Homefront: So Long, Couches

 We got rid of our couches!! I did love my slipcovers, but my highly energetic 4 year old is a major couch jumper, and keeping those things on, are near impossible with him. It's been a good 2-3 year run with them, so I'm not complaining. We are selling off the large couch and slipcovers in a garage sale this weekend, but keeping the small loveseat with it's slipcovers to cozy up another room.

9 years ago when we were first married, I fell in love with a gray sofa. But, $500 was way too much, so we got a half sectional, gray corduroy for $86 on clearance from an actual furniture store. I loved that couch... but since it only had one arm, the cushions always slid off the other side. Ever since then, we have had one couch dilemma after another. Always from garage sales, hand me downs... at one point, we were using a bundt pan and kettle to sturdy the broken legs of a very awful sunny yellow floral monstrosity.

My slipcovers (white pottery barn and brown surefits) were heavenly, but they had drawbacks as well. Constant rearranging and so forth. So, nearly every single day for the past year I have been searching for nice, sturdy, affordable gray couches. Preferably, ones in which the cushions do not easily come off.

 And I found them last week! A natuzzi microfiber gray sofa and loveseat for $225... barely used on craigslist. They are a little shorter/smaller than I was hoping, but aside from that singular detail, perfection.

Ever since we brought these couches in, I have been on a major redecorating curve. I found these images of Kristin's living room via Little Green Notebook and it inspired a living room transformation. The beginnings  is taking form in a similar style and placement as hers.

Now all I have on my list to do... rehang wall art, find a coffee table, paint our tv stand, maybe dye our curtains, and learn how to slipcover my $1 skirted circle ottoman find. Pics to come soon!

Homefront: Mid Century Finds

 

I got this cute little mid century two tier end table a month or two ago for $7 at Goodwill. Then, a few weeks later, I saw this Lane mid century modern chest there for $50. It locked and I didn't see the key, so I talked them down to $30. Anyways, got it home and realized we could still open the lock by pushing it in and turning it, and the key was discovered inside the chest tucked neatly inside it's little envelope.

I'm considering moving the chest at the foot of our bed though, my boys are having a grand ole time scratching the heck out of it. I'm hoping to look around for a coffee table that I don't mind getting beat up, that maybe I can give a chippy paint job to. I put that linen fabric scrap on top of the chest to help, but you know how that goes with two little ones! I love a hodge podge look in my home, but at the same time, I don't want to look like everything I own is from a garbage heap, you know?

Also, I adore this chair, really I adore all chairs. Our wonderful friend gave this to us because it was just too big for his place and he prefers more of the streamlined, IKEA type design. I would like to paint it and reupholster it, or slipcover it somehow. The back cushion would be easy, then maybe do just a simple skirt for the bottom portion, similar to this below. Where can I find someone to tackle this sewing job? If you are a seamstress, contact me and I'd love to work something out. UPDATE: I spray painted the blue chair with awesome black fabric spray paint. Looks so much better! See it here :)

style files

I saw some adorable mid century club chairs the other day, $5 a piece. I desperately want them, but they too would need to be reupholstered. I am wondering how to go about that, as the cushions don't look like they screw off or anything. Sometimes, I wish I was all powerful, ready to outfit any situation, staple gun, orbital sander and fabric tacks on the go. I will consult this country living upholstery guide and think about it. But for now, I feel largely inadequate for the goals I have for this place. Perhaps I just need to refocus my energy. Easier said than done, I presume.

Homefront: White Slipcovers and Touches of Aqua

I've talked about my slipcovers before, but never really showed them to you in much detail.

I love how versatile they are, I can change my style throughout the year by simply rotating pillows and pillow slipcovers, adding maybe a throw or whatever. By changing out simple accessories in your home and maybe art on your walls, is a good way to take you through different seasons, or to change your scenery every once in a while. I rotate most of my decorations throughout the year. I prefer decorating with only one or two colors at a time, right now, it's aqua and a soft green.

Even though I have a busy and active family (that enjoys snacking on the couch) and little boys that enjoy writing on the couch with yogurt and ink pens... I find it surprisingly easy to take care of.

Before I had slipcovers, the boys ransacked the couch cushions on a daily basis, my bones hurt just thinking about how many times a day I put those couches back together. This was my life pre-slipcovers and pre-bungie roping my kitchen chairs to the table legs in our old apartment. (I also bungie rope my fridge and oven shut ;)

I wash the slipcovers about every 2 weeks with detergent and bleach, though I will be switching to maybe borax or oxiclean since bleach can gray out whites and deteriorate fabric over time.

I made a baking soda and water paste and applied them to stain spots, let it sit for about 30 mins or so, then added the slipcovers to the wash with some detergent, about a 1/2 cup of baking soda and a tad of bleach.

They come out great and if there is a stain that doesn't come out (which is inevitable), it usually fades after additional washes.

Really, I love the casualness of them, how much better I feel that I can just clean them (I'm a little ocd about unwashed couches... really you wouldn't lay on a mattress without a sheet, would you?) and how versatile they are. It's more affordable than buying a whole new couch set as well.

The slipcovers I have are the Pottery Barn box pleat in white. They don't always carry them in white, so I found mine on amazon and ebay. The sturdiness of them are nice because it helps keep the tucks better than a stretch type slipcover. I have these Surefit covers in taupe too, and though I love them, they do come untucked easier. I've read, that rolling up a magazine and tucking it in the tucks help them stay in place better.

For more slipcover advice, I turn you to Holly from In the Fun Lane. She is the queen of living with white and has some great slipcover advice. Here she talks about maintaining a white home, and here on how to pick the right premade cover.

You can also make your own slipcovers as shown above from Nester. Pink and Polka Dot helped Nester make hers here... it really is just like piecing a puzzle together and sewing it. Using white duck, denim or canvas are great choices because they clean well, are comfortable and crisp, sturdy fabrics. 

Pink Polka Dot has a good tutorial on slipcovering a chair here and writes some great advice about making your own slipcovers.

I'm joining Pink's Slipcover McLinky party as well as Emily's Chatting at the Sky, Glimpses of Home party today, can't wait to see what everyone elses!

Homefront: The New Digs

Our move went well, 6 helpers per side and only 2 hours of loading/unloaded each side. Had I not been sick, I probably would have everything unpacked by now, but given it's only been 6 days, we've accomplished a lot, only about 2 boxes left! I have 4 boxes and 2 chairs given to Goodwill already and a few more to go. Of course, that probably should be done before the move, but sometimes, it's easier to have an objective eye when you are unpacking.

I had planned on showing the home before we started Christmas decorating, but a lost camera prevented that. I added 2 red pillows to tie in the Christmas colors, otherwise they will all be the black/white/charcoal combo. I painted that wrought iron circlet above the couch a shabby textured aqua and white, but am thinking of doing a lot more white since my aqua decorations are put away for the season.

We are really trying for the crisp, white, uncluttered look in this new (temporary) home. It's nice refreshing and airy with the large windows and archways. So, of course, Holly's all white and ebony wood floor home is in large part an inspiration. Eventually, we are going to paint our furniture white and the table black, but that won't be until well after Christmas, when I get my orders all made and shipped. Right now, I'm loving our Pottery Barn slipcovers, I haven't had to bleach them yet, but they have been cleaned and toddler spots come out quite nicely.

It's funny, our little 4 foot Christmas tree was *too big* in our last place as the only room for it was on our table, but now it is dwarfed by the windows. I'll put some garland up there on those windows soon. We still love the trees and the boys had fun decorating it too. Maybe daddy will surprise us with a real tree, hmm?

 I'm contemplating hanging something from our archway. A couch sits right below it, so the void is kind of interesting as you can see in the photo, and a little room divider coupled with the couch would be nice. I thought that this contemporary white  wooden chandelier from uncommon would be beautiful there, maybe I can add some vintage chandelier crystals to the bottom, or just leave it plain, what do you think?


(less wordy posts soon, I promise)

Modern Glamour in Black and White

 

The good thing about moving is packing. Not that it is fun, or uneventful, but it does allow you to see your space without all of the "stuff", so you can see the possibilities without all of those things that you are so artificially tied to. Moving into a new place, also gives one the opportunity to nest a bit. Different layouts, different windows, different flooring, can either stress you out, or give you a chance to be creative without spending too much.

So, I ordered my white Pottery Barn slipcovers (mine are white and no longer on pottery barn, I got them on ebay for way less, so I linked to the 'natural' color). As a brave soul ordering white with 2 toddler boys, I decided I will try it and bleach those babies if I need to. Especially after reading Holly's advice in living with an all white home in her Life in the Fun Lane blog. She has some great slipcover advice here and here. And This Stylish House has great advice as well.

With all of this white, I am thinking charcoal gray and black for the next place. So, when I came upon this home featured in Domino, of J.Crew's creative director, Jenna Lyons, it made me realize that a dark and elegant place with touches of stark white, can still have warmth and uniqueness.