couch inspiration

Please forgive the six months between posts, I blame it on the twins.  And the iPhone.  Getting on a real computer is a rarity these days.

If you have read this blog for any matter of time you may recognize the first picture.  It is a couch similar to the one my Mom gave me.  Unfortunately for me it resides three long states away.  My loss is currently my sister's gain.  When she got married a couple of years ago she took the couch out of storage and has been using it since.  She is getting ready to move into a new house and with this change she is thinking the couch could use some TLC in the form of re-upholstering.

 This is the basic shape and style of the couch.  I still love the green by the way.  While the green and this next pattern are fun, I fear they aren't realistic.  The reality is that re-upholstering a couch is expensive and you are less likely to get sick of a neutral color in a year or two.

 That being said, one of my favorite interior designers, Jenny Komenda, was looking at gray, chocolate and navy's for a new couch so what better place to start?  Here are some fun navy's and grays.

 This one is a velvet.  It looks pretty cosy, but I fear that velvet may be a fleeting trend.  What do you think? 

 The rest of these are linens.  A pretty standard and classic fabric.  

So there you go Chels.  Some sofa inspiration.

via Sam Allen Interiors, Alice Lane Home, Emily Style, Little Green Notebook

some nursery inspirations

I love these two nurseries/kids rooms. I particularly love the brightly painted dressers.

One thing I noticed (and was also pointed out to me in a conversation about colorful baby rooms) was the use/need for a lot of neutrals. Notice the white curtains and glider...

I bought a dresser for the babies room this week. I have been going back and forth on painting it, partially because it may be an actual antique. Regardless, I have a small cabinet that is going between the cribs that will be painted. Maybe red.

via shannanigans and apartment therapy

two is better than one

I have been refurbishing some furniture. A new coat of paint and some new hardware. Little did I know, not all furniture is made to fit current standard sizes. The hardware holes (there is probably a proper name for these of which I am unaware) are a weird size. Even using the internet I could only find two handle options, neither of which I loved. So I am trying out two knobs rather than using handles. I think it could work out nicely.

I am planning on using these knobs on the bottom drawer. In my head it looks great, lets hope that translates to reality.

thrift finds

While checking out thrift stores for dressers I found this frame and silver plate for a whopping total of two dollars. The frame I going to use for the currently unframed ACEO painting my husband gave me. The silver plate will be an excellent addition to my plate wall which hopefully will be going up on a wall for the first time next month.

And now to the dressers/bedside tables. I bought these two pieces. Next up for this furniture, a new paint job and new hardware.

one down

I have purchased the dresser that will be one of our bedside tables. The brown color and drawer pulls will go (the middle ones don't protrude enough to even help pull the drawer out).

These are some color inspiration photos. I think I want a metallic color in place of the brown.

photo via little green notebook and unknown

dressers as nightstands

Can you tell that I have nightstands on the mind? I am going to the local flea market, which boasts to be one of the best in the world, this weekend to search for nightstands.

I want to use a dresser as one nightstand. So I wanted some pictures to how to use the space on top of the dresser.

via house beautiful

mismatched nightstands

As I have searched for the perfect matching nightstands my vision has altered. First, finding matching nightstands within my budget that are not straight from 1982 is virtually impossible. Second, I could potentially gain some dresser drawer space without buying a massive dresser.

As I have scoured the internet for mismatched nightstands I have come across a couple of rules of thumb.

1- The pieces should be the same height, or close enough that you can't tell when standing back.

2- Use matching lamps when mismatching nightstands. I will also be matching the color by painting them the same.

3- Don't pair a bedside table with legs with a bed frame with legs (like a four-poster).

4- The nightstands should have a similar style to each other.

Here is a compilation of mismatched bedside tables.

via high fashion home, lists in my pocket, decor pad, design stiles

couch re-design

My friend Martha just bought this couch from a consignment shop. She want to re-upholster the couch to go with her red leather chair.

I vote for a bold pattern, here are some examples.

The fabric on the chairs is what I am looking at in this picture.

I think this large pattern is one of my favorites.

A little more modern

This is an antique chair and not the exact fabric I would use but I love the small stripes.

Another large pattern.

via Oh the World Spins Madly On, Rare Victorian, marimekko, desire to inspire, caitlin wilson design

bedside tables

Before we moved I sold most of our bedroom set. I am holding off on getting a dresser until we move again (in August, we are subletting for the summer). I don't necessarily care that the bedside tables, headboard and dresser come from the same set so long as they look nice together. Since we kept our headboard it is the starting point for the rest of the furniture. I plan to paint the bedside tables and dresser to complement the dark wood of the headboard. Here are some of my ideal bedside table shapes.

Good thing I have nothing better to do all summer than scour craigslist, garage sales and thrift stores! Maybe I should get a part time job at Pottery Barn so I can get the employee discount....

via sashy jane, kate collins interiors, and pottery barn

yellow storage

I love this bright yellow bathroom storage piece. Now I want to paint my bathroom cabinet. Who wants white when you can have yellow?

via shiny interior

the great sofa debate

When my husband and I were registering for our wedding he was fairly indifferent to the process, until we got to the cutlery. You can imagine my surprise when we ended up spending 30 minutes pouring over various knifes, forks and spoons. They had to fit well in the hand, be able to scoop up the right amount of cereal, have a balanced weight, etc. I was shocked, I had planned on looking at the style and really only that. That was the first I learned of his deeply rooted opinions on some household items.

Now as we get ready to start the search for a new sofa these deeply rooted opinions on household items are resurfacing. As he told me, "I spend a lot of quality time on the couch, it's important." I have been throwing around the idea of a leather sofa, when I told him this he had immediate concerns about the temperature of leather when you first sit on it. He brought up the idea of sectionals and ruled out the idea of a high backed couch (it does not meet his primary comfort standards). If his strong preferences came out more often I probably wouldn't enjoy them as much. As it is, I find them hilarious. So here are some sectionals. Any recommendations on a good couch color?

via Crate and Barrel, West Elm, Ikea, Restoration Hardware, Costco, Pottery Barn,

love

I saw this blue table on Little Green Notebook, I love it. My friend Rachel has been trying to decide what color to paint her side tables, this is my vote! It makes me want to repaint all my black tables!

P.S. this is what I want to do to my oak desk!

couch

I will be in the market for a new couch in the next 18 months. In my dreams I like these options...

via pottery barn, crate and barrel

high backed couch

via greige
I love the look of this high backed couch and chair.

bar stools

I have four bar stools that look similar to these two. I have been throwing an idea around in my head, what if I painted them blue?

The more I look into it the more I like it. I feel confident in saying my husband will likely strongly oppose the idea. Luckily I have eight different weeks where he will be on rotation, starting next week.



Maybe a gray instead of a blue?

via target, polyvore, chow down atlanta