Ottomans in the round

The use of ottomans in living rooms has become quite common. I love nothing more than seeing a tufted beauty being used as a coffee table.

 

While I normally see them in rectangular or square form the use of round ottomans is now coming into play and can seen a lot more.

 

A round ottoman works  wonders in small rooms.  Due to it’s shape  you can fit in more furniture and the curves to the piece add a little femininity to a room.

 

Here are some of my favorite examples of round done right.

 

One of my favorite ways to see it is when it is in the middle of seating area. Doesn’t this space look so inviting and cozy?

 

You could also use it as a supporting guest in your room and have it off to the side to provide extra seating or a resting spot for your handbag.

 

With a simple tray it can now be used as a coffee table.

 

See how a round ottoman helps pull together many pieces in a small space?

 

If your room is full of neutral an ottoman is a great place to add a pop of pattern to a room.

 

A cool hang-out in a teens room. I know I would be moving it closer to that settee so that I could prop my feet on it.

 

For the tiny tot in your life it works as a great little table set-up.

If you like some wood exposed in your ottoman my favorite budget friendly piece is this:

 

At only $129 it can easily be recovered using these instructions.

 

You could also easily add a skirt to it and cover up those legs.

 

Images via 1.+ 2. + 7Decorpad, 3.+4.BHG, 5. Cottage Living, 6.Kelly Deck

English Arm Rolled Sofas

I have a thing for all things British. Not sure what it is, but I’ve always been fascinated with our neighbors across the pond.  Perhaps it’s just that charming accent, but I’m smitten.  From books to magazines to movies I try and get a daily fix of jolly London.

 

My latest obsession has become English arm rolled sofas.

 

Here are some of my favorites:

 

I think Sofia Coppola’s sofa from House & Garden is what started my fascination.

 

 

Then I spotted this beauty in Country Living:

 

Then the oh so talented Erika showcased a version of this sofa with a skirted slipcover.

 

Lastly my lovely friend Lauren found an amazing deal on Craigslist and was able to get her Lee Industries dream for a steal.

Now I don’t technically need a new sofa, but wanting one should count for something. Do you think Jon would notice if I did a swap out while he was at work? I’m sure our bank account would notice, because these babies tend be pricey.

 

Sofia’s sofa is from George Smith and while it’s lovely I think I would be in trouble for buying a sofa with a price tag that could also be seen on a used car. They go for around $5,000-$7,000 dollars!

 

Restoration Hardware also has an option that is a bit cheaper at the $2,000- $3,000 range.

 

Pottery Barn has a slip-covered version in the $1,500- $1,800, which is reasonable for a sofa.

Now since I don’t need a sofa I can’t even mention the idea of new sofa anywhere near the $1,000 range. I had given up hope until my friend & client Jules gave me the heads up on Sofa Craft.

 

Sofa Craft has a variety of designer look-alike sofa’s at a fraction of the price!

 

Check out what I found:

The Natalie  sofa is only $554. It comes in a variety of fabrics and they are even offering a 10% discount code at the moment.

 

Amazing! I did some research and they seem to have good reviews and a couple not so good. They have been in business since 1965 and they have a showroom in Orange County where you can go check them out. Plus they ship nationwide.

 

Anyone work with them before?

 

* All this research and I know I’m going to get a big no from Jon, but I had to share this great find with all of you!

 

 

 

 

Image 1 via House & Garden, Image 2 via Country Living, Image 3 via Urban Grace, Image 4 via Pure Style Home, Image 5 via RH, Image 6 via PB, Image 7 via Sofa Craft

The New Traditionalists

My sisters were shocked when I mentioned that I was in love with everything at The New Traditionalists.

 

While my own personal taste is normally really colorful and pattern driven the stylish & some what masculine pieces in their booth were really calling my name.

 

To me display is everything so I loved their use of wood flooring and how it was in a herringbone pattern. Loved the massive wall covered with grass cloth and trim and of course I loved their mirrored signage.

 

 

This blue buttery leather sofa was my favorite. I wanted to haul it away with me. Add that punch of color with the orange side chair and an oval grey/blue coffee table and I was all set to give them my tax return and walk out with everything.

 

Their new pieces were even featured in the latest issue of Traditional Home. They are the mastermind behind modern kid’s furniture line, Ducduc and have now decided to venture into more grown up furniture. All of their pieces are designed in NYC and then produced in Torrington, CT. The pieces are made from sustainably harvested hardwood with hand-applied, water-based finishes that are non-toxic. The best part? Every piece is made to order. So you can have your pick between all of their finishes and lacquers.

 

Here are some of my favorite pieces:

 

Armoire No. Five Sixty Four

Desk No Two Eleven

 

Chair No. One Five

Plus a little sampling of their kid’s furniture:

Now their price points are not for the weak of heart, but they are timeless pieces that you will be able to keep in your family for generations to come.

 

Love the look? I’m certain many of them can be replicated with thrift store finds. I love the mixture of wood stain and lacquer and it seems like a simple enough DIY project. Now I need to find a piece to play around with!

Take a seat

How chic and fun are these chairs that I found while at Brooklyn Flea!

First meet Fruit Salad:

                                          She was my favorite. Orange gets me everytime!

She also comes in pink. Pictured below is Tootsie:

If bold color is not your thing they have London Town:

If color is totally your thing then they have the Joker:

I would love to take credit for all of those creative names especially tootsie, but they were given by their creators the lovely ladies over at The Divine Chair Company.

They were such a pop of fun while walking around the flea market and totally stopped me dead in my tracks. Of course I decided to be super shy and merely grabbed a business card and ran away so I have no idea what the price range is for them.

Regardless they are great shots of inspiration for what you can do if your not afraid of a little paint and color. Sometimes all it takes is a $20 Craigslist find and you can do the same.

Everything goes…

Last Thursday two little sentences got my attention while reading the NY TIMES.

The two sentences were part of an answer for the question, “Where you can sell your old furniture?”. Of course they spoke of Craigslist and Kijiji, but towards the end they mentioned a shop in Staten Island that I had never heard of called Everything goes stores. They have 4 separate locations one for furniture, another for antiques, another for books and also clothing shop.

Now I don’t know about you, but truthfully all I know about Staten Island I learned from MTV’s I'm a Staten Island girl. Maybe not the best research, but when one of the girls described her ideal man as wanting him to be orange with huge muscles I didn’t really think me and S.I. could be BFF’s.

Regardless I will do anything to provide my readers with good information and resources so on Saturday off I went with Jon on my S.I. adventure.

We arrived Saturday afternoon and were welcomed by shop owner Ellen. She was a complete sweetheart and very excited that we came all the way from Long Island after reading the piece in the NY TIMES. She got us a sales associate to walk us around and explain how they work and give us a tour of the 10,000 sq ft location and then we just walked half a block away and got to see the Antique shop as well.

Here are some of the things that caught my eye:

The prices were reasonable and there is also a  10% off cash and carry discount. Don’t even bother haggling ( I tried) they keep their prices low so they don’t have to.

I ended up walking out with a desk for a client. We are re-doing her office into a writing space for her and with her love for Victorian pieces a touch of modern this desk fit the bill.

It was a little more damaged then it showed in the picture so I was able to get the price adjusted and it came home with for $126.

All in all my trip to S.I. was a good one. It is so much more than what MTV portrays. Shocking I know. We were in downtown S.I. and it gave off a great small town vibe full of artistic people.

The ride home was another story. It took about 2 hours, but it was worth it.