WHO hasn’t come to regret leaving behind a piece that was purged in the frenzied winnowing that is moving house? “Those objects help tell our story,” said Bryan Mason, co-founder of design studio AphroChic in Brooklyn. “In a new home, they may take on a new purpose.” Here are items readers most rue parting with, plus professional advice on how those pieces might have been reimagined.
Modernist Mistake
“I sold a Barcelona ottoman for about $600 because it wouldn’t go with our new décor. They’re around $3,000 new.” —Michael J. Franco, New York
Styles can, of course, be mixed. Nashville designer Natalie Hager imagines a cool contrast between the tufted-leather and chrome of the ottoman and an antique wooden chair. Or, said Atlanta designer Anna Braund, create a side table or nightstand by topping it with a tray stacked with books.
Swing Shift
“Years ago I left behind a swinging tree bench. There wasn’t a fitting tree for it at my new house.” —Steve Orlowski, Egg Harbor Township, N.J.
By attaching two rocker runners instead of four chair legs, such a bench could come inside and still provide movement, said New York designer Liza Kuhn. With stationary supports, it’s a garden bench, said Baltimore designer Saudah Saleem, poised to provide “a similar reflective experience with nature.”