Making Changes

As you know by now, my copilot Gus is having some physical limitation problems as a result of living to the ripe old age of 14.  Keeping his limits in mind and taking into consideration what my needs are for living in Seeker, I have undertaken some modifications to make our home more comfortable for both of us.  But since Gus is the senior member  (and I am just his servant) the first mods were to help with his needs.  So let's get rid of the dinette!

Oh, wait, we can't get rid of the benches because then we'd have inner workings exposed.  What to do, what to do?  And then one day it dawned on me: turn the dinette into a daybed.  When I suggested this to my brother Mike who is a great carpenter and furniture maker he immediately let me know that I could no longer have overnight guests more than 5'6" tall, a figure he is substantially over.  Yes, well, he is right in a way, although my guest could take my large bunk over the cab and I, at 5'4.75" can comfortably sleep on the daybed.  Perhaps even the guest could roll out one of my sleeping bags on the floor, or pitch a tent outside the door, or wait....  I wasn't thinking about entertaining guests when I bought Seeker.  I was looking for a home on the backroads of our country and one that is just enough room for me and Gus and not much else.  Brenda rode shotgun on our whirlwind tour of New England last summer (she's well under 5'6"), and the grandkids loved sleeping in the upper bunk when they camped with me.  So what's the problem, you say?  What about the couch?  Oh, yeah, that's gone now too.  Since the dinette is now a couch the couch space needed to be a table and chairs to act as my desk/table (more on that next post).  So, I guess I have to start picking short friends or camping near motels.  Life is full of trade offs.  But Gus is very happy with the new arrangement which I call the Diva Daybed since I really feel decadent stretched out there reading a book or computing.  Gus also gets his share of decadence there. 

So here are the details along with supporting pictures.  Hope you like it!

Typically this what the dinette looked like only with more books, papers, etc. and occassionally I would actually eat a meal at this table. 

 

Here is the "bones" of the daybed.  The former tabletop is in the bed position and the cushions are layed across for a foundation which is not comfortable for sitting very long.  I put a 2" high density foam pad across the top of the cushions.  Then I took a down filled mattress topper that I had saved from emptying the house last year and put it on top of that.  It adds a little more padding and because it's a queen it rolls up a bit at the back wall to help form a back.  I tucked all this together with a simple tan sheet just to anchor it and to keep the front vents of the power supply/fuse box open.  The forward bench is mostly empty and I have a large plastic tub that slides in and out of there easily which I use as my junk drawer.  Hey, everybody has to have one. 

Next I used the rag quilt that my sister-in-law Linda made for me as the top cover.  I just love all the reds and browns which go well with the tans on the top rails and at the windows (more on window changes soon too).  It's all cotton and very easy to take off and wash when it gets doggy prints or a spill. 

  That space under the center of the "Diva Daybed" is welcome extra storage.  Needed a place to keep those extra tiles for the floor as well as some other things.  That's my tool box on the corner and yes, Gus has a small bed tucked in front.  Sometimes he wants to be at ground level and with his back problems I can understand, so it's there for him when he doesn't want to climb. 

  I was wondering how I would make bolsters and wandered into a thrift shop where I found this pair of large quilted pillow shams.  And for only $4!  Again, they are cotton and totally washable so they are perfect.  Went next door to Big Lots and spent $20 on enough pillows to really fill them up good and voila! we have a bolster.  Well, I like them.

  And here is Diva Dog enjoying the fruits of my labor.  I added the tan arm pillow for when I get to be the Diva.  The French glove pillow is another leftover from my bedroom at the house.  But how does he get up there?  I mean it is about 4" lower than the couch was, but still it's a climb for an old fella.  Just in front of the door to the storage space under the forward bench is one of those storage cubes that was given to me last fall when someone was housecleaning.  So I got it for free and we love free.  I use it to store some items I don't need very often.  It had rolling caster feet which I removed and replaced with felt slides so that it can be moved on the floor, but not too easily.  It's bright blue but I keep it covered with Gus' doggy towel which is tan (keep the red/tan thing going) and once again is washable.  As you can see he does concede a little room for me to share with him but he doesn't act happy about it. 

So, there you have it.  The dinette is no more (although I could reassemble it easily if there were a reason to) and Gus and I have a new favorite place to recline and snooze.  Ahhh, it's a tough life.  Which reminds me, it's time for my 4:30 golf cart ride through the campground to check on things.  Gus rides shotgun when he feels up to it.