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In full Swing

Nisha

In Living, My projects, Old love, Spaces Posted

I have spent entire summers waiting for 4 pm, the time when I was allowed to go to the park. The only thing that fascinated me there was the swing. I remember swinging for hours on end and reaching home with a dizzy head. I’ve done this every evening, all through the summer holidays. When I asked my parents if I could have a swing at home, my mom told me that swings were supposed to be only in parks. And I believed her! ๐Ÿ™‚

I carried this urge from my childhood and finally found my swing. Like most amazing things in life, I found it when I wasn’t looking for it. I had to purchase some antique furniture for a client and was walking around the antiques market in Ahmedabad. There I ended up rescuing a swing. I would call it rescue because this beautiful piece of furniture was in fact being used to stack clothes. It was termite ridden, the edges were broken off, the rods were rusted and broken and the mirror was in bad shape. It was covered with inches of dust that I almost missed this gem.

When I expressed interest in buying it, the guy jacked up the rates. He even claimed some royal associations! Finally I gave in, paid him and haggled with a tempo guy to get it home. Though my husband is used to these weird looking things coming home, this 5 ft long really dirty thing was a bit too much for him. I persuaded him to finish

I called in the neighbourhood carpenter the next day. He managed to ruin it in just 5 minutes! He didn’t know how to sand such an old piece. I managed to stop him before he caused any more damage.

While I was looking for another carpenter, the swing started accumulating things. It was used to store anything that didn’t have a place of its own. Though not clear in the picture, it has a stack of toothpicks and candles from the last party.

In the meanwhile, I got a couple of mirror cut to size, ordered some turquoise tiles with a hint of yellow to go with my walls and I lowered my standards to buy the steel rods to hang them. I really wanted the bronze ones, but that would have cost me a fortune! ๐Ÿ™‚

Finally I found a carpenter suited for this job and shifted the swing to his location. I waited for a week while the swing was sanded, polished and the tiles and mirror were fixed.

The ceiling needed to be ready before the swing arrived. My heart was in my mouth as the ceiling was punctured to screw up the holders.

Finally the swing was in its place. It is the primary piece of furniture in the living room and has become its signature.

My home, my swing! ๐Ÿ™‚

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