Pillows & Slipcovers

I promise to have a better post about this after I return from from the NYC trip.

I finally have the pillows for the sofa and chair.  I also decided to bite the bullet and buy the slipcovers for the sofa and chair.

I sprayed all the pillows with Scotch Guard for obvious reasons. I am happy with the slipcovers so far.  I hope you are having a great week so far.

Lounging

It makes me so happy to lay back and put my feet up when I'm watching TV or reading a book. While I love the look of an arm chair and a foot stool, nothing really beats the comfort of a chaise lounge.

Ruthie Sommers




Alexandra Rowley

You usually see chaises in bedrooms, but I think they look cool in a living space as well, as long as the room is big enough.

Nate Berkus




Elle Decor


Trad Home

Country Living

I'm considering one of these two vintage chaises. They are both really inexpensive, so I figure if we can't use one the living room, or our bedroom, I'll just craiglist it. Otherwise, I'll have a really fun upholstery project!

Rachel

Oh, Rachel, how beautiful you are!  I am so glad you have come to live with me...

she's here...

She brought a little friend.... the Rachel chair!

The Rachel sofa and chair are from Best Slipcover Company, upholstered in a plain heavy linen.  We were supposed to receive two chairs, but only one was ordered.  It actually turns out that it was a blessing because husband and I think two chairs would have been a little too much.  This layout gives us plenty of room move around and keep the flow of the space light.

I am super happy with the furniture except I think the fabric is a bit too light for pets and husbands.  I think this will all look dirty in a couple of weeks.  I am keeping the sofa covered with a quilt unless we have a visitor.  I am going to call Coit to see how much it will cost to have the sofa, chairs and ottoman treated to repel spills and stains.  I think it will be worth the extra cost and piece of mind.

This is the final delivery for the Urban Grace Interiors, Inc., http://www.urbangraceinteriorsinc.com/, design project.  I did not order the rug suggested or the sofa table.  I have not decided what to do about the rug.  Our dog Bode has ruined the foyer rug.  I just don't think he is mature enough to have an expensive rug in the space.  I am thinking of buying Flor modular carpet tiles, http://www.flor.com/, or trying to find a real bargain rug on clearance somewhere.

Overall, I would say the long distance design has been a success for me.  I highly suggest you give Urban Grace a try if you want beautiful results.

I will post the window treatments tomorrow.  Everything turned out beautifully!

When Martha met Victoria...

What do you think happened when Martha Stewart met Victoria Hagan?  Something wonderful, that's what! The second piece of my Urban Grace Interiors, Inc., http://www.urbangraceinteriorsinc.com/, design arrived a few weeks ago.  The plan suggested an octagon shaped upholstered ottoman.  Here is a pic of the layout:

The ottoman in this shape allows you to have extra seating and break-up all the rectangular shapes in the room.

The ottoman is Martha Stewart for Bernhardt, Dorian Octagonal Ottoman - M1011 and the fabric is Victoria Hagan, Jackson in Khaki 4011-01.  The piece is rather large at 40 x 40 inches.

We are very happy with the way this turned out and look forward to using it every single day.

*Please note that I have a sock tan from being outside working on my fitness.  My ankles are not dirty!

Seeking Simplicity

I love this kind of simplicity in a room. Quiet, but definitely not boring.

Don't you love those demure little frames on the botanical series? Do you think these are custom frames?

And I like how the books are stacked on the shelves here. Also loving the little side table in front of the bookcase. And animal print is welcome in any and all of my rooms.

How was your weekend? Poor little Evie is sick - she's very congested and is having a hard time keeping food down. I'll admit that yesterday was not the most glamorous Mother's Day, being covering in spit up and rocking a very sad little one most of the day. The nice thing was we all had an excuse to take it easy this weekend - lots of naps and movies. It was awesome.

TV Components

So many of my clients want vintage credenzas to use as TV consoles. But we keep running into the same issue - they want to keep the component boxes hidden, but they also want to be able to use their remotes. And they don't want to spend more than the cost of the TV to get a hidden system installed.

Then today I saw this image again from the home of the owner of See Jane Work. Check out the doors to her armoire...

via

It looks like radiator grill! Wouldn't it be so easy to just add a pretty grate to the doors of a vintage armoire or credenza? And then just paint the grill the same color as the rest of the piece? The remote still works, but I don't have to look at my cable box! Win-win.

I also like this pierced MDF decorative screen, probably even better than the radiator grill idea. Have you seen any products like this?

Sofa Upholstery

I'm a big fan of buying the best quality sofa you can afford in a neutral color. Pillows can be the pop of color and pattern and can also be easily changed.

Both my mom and I are in the market for fabrics to reupholster our sofas and, while I think the neutral sofa idea is pretty sound advice, I am finding myself sort of drawn to colorful or large-scale prints. I'll probably still go with a kid-friendly linen-look fabric in a solid color (chocolate, navy or gray most likely), but I like looking at these pictures and dreaming of being a little more adventurous in the meantime.

elle decor


Cottage Living

Martha Stewart Living


Kristen Buckingham


Timothy Wealon

via coco kelley

domino

Annie Schlecter

Mary McDonald

domino

domino (Amanda Peet)

The Living Room Curtains are Done.

I told you...dramatic, right?

I'm liking them - I wanted drama.

Plus, every time I walk into the room now I say "BAM!!" to myself while doing a little kick. A positive development, I think.

Make an Ottoman From a Coffee Table, Part II

It wasn't all that long ago that I made a tufted ottoman from a $25 Craigslist coffee table.


I never loved the velvet (it was just something I had already) and I couldn't manage to get the tufts as deep as I wanted and that always bugged me.


So reupholstering the coffee-table-turned-ottoman was high on the priority list after moving.


I ended up bagging the tufting idea, and adding a few more layers of batting and foam for a more rounded effect. Another big change was I cut the legs down a few inches. I feel like this is a much more visually pleasing height.


I used a little of my vintage grosgrain ribbon to cover up the staples. I think these new corners turned out so much better!


What do you think of the results? I really happy with the colors of the new fabric with my sofa and pillows. And I'm so excited to show you guys the rest of the room. Most of the art went up today and the curtains will be finished later this week (wait 'til you see those - holy DRAMA!).
{P.S. the blue linen pillows are available at Crate&Barrel right now, in case some of you fellow peacock blue lovers are interested.}