deliveries!). Lee and his pal (I forgot his name) introduced themselves and proceeded to bring our 98-inch sofa up the back stairs. Did I mention this sofa is 98 inches? That’s over 8 feet long of stiff, inflexible material. Keep that in mind.
I figured sending them up the back stairs would make it easier to make the turns since the stairwell is open, not enclosed. Nevertheless, Lee and his pal struggled to get the sofa around the first turn. Eventually they got the sofa up the stairs and into our unit. They entered the kitchen and ran into a road block trying to get the sofa from the kitchen into the hallway. Because there’s a slight angle going from the kitchen to the hallway. And that sofa wasn’t fitting through.
Fuck.
Lee asked if we measured before making our purchase. I nervously laughed and told him he’d have to talk to my husband. You see, I clearly remember asking Sweets whether we should measure first. Telling him I was worried about the angles to the hallway. He shook off my question, saying we didn’t need to measure. It’d be fine. (During a conversation we had after the delivery, when I reminded him of my measurement request, he had no memory of – convenient, eh?)
Lee and his pal tried a few different tricks of the trade. Nothing. Not even close. I had visions of removing chunks of drywall to get that sofa into the hallway. I was beginning to sweat. Lee pulled the sofa back into the kitchen, removed the center leg and tried again. Nothing. So, he pulled the sofa back into the kitchen again, removed the remaining outer legs, instructed his friend to flip it over to try a different angle. It was much closer this time, but it still got stuck.
This was our last chance. Double fuck.
I hear the two of them communicating. Pull this way. Watch out for the picture on the wall. Don’t go further because I’m stuck at the wall. Rotate it this way. Let’s put this end up and push. Push. PUSH!!!!
I don’t know how they did it, but the sofa was in our hallway. All of it. And miraculously, there were no chunks of drywall missing. There were no scratches on the floor, ceiling or wall. The picture was still hanging. And, the sofa was intact. My anxiety level immediately plummeted.
As Lee and his pal were setting up the sofa in our living room, I asked whether they ever couldn’t fit a sofa into a home. They laughed. Said it happens all the time. Said this sofa, in particular, is a huge trouble-maker. Said the guys in the warehouse always ask whether the customer has measured, because they so often see the sofa returned.
Um, yeah. Measure. What a novel idea.
Lee and his pal were super helpful. Reminding us to flip the pillows to keep them in the best shape possible. What to do if we spill something on the material. And where to call or visit online should we have any further questions. I sent them on their way with a slightly larger tip for their magical efforts and a huge sigh of relief.
On a related note, a few days after our sofa delivery, Sweets was taking a nap on said sofa and I was watching Color Splash (one of the many HGTV shows I get sucked into watching). David Bromsted, the host and main designer, was picking out a sofa for his clients. He was in the store explaining why certain sofas wouldn’t work … too mid-century modern, too traditional with puffy pillows … until he landed on a sofa that will definitely work. OUR sofa!
I immediately started yelling and punching Sweets in the arm to get up (not the most relaxed way to come out of an afternoon nap). Groggily, he watched me dance around the room. After a commercial break, the movers were trying to get the sofa into the house. They had to navigate down a stairwell and around a corner. Almost impossible to do. The designer was sweating. One of the movers asked, “Did anyone think to measure?” I about choked on my own spit. Laughing so hard. Hey, Sweets redeemed himself slightly as the famous designer made the same mistake. (In case you’re wondering, yes they finally got the sofa into the room on the show!)
Oh and let me not forget to share one final photo with you. I know you’ve already seen the console table and lamps we put in the entryway of our living room. However, since then, Sweets hung the mirror. The kick-ass mirror that helps reflect light back into our room and that we just love.
Our living space is getting there. It’s feeling more complete. I think the only things we have left are a new rug (the current one will be moved into the guest room), a floor lamp (or maybe a wall sconce), some throw pillows and possibly a small table to place next to the leather chair. Oh yeah, and that tiling project for the fireplace surround (we picked out the tile, we just need to order it and find the time for this DIY project). Nevertheless, it’s feeling a lot more like our home.
Sidenote: I did a little research on tipping furniture delivery guys. I was surprised how many people don’t tip, saying the delivery fee is equivalent to a tip. Or people who said they’d only tip if delivery was only supposed to be to the exterior of the building and the delivery people brought it inside. Or assembled it. Maybe it’s me, but I think I’d feel weird not tipping them something for their work. Would you tip for an easy furniture delivery like that?
October 29th, 2009 at 6:05 am
That mirror is awesome!
October 29th, 2009 at 6:21 am
Thank goodness everything worked out. As for tipping, it blows my mind how many people don’t tip. I had a huge debate with a friend regarding tipping a locksmith and a docent. I said you tip both, but apparently Ms. Manners says you tip neither – unless the locksmith comes out on an emergency call. Dang! I think I am wasting a lot of money.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:35 am
I definitely tip furniture delivery guys. It’s a hard, physically demanding, often thankless job. The one time they took a chunk out of my wall I didn’t tip very well, but otherwise- yeah, absolutely.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:13 am
I love the new furniture. Your place looks so warm and comfortable. I’m jealous. Enjoy it!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:15 am
LOVE! All of it! We tip for all deliveries. Pizza, furniture, etc. because do they really see the delivery fee?
October 29th, 2009 at 7:28 am
I can’t remember a time when we had furniture delivered so I guess I can’t answer that question. All our furniture has come from store closing sales and we had to get it home on our own. I think it would be odd to tip my husband, right?
Your furniture is beautiful! The room looks so warm and fun to be in.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Love it! It’s beautiful! I like the sleek lines of the furniture pieces! Love, too, that Somi’s already got her spot!
I was reading this feeling like a big ole’ ass because we just bought a new mattress and box springs and I didn’t tip the folks the first penny. TERRIBLE!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Ah! It looks so comfy and inviting. I love that leather chair and ottoman. It looks like the perfect chair to sit down, put your feet up and lose yourself in a book. The couch looks incredibly comfy (are all couches 8 feet long or is that longer than a usual couch?) and SoMi looks like shes staked out her space. Your entire space looks so warm and cozy. Love it! You all rock at this sort of thing (among many others).
October 29th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Looks great. I love the mirror!
October 29th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Your furniture looks fabulous. And your home looks so warm and inviting. I can’t wait until my girls are past the destructive phase and we can have nice things again. {sigh}
October 29th, 2009 at 8:16 am
The new furniture looks great! I had such a similar situation when we were moving out of our first apartment- we had a huge couch that had been delivered when I was home alone a year before, and when we tried to move out we could NOT figure out how to get it out of the apartment. It was hilarious and terrible, and I finally figured out how to get it out. Without even having to get the people across the hall to open their door!
October 29th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I love the new look! I suppose I’ll have to come visit again SOON. Great couch.
Color Splash is one of my favorite shows on HGTV. Easy to get sucked into and it comes with a hot host (though I suspect he wouldn’t be interested in me).
I always tip delivery guys. Movers. It’s just what I do. I did get screwed over once as I had no cash on me (long story) so I wrote them a check and they ALTERED my check making it for $80.00 instead of the $20.00 I wrote it for. I wound up calling my bank and they adjusted my account as the check was clearly “fixed,” and then I called the furniture company and they admitted that those guys had been fired as they were a 3rd party delivery service and they had “Trouble,” with them in the past. The furniture company sent me $80.00 too, even though I insisted it was unnecessary. Maybe not the smartest thing to write them a check but I was trying to be nice and tip them and in return? They screwed me. I was PISSED. And now I always, always, always have cash on me, no matter what.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:48 am
When I bought my couch, all I wanted was to be able to lay completely down on it and not have a leg up the arms. For a six foot tall gal, that was kind of hard to find. And there was much swearing and sweating that went into getting it into my third floor apartment. Sadly, I had to sell it when I moved into Tiny Apartment, but the family that got it, absolutely adores it. And when I moved my other things into Tiny Apartment. My bed went down with a boot. It got stuck in the stairwell and my friend David finally said, “kate. Stand back. I’m going to get it DOWN THERE!” One boot kick and it was down. It’s not coming back up without a sawzall.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:51 am
The new furniture looks fantastic! It also looks like SoMi has laid claim to her spot on the new sofa!
About tipping furniture delivery guys, I always tip. I would feel too guilty watching someone work so hard to bring heavy furniture into your home (and sometimes assemble) and not tipping them afterward! Even for easy deliveries like your chair and ottoman, I still think it is expected.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:13 am
1. Love the chair. I’ve been wanting a big leather club chair like that for awhile now.
2. The sofa story is reminding me of that Friends episode where Ross buys a couch and the friends help him move it and they’re in the stairwell and he’s shouting “pivot. pivot. PIVOT!”
3. As I was reading about the tipping, I realized that I can’t remember if I’ve ever tipped for furniture delivery. And then I was feeling really bad for being “that customer”. I have no idea what the protocol is, but someone please tell me so I don’t get my next furniture delivery dropped three stories as payback!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:27 am
OH that furniture is beautiful! Still love that wall color, so cozy! The mirror you guys added, very lovely addition. As for tipping delivery guys. Until recently I had never in my life had anything delivered. Then again, I’ve never bought furniture or appliances before that wasn’t something I could handle on my own. When we had our washer and dryer delivered from Sears, the guys were good, but they really weren’t all that friendly. They weren’t rude, but they weren’t awesome either. Know what I mean? I didn’t think to tip them and normally I’m a tipper when something really strikes me as a great job. Then last Saturday Sears came again to deliver my beautiful stainless steel french door fridge with bottom pullout freezer. We measured more than once. The space is small for a fridge—only 33″ wide max. The doorway for our front door, then up the stairs to the main level, then through the entryway to the kitchen and then into the spot for the fridge was TIGHT. The guys were fantastic and there wasn’t a scratch on my fridge or a ding on my house anywhere. They were very nice, told me how long to wait to let the fridge cool before adding food, to run two things of ice through before using any of it, etc. They both got a tip for sure due to their attitude and attention. Loved those guys!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I’m so glad that y’all got the couch into your house. I would have been freaking out a little bit about that when they were having trouble fitting it through the doorway!
The new furniture looks AWESOME! And that mirror is fantastic, too!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Looks great! You know I never really thought about the tipping thing but it makes sense. So far, Ikea doesn’t deliver. ha ha.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:51 am
So glad it fit! Torsten once had to return a sofa because it didn’t fit in his building’s elevator, and the building WOULDN’T ALLOW them to use the stairs. (That building had a stick up its ass.)
October 29th, 2009 at 10:06 am
GORGEOUS! Absolutely beautiful! The colors are so warm, everything fits perfectly and looks so comfy. Love it!
October 29th, 2009 at 11:37 am
In the first instance, I wouldn’t have. Delivery fee covers that. Second instance? Oh, definitely. What they performed to get that couch into your living room could be defined as magic.
Love both the couch & sofa. AND FLOVE the table display. That mirror ROCKS.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:42 am
It looks so good! Love the lamps and the chair especially!
October 29th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Love the pieces, so classy!
My furniture generally comes from the thrift store or a friend’s basement. I have yet to purchase new furniture, but I imagine that tipping the delivery persons would be in order. I am wondering, do you tip a percent? Hand over a fiver? A $20? What’s tipping protocol?
xox
October 29th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I LOVE those paint colors. LOVE, Nilsa. Wow. Gorgeous. I’m green with envy…
October 29th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Wow, that 2nd delivery must have been incredibly stressful! I’m glad you got your new sofa in safe and sound. My father and step-mum ran into an issue when they decided to swap the sofas from their cottage and their city home. They got the city sofa up north and installed, then drove the cottage sofa all the way back home, only to find they couldn’t fit it through the front door. My father was planning to buy new windows for the house anyway, so he smashed out the front picture window and loaded the sofa in that way. Some solution, eh?
October 29th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Your new couch looks so comfortable!
October 29th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I cannot wait to have a house this pretty!
October 29th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
omg i’m glad you got it all in finally safe and sound. it’s all GORGEOUS.
October 29th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I love how the room came together! You have great taste! And how neat that your sofa was on that show.
I would tip for any furniture delivery, unless they were an ass or messed up something in my house and were an ass about it. Ha.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Pretty! I would have probably been crying watching the guys try to shimmy the couch in. Thank goodness they got it.
I love Color Splash – have a total crush on David and want him to paint me one of his signature original pictures.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Nilsa! It all looks gorgeous! And very rich. I picture dinner parties and people drinking brandy.
:)
October 29th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
nilsa your home looks so beautiful!! congratulations on the new acquisitions!!!
my couch is actually a very similar color and material so we have great taste : )
October 29th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
OMG, that is SO gorgeous. It’s begging for me to curl up in it with a cushy throw, a fashion mag and a latte. Sigh. Can I come over? ah ha ha
October 29th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
It really looks spectacular. Next time I visit I will sit on that couch! ;-)
October 30th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
amazing. i love that mirror. like really love it.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Your living space is coming together beautifully! I really like that couch, too. The design is so modern but classic all at the same time.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Love the new furniture! It looks like Somi already loves the new couch! :-)
November 1st, 2009 at 3:30 am
Amazing furniture, especially the chair and the mirror! :D
November 1st, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Love, love, love that chair!!
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 am
Well, first of all, aren’t you the lucky one to get early deliveries!?!!?!! We are always the Last hit of the day. Grumble. So much the last hit of the day that on more than one occasion (okay, many more, many, many more than one occasion…but, who’s counting…huh? what? oh me?? YES!!), it gets too late and they just don’t bother showing. My credit card is charged, but they don’t show. They don’t call. I’m just left waiting all day (or if I’m lucky for the four hour window) and they never arrive. Did I mention they don’t call?! Did I mention this happens often? No. I don’t tip. I thank proffusely when they actually deliver. But, tip? No.
Ooooooo!! Ya struck a nerve! Definitely did not expect that to spew out!!
HOWEVER…….I think I would have jumped up and down and burst out in song if I experienced a delivery of the likes in which you did!! (And oh my, to then see the difficultly delivered desired sofa on Color Splash?! Ahhh…sigh…)
And lastly (yes, I realize this is probably already a book!), I adore that gorgeous mirror!!! And your walls are fantastic as well! :>:>:>