House Tour, living room

My dear friend joked with me that the reason I finally started a blog was because I got a new couch.  This may not be all that far from the truth because the second the new couch came I stood back and thought "yup, there it is".  My original vision for the room changed 100% over time and I ended up with a look and a feel that I am totally at home in but it took a while to get here.  Sometimes you don't know what will feel right until you are in it.  A few months ago after shuffling around some furniture and artwork again it clicked.   I ended up gravitating toward linen which has always attracted me since 10th grade when I decided I must have linen palazzo pants.  Don't all 15 year olds decide to sport loose linen pants...   no?  When our couch arrived it felt like a more cohesive space.  The color palate all came together and I'm so pleased we didn't get the brown sectional we originally considered.  Now we have a light airy but functional space that feels really right!

After we pulled up the brown carpets.

After having floors refinished and painting.  This is the old couch.

And now!  New couch.

The sofa is the West Elm Essex sofa which has since been discontinued it seems.  We ordered it a few months ago just as they decided to pull it in the fabric options and reintroduce in leather.  Since then I don't see it in the catalog so they may have decided to do away with it all together.  It has a structured look but is still very comfortable to snuggle into.  My wonderful Mother who always say yes to all my sewing projects made the beautiful pillows and slipcover for the ottoman which is a drab grey underneath the cover.  We've slowly been adding to the frames above the sofa, many of them cheap frames I've spray painted in gloss white.  The side table which has a slightly smaller matching friend on the other side of the room came from Home Goods.  The lamp shades came from target and after shuffling around lamps roughly 10 times we now have both the lamps in here that used to be in the baby's room.  One from Babies r Us and the other from Target but they work!

Ottoman with custom slipcover sewn by my Mom!

The green chairs in front of the window are shifted down to make room for the Christmas tree.  They were given to us by my Aunt.  They are structured feminine looking chairs that are actually incredibly comfortable to sit in.  My Mom made the throw pillows on the chairs and the drapes.  The shelf under the television was a Design Within Reach purchase that my husband and I were both shocked we made.  We had been searching for something that could hold our television in our very narrow Manhattan apartment and after searching for ages we finally found this.  It was more than we wanted to spend but we really liked it and we've been lucky enough to have it fit very well in our last apartment and here.  I make a futile attempt at keeping the little guys toys in storage bins in the shelf but they sort of overflow out into the room no matter what I do!

Green side chairs

A silhouette I did of our little one.

The rug came from Home Depot.  It is an inexpensive remnant but it has a little texture which makes it look a bit nicer than it really is and also helps hide stains.  I'd love a larger natural fiber rug but I'm afraid to spend any money on a floor covering with a toddler and a dog.

There it is!  I am hesitant to say this room is "done" but it is feeling more complete and very comfortable now.  If you look closely you'll see that the trim isn't all the way painted and there are finishing touches still to be made but we are getting there.  I used to hurry to complete decorating a space but now I really enjoy fussing and shifting as time goes on.  Do you complete a space and just leave it alone?  Or are you an eternal fusser like me?