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As much as I wanted to buy furniture in the months leading up to closing, Mitch and I were encouraged by friends and family to wait. To actually live in our new home, learn how we use it, spend some time defining our style, and discover what we need. It was such great advice, and I’m thrilled that we took it. We now know that we need much more seating than we’d originally thought, for example, and that high-traffic areas will likely need robust rugs. We also know that we’re going to need a smaller kitchen table than planned, and that we’d like to put a large buffet and hutch behind it.
We’re glad we have a handle on how we’ll use the space. Now, though, we have to start pulling the trigger on new stuff. And it’s so hard!
The feelings we’re experiencing are very similar to those I had when I found my wedding dress: I love this dress, but what if I find another dress in a few months that I love even more? Likewise, what if we find furniture and decor down the line that we like even more?
(Answer: I think we need to trust ourselves. And stop buying magazines and browsing Pinterest once we’ve made decisions.)
We’re also working with a budget, which a little challenging. What should we choose to invest in, and what do we choose to save on?
(Answer: I think we need to invest in the products that will likely stay with us for the long haul, such as kitchen tables and living room couches. We should save on trendier, more decorative products.)
Another problem we have right now is that I love everything. (I say “I” because Mitch doesn’t obsess, haha.) I love white furniture, but I love gold/glass and industrial wood/iron pieces, too. I love natural rattan chairs, but I also love gold bamboo. I love the idea of leather couches, but I also love navy. I love preppy and fun, but I also love traditional and New England. I love light gray paint, but wouldn’t stripes be lovely, too? I love simple and neutral and clean, but how does one not include as much color, stripes and patterns as possible?
What’s our style?!
(Answer: Still up in the air.)
At this point, there’s no way I can settle on one “look” for the living room. I’m sure I’d want to change it in a couple of years if I did that. So I’m trying to seamlessly incorporate a bunch of my favorite styles into it. (So much harder than you’d think!)
I have my heart set on this coffee table from Wayfair (a great site for finding affordable expensive-looking products!), because it reminds me of the gorgeous parquet flooring from this townhouse that Mitch and I lived in when we got married. So there’s that. And I’d love to find a Palm Beach-style white end table with lattice or geometric work (for a couch), a gold bamboo or rattan end table (for a love seat), and a navy-and-white striped armchair. And I like the idea of brown leather or navy couches. The issue is whether these styles will actually go together. What do you guys think?!
Pinterest (specially my friend Julia’s “HomeLove” board) has been a great resource and a huge help. Right now, I’m trying to find examples of living rooms that I love, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how much I’ve found! Above and below are some of my favorite pins from my “Preppy Home” board. Thoughts?
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Suggestion is to go neutral on your bigger ticket items like couch, table and chairs, like white or grey, and then do your bright colors and patterns on lamp shades, throw pillows and accessories so that you can easily swap them out as your style and tastes change. Another great site is Dot and Bo and they have a fun style quiz that’ll help narrow it down for you.
I SO wish I could go neutral on the couches, but Mitch and Noodle tend to be a bit rough on ’em. (Adore them both, but boys will be boys and dogs will be dogs, haha. Our current Pottery Barn couch is destroyed.) That’s why I’m thinking leather at this point… but it’s so pricey! Wayfair, though, has an affordable pair that I really like… ;)
And thank you so much for the Dot and Bo suggestion! I’ll definitely check that out!!
Hate to break it to you, but pets are hell on leather too. When they jump on and off the couch, their nails scratch it up and my parents’ leather sofa ended up having an enormous hole it in after years of wear and tear from our two little dogs.
My husband and I got our leather sofa from Jayson Home in Chicago (the abbott sofa) when we bought our home in Lincoln Park. It was a bit pricier than we had planned on but their customer service and 100% repair or replace policy sold us and made us feel comfortable with the investment!
You pinned so many of these from me! ;) Great minds design alike.
On your sofas, buy one with a slipcover. I regret not doing this like I originally planned and will be doing it in my next place. This way if a cover gets stained or you want to change colors later, you can just buy a new slipcover instead of a whole new sofa. I would try to have two to be able to change colors when I want and always have a back up when the other is dirty. Indoor/outdoor and jute rugs are the greatest thing, especially with a dog. Never under estimate the power of changing pillows. I stock up on pillow covers since I like to change them often but don’t have the space to store whole pillows.
Haha YES!! I so did! You are the best, Michelle… and I love your taste!
I’d definitely like to get a jute rug. I know this sounds ridiculous, but do you know of any that are easily cleaned? Noodle still has the occasional accident, and I’d hate to see it wrecked! Maybe I should go without for another couple of years?!
Such a good point about the slip covers. My mom said that too! I LOVE the navy slip-covered couches from PB, but Mitch kind of has his heart set on leather. Not sure yet. Will have to discuss with him! ;)
Thanks, Girl! xoxo
I wonder if the PB slipcovers will work on the PB leather sofas of the same style. If they do, you get the best of both worlds… Or you can do a slipcovered sofa, leather chair and striped pillows…
I don’t know about cleaning jute but they are pretty durable. I have been considering switching the striped rug out for jute. (Ikea has a fairly cheap one that I have heard good things about.) I think it’s mainly vacuum, rotate and spot clean. I know most companies will list the care instructions on the website. You will want to get one though with your wood floors since they will be cold during winter.
I feel like purchasing furniture for a home is different than apartment furniture. You’re smart to take your time and think about what exactly fits your needs and sense of style. Looking forward to seeing what you end up with!
-Alex
http://www.monstermisa.blogspot.com
From my experience I agree go neutral but not too light and accent with color. Never buy glass for a table – oh the Thomasvile stuff I gave to salvation army and the $$ I spent on it…dog noses for one and then there’s the hand prints from kids – oh if I have only known or had a clue before I spent all that $$ to just give it away. We have a brown leather couch and there’s pros and cons but it goes with everything. I accent with pillows and other stuff. Gold, & silver – it all cycles every 10 years according to my jeweler and I am seeing it now …so again, use it as accent and stay classic for the main stuff – then you have it for the long haul. I also have a theory on furniture and other big ticket items – buy right, buy once – don’t go cheap cause it doesn’t last! Spent a little more $ upfront and you’ll have it for years or pay a little less and you’ll want to replace it after a few years. Buy one piece at a time and add as your budget allows. Dark couches also show just as much as lighter couches … you can’t win on any of them with pets and kids.
Decorating a new space is so much fun! Splurge on the big items. Make sure your absolutely comfortable with your couch because you want it to last. I’m a big fan of leather couches. They last longer. Save on the throw pillows, especially if your’e like me and always changing them :) Have fun!!