Some view decluttering as embarrassing proof that your home, car, garage, or whatever space where you regularly dwell within is “junky.” I view it as an opportunity to transform the space into something more in alignment with how the space is used.
The latest work-in-progress is the den. Although everyone loves propping their feet up, there is only one reclining piece of furniture in the den. Some of the furniture is older than me (52.5) and needs to be put to pasture.
To get the ball rolling for reimagining the space, I researched reclining sectionals. Once I showed Mom the results during the week, she impressed me by going to a furniture place after Sunday dinner. By the time we left the furniture store, Mom had bought two reclining pieces, thanks in a large part to me handling her objections.
I told the salesperson that I deserved part of his commission because I was the one who’d closed the sale. He agreed, but apologized that he couldn’t pay me a commission. Sure, we’ll go with that story. I’m just happy that the new furniture will be delivered in a few weeks.
The following day after dance class, I bought a TV stand that was both decorative and had storage space. I knew that Mom preferred dark wood and that my sister was going through both the end table, which Mom wants to get rid of for some inexplicable reason, and the defunct “computer desk.” There’s no computer on the desk. Just two printers, only one of which is used and a lot of other things that can either find a new home, be thrown away or recycled. The main objective is to donate the desk and make space for the reclining sofa.
I underestimated how involved assembling that TV stand would be. Right out of the gates, I switched from following the printed instructions to the 3D instructions on the manufacturer’s app, which I downloaded on my phone. I enlarged the image and rotated it to see how the pieces fit together. I hit replay on a particular step as many times as I needed to before completing that task and advancing to the next.
By midnight, We were more than halfway through, which was good, considering we’d begun after 9:30 PM. Hey, I had to shower and eat a snack after my dance class. I certainly didn’t want to preempt my regularly scheduled activity to assemble furniture.
As much as I love building things, I’ve learned my lesson with that TV stand. First of all, I’m not going to assembly anything that’s in a box that I cannot lift/drag by myself. Secondly, if I ignore rule number one, once I see that the needed tools aren’t included in the box, I’m going to hire a Mr. /Ms. FixIt to put that shit together. I wouldn’t mind being their assistant, but I’m not running point on such an endeavor again.
After a third night of working on the TV stand, my sister finally said that I should have bought a stand at a furniture store, already assembled, and delivered. I agreed. I wasn’t about to argue that I’d saved money.
I’m creeping up on being “too old for this shit,” and thanked her for sharing in my latest life lesson. The following morning, she texted that she had borrowed a hand drill from a friend so we can finally secure the shelves.
POWER TOOLS…can I get an “amen”?
From here on out, no assembly job will be attempted with manual screwdrivers. At least in the past, my own set of tools had magnetized screwed drivers. In my haste to just “get her done,” I’d not given proper consideration to the tools being used.
Once my sister opened the hand drill case, I asked her if she knew how to use it. She demonstrated by unscrewing four of the door screws that I had painstakingly screwed in manually the night before. She straightened them out, correcting how the door swung open.
That was all I needed to see. I relieved her of the power tool and went about screwing in all the shelves and the backing in record time.
In less than a fortnight, the rest of the den transformation will be complete. I’ve arranged for the old furniture to be removed the day before the new furniture arrives. Not only will there be more space, but the space will be conducive to how we want to use it.
The Finished Product