It's Time

I bought this wonderful Pottery Barn sofa almost 10 years ago. It's been a fantastic piece for me and my family, but we need something a little more dual-purpose. Since we no longer have a designated guest room, we need to have space for visiting family and friends.

So, I'm selling our sofa! And in it's place, we're hoping to find a pull-out sleeper sofa. Now, I don't want some old piece of crap pull-out. You know the kind I'm talking about: the bar down the center of your back, squeaking hinge monstrosity you slept on at that sweet sixteen sleep over in 1993. No. I want a sleeper sofa that my mother can be comfortable on.

So the first part of getting a new sofa for my living room is to sell the old one and make space. Bye bye, old friend. Here are some photos of my beloved sofa over our decade-long relationship.

And for my new sofa?

I'm looking at the Paige sleeper sofa from West Elm.

I'm thinking the Linen Weave upholstery in Regal Blue, shown on the bottom image.

Mustard Midcentury Love Seat Part II

A few months ago I picked up a midcentury love seat from a neighbor on impulse. It used to be a part of a set and its original yellow upholstery is still very much in tact. It's really comfortable as well. For a few months I had it tucked away in my bedroom, not quite knowing what to do with it. But this month I moved it out into our living room. Does it match my brown Craig's List sofa? No. But that's alright. My goal is never that things match, but rather that they play nicely together.

I'm in love with this linen sofa...

This sofa is from my latest home tour on Houzz.com.  I think I'm in love.  Thank you to the Wilcox Family for sharing their lovely home with me and my readers!  If you wake up tomorrow and this sofa is missing from your dining room, you'll know who took it.  

Take a look at the full article:

My Houzz: Budget-Friendly Decorating Updates for a Great Room in Texas

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Evolve

A friend of mine once asked why I constantly change my space. At the time, all I could offer was, "I don't know - because I like to."  Now I realize the ever-changing ebb and flow of my house requires that I move things around from time to time.  I'm also a seasonal person. I want my home to reflect what's happening outside the house. Another reason that I enjoy freshening up my decor is that I work from home.  This is the place that shelters my rising, my prep, my mothering, my cooking, my cleaning, my work, my writing, my painting, my children and their childhoods, my husband, my marriage and a host of other very important components of happy living. These things are always shifting and I want my home to nurture transformation. I know it might seem a little over stated, but this is why I sew a new pillow cover or switch lamps from the bedroom to the living room.

Speaking of change, I've switched up the layout of my blog so that most of the navigation can happen at the top of the page.  Please browse around and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section! 

More of my home HERE.

Living Room Peek

I spent the weekend painting my living room and after four - yes, FOUR - coats, it's finally done. I'm not sharing all of the photos yet, but here is a little peek at the wall behind the sofa area. The color is Symphony Blue by Benjamin Moore.

I also thought it would be fun to share the design photos that have inspired my latest living room update. These were pulled from a file called "Make this happen in my house".  Do you have a dream file too? 

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Be sure to check back on Friday when I'll share LOTS of photos of the new room and treat you to a little "state of the house" tour. 

Grace is not an old fashioned notion...

I had so much fun on my latest house tour for Houzz.com.  I met with the Pennock Family of New Bridge, Oregon and enjoyed touring their beautiful craftsman. Its a multigenerational home filled to the brim with charm reminiscent of a bygone era.  Grace and graciousness are the words that came to mind as Deanna and I talked about her humble, beautiful, practical home.  I wanted to share with you some of my favorite photos from the shoot that did not make it into the article.  Of course you can see the whole house HERE. 

My Houzz: 2 Generations Unite in an Oregon Craftsman

May I suggest pink?

A little pink upholstery makes everything better.

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At the foot of the bookcase.

I love seeing a gorgeous sofa with a huge backdrop of bookcases filled with a jumble of books.  If I ever get my bookcases out of my son's nursery and into living room, I'm definitely going to do this. 

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Fur

I usually don't go in for fur, but I keep coming back to the photo below.  Is it the wood built-ins?  Is it the wonderful light quality?  Is it the Buddha on the shelf?  Is it the natural fiber rug?  Possibly.  But I think it might be that crazy fur covered couch. 

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Sofas I'd Like to Make Out With

It's time again for another edition of "sofas I'd like to make out with".  I would totally kiss any of the sofas below - on the mouth with tongue.  You have to admit, they're awesome.
(P.S. Sorry that I didn't post anything yesterday.  Brain fart.)

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The Perfect Room

I just spotted this photo at Savvy Home. Its from an Italian Ski Lodge House tour in Marie Claire Maison Italia.  The house is incredible, but this room in particular has me smiling big time.  Cozy, boho, bookish, euro, industrial, and inviting.  Dreamy!

images from Marie Claire Maison Italia via City Sage

 

If these walls could talk...

My home was built in 1971.  There is nothing special about my walls.  Their construction and their history is pretty mundane.  But the walls in the photos below have a story to tell that begins well before the Nixon administration.  If these walls could talk, I wonder what they'd say.

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Very Cool Coffee Tables

If anyone has an extra one of these coffee tables just lying around, please send it on.  These coffee tables below kick all over my little Craigs-lister from 2009.  Just email for my address!

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And on a totally separate note... 

For those of you who have been following along in my weight lost journey via Smaller Sarah, I'm so excited to report that I'm down 36 pounds since June 1st!  I'm almost half way to my goal of losing 75 pounds by June of 2012!  You can't see it, but I'm doing a little victory dance.