Design Chat: Selecting a Sofa (and developing an accessory plan)

April 28, 2016

I’ve got another installment of Design Chat for you today, where I answer and provide design advice to a readers question.

Like many of the other Design Chat questions, Kimberly’s design challenge centered on finding the right sofa for her living room. Here’s the question Kimberly posed about a sectional she was considering…

“I read your blog about the do’s and font’s of a sectional and I am strongly considering this sectional for my room. Here are my questions…
1. Is the sectional too dark? I have tons of sunlight. I am wanting to steer away from the tan/beige, and I hear grays are very neutral, but I don’t want it to be a fad thing. The size is 115 X 115.
2. The back of the sectional would face the direction of looking into the room to define that space b/c I don’t want to block the bay windows.
I have a family of 5 and we purchased a single couch with the intent on adding more chairs, but they hated it b/c we couldn’t all sit together. Therefore, that’s why I am looking at the sectional, I know it limits us when it comes to moving furniture around. What do you think? ”

Here’s the space that Kimberly is dealing with. You can see that the room is pretty large, has a great span of windows at the far end and a fireplace and bookshelves that sit on one wall.

And here’s the sectional that Kimberly is considering. She spotted this piece at End Up Furniture in Greenville, SC.

Ok Kimberly, here’s what I think.

Given the size of your room I think this sectional is a great option. The scale looks good and the sofa will really anchor the room. As far as the color goes, the darker grey get two thumbs up from me. Grey is definitely considered a neutral and are a great alternative to a lighter khaki or tan colors. You can feel confident that grey will not go out of style in the coming years.

Looking at the other elements in the room here’s a couple of suggestions I have to round out the space.

♦ Place side tables at both ends of the sectional piece that sits along the wall and add tabletop lamps to make that sofa functional for reading etc.

♦ Highlight the window with drapes. You could either hang panels at the far ends of the bay window or at all the break points along the window which would give you four hanging panels. Curtains will add softness and allow you to bring some color into the space.

♦ I’d also suggest to create vignette or small sitting area at the window so that space feels purposeful. Maybe place an upholstered bench under the center window or two accent chairs with a small side table between.

♦ Finally, I’d hang a larger piece of artwork on the wall over the sofa to balance the TV wall and overall scale of the room. And relook your rug, maybe adding something with minimized pattern work. Both of these areas give you another opportunity to bring some color and pattern into the room.

Here’s a quick inspiration board I pulled together, to give Kimberly an idea for a color and accessory palette to work with her new sofa.

update: Kimberly purchased the sofa and it was delivered earlier this week. She’s on her way to a new space for her family to enjoy.

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You might also like these posts (click on image):

Blue and White Decor at Target

March 15, 2016

House Beautiful

When was the last time you went looking for something on a stores website only to find yourself going down a rabbit hole of endless surfing? It happens to me more times than not. The other day I went looking for a specific item on Target.com and an hour later I found myself looking at completely different things.

During my search I stumbled upon some fantastic blue and white decor pieces and knew I had to share them with you along with some design inspiration.

Tobi Fairley

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SHOPPING TARGET FOR BLUE and WHITE DECOR

@TARGET.com

Shop these items:

Dinner Plate—$1.49 ea / Ginger Jar–$22.95 / Blue Seersucker Pillow–$16.99 / Ceramic Lamp–$47.24

Kensington Rug–$229.99 / Sheer Curtains–$24.99 to $29.90 / Snowdrift Pillow--$47.50 / Paisley Rug–$79.99 and up

Floral Pillow—$47.50 / Solana Pouf–$216.00 / Ceramic Vase–$26.35 / Skyline Ottoman with Storage–$99.99 /

Parson Chair–$171.00 set of 2 / Natasha Ottoman—$649.99

House Beautiful

*** this is not a sponsored post, I’m just sharing the things I love

Chinoiserie Pillows–Best of Etsy

March 11, 2016

image via Jamie Meares

I’ve been quite obsessed with all things Chinoiserie of late in part because it’s a design style that is super popular right now and also because I just love the eclectic feel the style lends itself too.

Chinoiserie also speaks to my love of color, vintage and bold pattern work. The Jamie Meares image above just says fun to me and really represent a collected home filled with unique treasures.

The Ralph Lauren image below is another take on Chinoiserie with a more subdues color and pattern statement but with just as much personality and visual interest.

Some of my favorite Chinoiserie styled decorative elements include blue and white pottery, bamboo styled furniture, mirror and lighting and also Asian motif pillows.

image via Ralph Lauren

Recently I went on the hunt for some Chinoiserie pillows for our bedroom. I started my search on Etsy and was thrilled to see that there are lots of pillows available on the site.

One of the things I like about shopping on Etsy is that you can get handcrafted items in designer fabrics for a great price. I also like that shopping Etsy is a way to support independent artist and small businesses, many of which are run out of the home.

Here’s just a sampling of the pillows I found…

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Design Chat: The Perfect Pillow Formula

February 29, 2016

image via BHG

Happy Monday friends. I’ve got another round of my Design Chat series for you today and I’m answering a question about selecting and styling pillows for your sofa.

Deziree is having trouble selecting pillows for her living room sofa and posed the following question to me…

” I have had the hardest time styling my living room. I have purchased probably 8 sets of curtains, multiple pillows, hand-made covers, and I still have not finished it. My walls are a grey taupe and my sectional is tan and I currently have natural ivory off white linen curtains. I would love help with picking pillow colors, patterns, shapes and amounts for my sectional. Any suggestion”?

I’ve gotten this question on more than one occasion from readers and I hope the tips I’m sharing will help you if you’re struggling with your pillow decor.

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Read the Post

Shopping Ikea–New decor and fabrics!

February 22, 2016

Hello friends. I hope you all had a great weekend.

Since I hadn’t been shopping at IKEA in a while, I decided to stop by the store on Saturday to see what was new. Whenever I plan a trip to Ikea, I try to go early in the morning or an hour or so before they close because the crowds are usually at a low point during those times. Well, I must have missed the email announcement that Saturday night was ‘kids night’ because the store was packed with families and there were kids running around everywhere. What usually takes me an hour to get through the store took me a lot longer because I was constantly dogging little ones.

Despite the crowd and super long check-out lines, we made it out in one piece but did have to stop and get ice-cream on the way home to calm our nerves:)

Anyway, back to my shopping trip. I spotted several new items I wanted to share with you including some of the new fabrics Ikea is selling.

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One of the first things I spotted were these glass jars. I love the cork tops and the simple shape. These would be great on a kitchen counter to hold snacks and staples and I can even see them being used as a terrarium or to hold seasonal decor like the photo below. If I remember correctly, the largest size was $24.00 and the medium was $14.99.

via

When I spotted these wood boxes I immediately thought of a thousand different ways to use them. And they are the perfect piece for a DIY project. Unfortunately the store was out of this size but did have a larger/longer size available. It think the price was $5.99.

Another great piece I saw was this woven side table. The top is a metal tray and it comes off to reveal storage space inside. I didn’t much care of the white stripe around the center but that could be fixed in a flash with spray paint or stain. Just image this in a bold, bright color for summer. $79.99

I loved this black planter and will probably go back and get one. The textured pattern on the outside is really nice and the inside is painted gold which you can see in the website photo below.

I never pass up the pillow aisle at Ikea and it never fails that they have something I want. This blue and cream striped pillow cover was really nice and I loved the watercolor effect the stripes had. Like most of the pillow covers, this one was a great deal at just $8.00.

Next up was the fabric department at Ikea. If you’ve never looked at the fabrics that Ikea sells, I suggest you do. Their fabric department is set up with a cut-it-yourself station so you cut the yardage you need and take it to the register to be rung up. You won’t find designer patterns or designer quality but many of the fabrics are great for decor like pillows, table linens or even drapes. And you can’t beat the price with most of the fabrics under $10 a year.

Here are a few favorites…

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Berta Ruta–a classic red and white plaid $8.99/yd Also comes in other classic colors.
Emmie Ros–this is a vintage inspired floral design and would be great in with shabby chic decor–$6.99/yd.
Sofia–a classic black and white stripe for only $7.99/yd. I used this fabric to make a skirt for the file cabinet in my office and love the weight and quality of it. Also available in other colors.
Pilorf–I love, love, love the floral design on this fabric and think it would make a really pretty table runner because of the way the pattern runs. $5.99/yd.

Blue and white products are a big trend at Ikea and they have some great blue and white fabrics for sale. This Sommar pattern is modern and classic and is only $5.99/yd.
At first I didn’t know if I like this abstract foliage fabric and then I remembered that Sherry Hart used it to make pillows for one of her projects and I was sold. It’s a great design that in the right application can look high-end. $9.99/yd.
This Sommar blue and white grid pattern is another classic design they sell. I can envision this as drapes with a beautiful trim detail or made into a duvet cover. $5.99/yd
Classic black and white floral design with an antique washed look. $7.99/yd.

And another new item I spotted in the fabric department was a bundle of fabric swatches that were on sale for $4.99. Each swatch measures 8″ x 8″ and there are 50 pieces in the bundle, 10 each of 5 designs. I immediately thought of making dinner napkins from these or using them in craft projects. I might be going back to get these as well.

So there you have it…a few of my favorite things at Ikea.

Inspiration {plus links you’ll love}

June 6, 2015

Hello!

My typical weekend inspiration and links you’ll love post is a smorgasbord of stuff including design ideas, business tips, fashion inspiration and anything else that I think you’ll find interesting. This week’s post is no different so sit back, enjoy and be inspired!

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Have you ever spent time looking through all the amazing recipes on Pinterest. It’s kinda like walking through Costco on food sample Saturday–it can be dangerous. I recently came across this recipe and will definitely be making it in the coming days. It looks so yummy!

Miss Mustard Seed gives you all the ins and outs of decorating with bread boards.

This is one beautiful kitchen renovation!

I’m always interested in learning different ways to build my creative business and I found this article on Debi’s Design Diary funny and informative.

Can you tell which is the high-priced pillow and which is the diy? Jen at the Chronicles of Home knocked this pillow diy out of the park. It is beyond amazing and one of my all-time favorites!

If you want an easy way to personalize your business or social correspondence, you need to take advantage of this sale. I love my stamps and use them all the time.

In case you missed my spring bedroom refresh, you can read all about it here and learn how I created that gold stool in the top photo.

This Is Why I Invest In Pillows

May 27, 2015

Last week we were doing some purging around the homestead and my husband stumbled upon my pillow stash. At first he didn’t know what he was looking at but as soon as he realized the stack of fabrics were pillow covers he asked a question as only a husband can do–why are you hoarding pillows?

I immediately gave him a look (as only a wife can do) and told him I wasn’t hoarding, I was investing!

You see, as someone who likes to change-up the decor often, pillows are one of my go-to style solutions. Just like paint, pillows are a quick, easy and cost-effective way to change the look of a space. Whether it’s your bedroom or the sofa, a change of pillows can allow you to change the color, style or mood of a room in a flash.

To show you (and my hubby) what I mean, I pulled out some of my pillow covers to show you how easy it is change the look of our bed with just a switch of pillows.

(sources for all pillows at the end of the post)

Option 1: this is the current pillow combo I have on the bed which features the rose pillows and green accent pillow

Option 2: black and white patterned pillows + solid red + red patterned pillow

Option 3: black and white patterned pillows + solid red + custom monogrammed black and white stripe pillow

Option 4: black and white patterned pillows + solid yellow pillows (I added the center button) + small floral accent pillow (from HomeGoods)

Option 5: black and white patterned pillows + solid red + yellow and white pillow I won at the Haven conference last year

Option 6: solid pink pillows + rose pattern + small (handmade) black and white accent pillow

Option 7: solid pink pillows + green and white patterned pillow + pink rose pillow

Option 8: yellow gold textured pillows + bold black and white pillow

Option 9: red and white patterned pillow + bold black and white pillow

Option 10: (holiday look) red and white patterned pillow + green accent pillow with trim

I have a few more pillow covers that I didn’t show but you can see how easy it is to get a new look for your home with simple changes.

A few design tips to keep in mind when shopping for pillows:

*** buy pillow covers only which will allow you to easily change out your pillows from season to season or whenever the mood strikes

***use your patterned pillows to pull accent colors from and then buy solid colored pillows in those colors

***invest in a classic striped pillows which will mix and match with everything

***invest in a bold, graphic pattern that can mix with florals and other non-graphic patterns

***think about every room in your home that has pillows and buy pillows that can work in multiple spaces

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If you want to shop my pillow collection, I’ve listed the sources below as well as a few other places I shop for pillows.

[click on images below to enlarge them ]

My favorite sources for pillow covers:

Ikea–a great source for solid colored, basic pillow covers at rock bottom prices

West Elm–you’ll find lots of modern patterns, solid basics and traditional textures

Etsy–this is the place to shop for pillows using designer fabrics–Stuck on Hue has one of the best assortments

Pottery Barn Kids–a great source for novelty styles, bright colors, faux fur and whimsical shapes, many of which are appropriate for an adult space

And don’t forget to invest in good quality down pillow inserts. My go to sources are Pottery Barn Outlet, West Elm and Fabric.com

Happy decorating!

Product + Inspiration: Amir Fabric

May 22, 2015

Before I sign off for the weekend I wanted to bring you a new Product + Inspiration Post. Instead of showcasing an actual product I decided to share some fabric inspiration with you.

One of my favorite fabrics is a modern interpretation of a chevron print called Amir. The pattern is more relaxed than a traditional chevron print and has a bit of an animal print feel.

Amir is a 100% linen fabric which makes it ideal for drapery and upholstery and at $29.98 a yard it’s very affordable.

colors clockwise: Harissa, Azur, Cumin, Meadow

When made into pillows, the pattern scale mixes perfectly with floral prints and smaller repeat prints.

I also love this fabric as chair upholstery.

And here’s a little inspiration using Amir in curtain panels.

Lewis and Sheron, one of Atlanta’s premier fabric stores carries the Amir in four different colorways and also has the fabric available for online ordering. And with all the other fabulous fabrics they carry, it’s easy to pull together a fabric plan for any room in your home.

Here’s a little inspiration board I created for a master bedroom inspired by Amir Azur…