I “finished” my living room over two years ago. I wasn’t 100% satisfied by any means, but I liked it enough that I can’t explain what or why (I had to shoot for a magazine, so yes, I may have picked a few things based on timing). Let me be clear here: While I know in my head that it’s very, very cute and functionally worked out great for our family, all I can say is that, as I’ll see when we finish the room, we haven’t lived in it yet. Today, my friends, we’ve gotten so much closer together thanks to the arrival of our new sofa (and some surprise swivel chairs!). And I have a feeling I might even know three things I can change to make it 100% truth love Stages (I feel this about our sunroom, kitchen, and family room – good design takes time).
My Alice sofa!
i am in love these sofasboth visually and functionally. The arms are very beautiful, the seat is soft, the curve of the backrest is very elegant, and the dark green color stands out very well. I love the two facing sofas here, and Lulu and Georgia’s previous sofa was very comfortable, but with the dog lying on the back cushion, I could barely sit on it without doing the daily arduous task of taking the back cushion off and pushing, stomping, and jumping it back into a rectangle. It was very annoying. I either fixed it every day or didn’t sit at all. So ever since I started eating these, I look forward to every morning.
Wait, dogs don’t sit there?
That’s true, but these sofas are designed as deep sofas with a solid back, so you don’t need the two back pillows that come with them. These are optional. You might want a pillow because it’s deep, but it’s also very cute without a pillow (with a cushion). For now, we’re using a back pillow, and it’s so easy to just lay it flat on the couch seat while the dog is lying on the couch during the day and put it back when he’s ready to sit (it’s a small, light pillow instead of a large back cushion). I might end up just using cushions and no pillows (my dog sits on them too), but I like this streamlined look.
If you’re wondering why the sofa isn’t centered on the rug, there’s a rambling reason. I first photographed this room with the Soho Home Chair (Blue Velvet). The gap between the sofa and the chair was different. But Gretsch said, “Maybe we should try it.” tin chair? ” And we did, and they rotated so we had to move them off the carpet (or turn them on completely). So you just forgot to center the sofa or move the rug. You probably didn’t notice! But it drives me crazy 🙂
coffee table vase | wooden tray
Oh my god. I love that shot. I often joked that it was a very “Go Ducks” room (green and gold), but the team assured me that the average person who wasn’t into Oregon Ducks wouldn’t think so. I don’t think it feels that way with all the blues and deep burgundies. I love the Suz chair here. Mainly because it has extra seating, feels more substantial, and is so much fun to rotate. You can turn around and look out into the backyard.
striped velvet pillow | throw blanket | striped table lamp
Alice looks very solid, but has a lot of give to streamline it. I know I’m biased, but I hope you’ll believe me that I can’t say something is super comfortable unless it’s actually comfortable (I’m sure you would say that!!). It’s not something you fall over and sink 4 inches (e.g. our oscar), but it’s cushioned and has a nice soft feel. This is perfect for our needs here, mainly drinking our morning coffee on our laptops, having lots of conversations with friends, and playing games with our kids. But if it’s your TV sofa, you’ll probably be very happy too. Very comfortable, but purposely looks more streamlined.
I really like how they look here. I love this deep dark green, very family-friendly velvet, especially with the dark coffee table. That alone makes me feel very rich. It gets dog hair about as much as any other velvet sofa, but not as much (my dog sheds twice a year, but not much else. He’s a husky/poo mix). If you have a dog that sheds a lot, Alice also has lovely cream linens in different shades to hide the hair.
The sofa is very beautiful and streamlined, but its arms and legs say, “I’m not boring, I’m special.” The rolls on the arms give it a bit of a traditional look, but it’s definitely not super traditional (no tassels or carved wood).
As for the fireplace, I’m still not happy with how cold it looks, but guys, I can’t decide what color to paint it!! My latest idea is to just put the wallpaper on top of the paneling and leave the fireplace white. My MIL overheard that it might feel too bold to draw it, that it might stop the eye in a bad way, like a big dark block in the middle of the room (I thought it would just look like a good focal point). But I really get her point, and I’m afraid she’s right (and paint is just like paint, Emily, just apply it and see, it will probably take a day!!). But can soft wallpaper add depth, texture, and definition to your walls? I ordered a sample and can’t wait to explore it for another three years.
My tin chair! !
burgundy round pillow | throw blanket | tin swivel chair
everyone. these chairs Very good. There are millions of swivel chairs on the market, but these are special. Designed by Mal (from my team) for room service, it definitely has a Regency feel to it and we love it. It’s deep and extremely comfortable to sit on. I put These round schoolhouse dark burgundy pillows In my opinion, it looks great. If you’re wondering whether it’s okay to use too much velvet in one room, we collectively decided years ago, “No, you can’t.” It’s so beautiful and soft that it wins every time.
Which chair do you like best? Two options…
Well, when we started shooting that day, we had a Soho home chair here (above) and it looked really great (she’s a big woman). As you know, I love a tight color palette (mostly because I’m obsessed with accessories), so this blue/green world is perfect for me. Also, although you can’t see it here, I put the floral banquette back in the corner (it looked too dark/crowded from this angle, so I removed it to get a better shot). I haven’t photographed it yet (I just ordered a rug to put underneath it), but anyway, this is the blue chair version. And now check out the ocher tin swivel chair option.
ocher rotating tin chair
Gah! When I clicked the photo and looked at my laptop screen, I was like, “Wow, this looks a lot better.” That’s something we didn’t expect at all!! It looks richer, more balanced and like a better design.
Wait, what other changes did you make??
Now, those of you astute readers (thank you!) will have noticed that I swapped out mid-century cabinets for French farmhouse cabinets, and lo and behold, they came out much better. The blue cabinets there looked sad and gray, but they look brighter where they are now. The richness of the mid-century teak wood stands out better as a backdrop for the green sofa and balances the tin chair.
I tried DIY pleated lampshade!! Look at me! Of course, I did it over the weekend so I didn’t film the process, but to be honest I just copied the way Lone Fox did it and I didn’t want to steal the credit, so please. Watch his tutorial. It’s very easy. I used stamped thin batik from Etsy. This is very forgiving. I mean, these aren’t completely finished, but you never know. It doesn’t catch as much light as white shades, so I think it’s okay for winter, but on the other hand, I love traditional patterns that pop off the walls (although it does make choosing wallpaper a little harder).
So what changes do you still want to make??
Well, here we go. Again, I realize this is a great room, but no, I haven’t decided yet. A list of things to slowly adjust to include:
larger rug
I always wanted a 12×15 rug for this room. My RugsUSA collection hasn’t been that large (despite my many pleas) and frankly, there aren’t many rugs that can do that. And while I love big Persian rugs, it’s very hard to find the color I want and they’re not very comfortable (and very expensive). I sold my brother an OG 12×15 rug and it doesn’t stand out as much here as I would have liked and it looks great in his house. If you have a 12×15 rug, you can probably put a swivel chair on top of it (we think so). But this current rug is the most cushioned, comfortable, and forgiving rug on the planet (because it’s so light). I can’t link it because it was a one-of-a-kind item from the now-defunct HD Buttercup and cost $2,000. That’s not a bad price for a 10×14, but if I could link it, I’d sell it all day, every day. Because this is famous as the best rug I’ve ever owned. I tried to recreate that with RugsUSA, but I couldn’t figure out how to make it so soft, come in so many different thread colors, and still keep it within standard price. It’s like sitting on a cloud, but it doesn’t look like a shag (I also have a memory foam carpet pad underneath), there’s no dog hair in sight, and there’s very little dirt. Therefore, I would be hesitant to sacrifice comfort in the name of upgrading the design. but i am so in love this rug I might go with Lulu and Georgia’s 12 x 15 size, as I think it will make the room a lot bigger. I used it in a friend’s dining room and it had really nice colors and patterns. Still forgiving, but not as comfortable (no rug, so Brian and the kids would be very disappointed if I changed it). But part of me worries that I’m being too bold. So Gretsch has copied it for you…
I also ordered samples (3×5). this rug (Denim rug from Irvin’s old collection) See if it works well and doesn’t add the busyness of the pattern above. It’s a very pretty color in person, but I don’t think you can do that because the dog hair would stick to the magnet (but I was impressed with the color and texture). Bought round version Our dog sleeps on a camel under the chaise lounge (I’ll show you this soon).
Add wallpaper above the panel
If I could go back in time, this is what I would do white/cream Raphael wallpaper Here instead of entry. Brian flatly refused at the time, and although I didn’t understand it at the time, I wish I had just steamrolled it. I know it’s a popular paper, but it’s perfect for what I’m looking for (to give the wall some kind of definition while keeping it light and airy). Keep in mind that there are so many openings/doorways/panels throughout the room that high contrast will make it very busy. Please believe me. Part of me thinks this little room is enough and I can just leave it here and replace the entry with something bolder. But I ordered a few more samples of subtle patterns that seemed to work well. stay tuned.
Other options: darken the curtains or paint the fireplace
Please listen. The curtains were fine, but I don’t want to replace them as they are made to order. Really clean, high quality, nothing wrong with it. But I’ve never loved florals and tapestries as much as I do now, so if I could snap my fingers and make patterned curtains or shades I would, but for now I’m really focused on keeping them the same and making the room work. Regarding the fireplace, I would like to do something about it, even if it means redoing the mantel. I got really jealous after we tiled Caitlin’s fireplace and it became the center of attention. I want to make this fireplace more beautiful. Oh, I want to frame that picture on my mantel, in a bigger, better frame, and hang it instead of leaning it up.
Furniture to add/replace
I brought it home to the banquette with the blue Demilune table in these photos and loved it. I’ll take a picture/show it to you soon. I would like some prettier cabinets to replace the mid-century cabinets (I love that piece, but I found it at FBMP the weekend before the shoot). And I’d also like to add a footstool for the swivel chair (I’m thinking of this) and a prettier fireplace screen (it’s hard to find one that will fit because of the large opening).
oh my god. This turned into a rather rambling story. This room was tough! It’s a pass-through room, opening into three other rooms with multiple focal points, and it’s very difficult to get it perfect because it needs to be very functional (dining corner and lots of seating). It’s so nice right now that there’s no urgency, but I think about it for hours every weekend over coffee 🙂
*Photo provided by: caitlin green
Source: Emily Henderson – stylebyemilyhenderson.com
