Sometimes I see something and I just KNOW. Like my bedroom fabric.
Sometimes every option seems like a good option. And I have a bit of a problem with commitment.
This is one of the latter situations. I have gone a little loopy thinking of all the combinations for the living room. The room is a completely blank canvas...especially since the furniture is white.
Below is where I currently stand...the product of weeks of rumination.
We have LOTS of white in our living room. Literally every piece of furniture is white, and we have lots of glossy white trim, as well as a pair of french doors painted white. So the room has a bright, preppy feel, which I enjoy.
The AO Living Room (not a great pic...sorry)
But, I'd like to balance that brightness with the fabrics, to bring some depth and texture to the room...give it some interest.
We have one large window that sits behind the sofa. I thought framing that window with solid velvet drapes would instantly make the room a little more rich and sophisticated. And I knew I wanted them this teal/aqua color. If you remember my armoire vignette, the lamp is a shade of this color and I really like how it looks against the paint color.
For sofa pillows, I'm thinking Sassari Ikat from Lee Jofa. The deeper green tone will compliment the walls. I plan to make two rather large pillows for either end of the sofa.
The fabric that has given me the most trouble is the one for our cane chair (on the left in the picture above). I have been hunting for a great pattern to bring lots of colors into the room, but I have not found anything that I love (if you all have any suggestions, do tell!) But, I love stripes, and this Cadet Stripe from Greenhouse Design is just beautiful. I think it will be a good graphic pattern in the room. And it reminds me of the curtain/wall combo from this room in the domino book:
And finally, my designBoard has a Chiang Mai Dragon (by Schumacher) pillow. It would be the perfect touch to my room...but the fabric is pretty pricey, so I'll have to keep it to a pillow. I have a request out for a quote on the fabric (it is to the trade only), so we'll see if it works with the budget. It would definitely be a splurge.
This inspiration board isn't quite as set in stone as my bedroom one was. I'm hoping to make lots of decisions this weekend because I'm ready to get started with this room!
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteGreat that you show your process for thinking through this. I am in this process also. The bones of our tastes are similar--greens with clean whites. I tend to lean towards a rustic feel. I'm struggling with our green in the family room now. We are also developing our ideas for the mantle. My father in law has a beautiful hand hewned beam that would be perfect, but this is our first home and my husband's grandfather crafted the piece, so I'm hesitant to use it. I'm going to check out your fabric store suggestions. I would like to make the curtains myself, and maybe that fabric could be inspiring. I want them white, but with a texture to it, or sewn in design. Any suggestions?
Love your choices-is a zebra rug in the plans down the road?
ReplyDeleteOh SR2, I WISH a zebra rug was in my plans...especially like the one in the pic above...splayed out over my current jute rug. But alas, Carter has a "no animal print" rule and since he puts up with so many of my crazy ideas, I have agreed to stick to that one. But one day, I plan to have an office/creative space all to myself, and animal prints will find their place.
ReplyDeleteTara -
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of green are you going for? I recall on my hunt for green paint coming across some more earthy greens that might work for you - Sage Green (70YY 49/206) and Appalachian Tail (70YY 38/231), both by Glidden. Glidden is sold at Home Depot - they recently changed their colors so they may not have these, but I believe that if you ask for the color by name/number they can still mix it up for you - even in a sample size (or perhaps give you guidance on similar colors).
I understand your dilemma with the beam. If it was not my forever house, I would have some misgivings about permanently installing such a lovely piece. Consider displaying it as an accessory - maybe leaning against a wall with some baskets or other grouping. Or maybe using it as a wall shelf somewhere else in the room. I imagine that installing it with brackets would cause minimal damage should you remove it later (but I don't know how big/heavy the beam is!)
As for fabric, I recently bought a great drapery fabric from fabric.com called Belgium White. It is actually ivory, but has a great texture and weight and is even slightly lined on the back making it perfect for drapes. Do you like the look of burlap curtains? Sounds crazy, I know, but I see them more and more and they offer a casual, textured look to a room. If so, try Maison Pearly Burlap Pearl. Another nice texture is Tramer Basketweave Ivoire, which actually appears more white than the others. Check those out and order some samples to see how it will look in your room. And if you like one in particular, don't be afraid to purchase it - fabric.com offers returns within 30 days.
Good luck! Would love to see some pictures when you're done!
Thanks! My husband and I are looking into using the beam as a floating shelf, and I like the grouping idea too. Love the burlap suggestion! That would add some great texture. I'll order the samples. The room is a mess now, and we'll have pictures of the phases of completion that I will email you when we have a finished product. Happy Holidays!
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