Chime In - Pretty Please?

I'm looking for a sofa and need some feedback on which would be good for the living room. I have three choices that I'm looking at now, which is subject to change because I have the attention span of a gnat and love something else tomorrow.

I would like something that says, "Hi, I'm Fabulous, nice to meet you. Welcome to my home"... because you know furniture can talk. teeeheee

So here are my choices. They are all vintage.



Per description, it's a Colonial style sofa with Mahogany edges. I would have to reupholster but I don't mind, especially since I may be able to do it myself. Yea me!
Price $225.00

 

Per description, Beautiful Antique Sofa. Camel-y color, velvet fabric.
Price $200.00 but open to negotiation.



Per description, Mid Century Hollywood Regency Silk Sofa. Off white silk shantung. Four claw type fee in front, two in the back. Perfect condition.
Price $1200.00 but open to negotiation and Lay-Away. Yup.. I convinced the seller to sell it to me on Lay-Away.



Another photo of same sofa.

Could I mix either of these styles? I kinda like the second one with both of the other sofas.. looks kinda cute.


Living room - Imagine painted in BM Silver Fox

Ideally, I'd like to have a few seating areas, sofa in front of the window, a bench, daybed-y, settee type seating at the entrance of the room and two arm chairs facing said bench, daybed-y settee type thing.

I want a layered look like the ones I drool over in the shelter mags and my fav design/decor blogs.

The piano will more than likely go in that far left corner. Also, I would like to have a console table or buffet or highboy type thing on the wall on the right. You know, to create some vignette and hang some art work and/or mirrors.

Oh and I would like an area rug, some side tables, some shiny things, art, etc, etc..  =)

Ok, I could ramble on and on... I would love to hear your thoughts. If you don't like any, please feel free to make suggestions.

Eclectic and Fab!

Found on TheLennox by was of Jeneration Interiors

This image just makes me wanna scream it's so freakin' fabulous! There's so much going on but it's well edited and simply perfect. I'm especially a fan of the huge scale.

Let's talk about that rustic vignette. I love the grandeur of oversized items used in the right context and this vignette just kicks ass!

That wee brass chivari chair.. yeah, I'm gonna need on of those in my life. Post haste!

It's December Already?

Wow, where did the year go? I say it every year but this year it really flew by. *note to self - make more memories and be more present in 2011*

I want to share with you one of my most favoritest holiday movies. I remember the first time I saw this, I was on a flight to Miami and I know I got on my fellow passengers last nerves because I laughed so hard 'til tears sprang from my eyes. And I STILL get a hearty chuckle from this movie. And I watch it year around.



O.M.G!!! Will Ferrell is my favorite. He is hilarious and I have to see anything that he stars in. No matter how bad. *cough Land Of The Lost cough*

What's Your Style?

I've been trying to define my decor taste  and I truly believe it's Hollywood Regency (Love the glam and 30's Hollywood starlet over-the-topness) with a little bit of Traditional (I swoon over a great wingback), Neo-Classical (give me some Greek key anyday) and a wee bit of Rococo (decadant) thrown in.

I don't know how practical this lighting would be in a house but I LOVE it!

You already know my insane affinity for the Porter chair. Still hunting for a pair.

YES! PLEASE! But in black.

I could just picture myself in a Tory Burch tunic, Tom Ford's Margaux sunglasses and just basking in the afternoon sun.

Love the glossy black legs and the nailhead trim on this Traditional wingback.

Drool..

What Do You Think?

I'm currently looking into seating options for the house. The renovations are coming along nicely and we think we will be ready to move in January. Right now, I'm attempting to sell all of the furniture that won't be traveling with us so I'll have extra money for all of my Craigslist and estate sale finds. Click link if you're curious.. I'm thinking I will lower the price for the set and also do seperate posts for each piece.

Anywhoo.. I have been looking for seating for the living room that flow well since the room is so open to the foyer. I think I'm leaning towards a bench, day bed, sorta thing for the entrance to the living room. Here's my loose inspirations:


DecorPad

They have a more modern feel but this is the gist. I love the idea of the bench because you can sit on either side and it doesn't hinder the flow of the space, especially if you don't have a wall to anchor it. Great, right?

So, here's a photo of my living room to illustrate my decor quandry:



Please excuse the paint color..still working on that.



It's spacious but a little longer as opposed to wide and has a fireplace angled the corner. It presents a challenge for making it the focal point of the room and placing furniture accordingly. Then there's the big window.. or is that the focal point?  Oh and the other thing.. the baby grand piano must reside in this space too. I'm thinking in the opposite corner of the fireplace.

See? Quandry!

So, here is a fab daybed-y seating option that I found and LOVE for the non-wall space in the forefront of the photo.

I love it because it has character and is unique. The big rolled arms beckons one to lounge and stay a while.

 I adore the color (it's camel) and the shape...while not a fan of the wood trim, I can live with it or change it, via stain or paint. Probably will go with the latter.

I'm thinking a great bunch of down-filled throw pillows and a great area rug underfoot and we're on our way to a fab living room.

What do you think?

The Look For Less?

I love the look of the Scroll Side Table from Neiman Marcus but the $599.00 EACH price tag was a little cost prohibitive.

I love the openness of it and how it provides function without adding weight to the space. And the Italian gold finish is oh so delish and apropos, as I'm having a gold moment.

I was determined to find a look for less but had forgotten about it for a while, until I was strolling about my nearest TJ Maxx...

To my delight, my eyes beheld the Portobello Barrel Table, sitting all lonely in a nondescript corner. I quickly rescued two for an absolute steal! Only $49.99 for each. Yea me!!

Now, my next hunt is for the perfect Italian gold in a (spray paint) can.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Should I DIY?

I've never been much of a DIYer but that's all about to change...

I'm taking a upholstery class!! I have decided that I'm not going to waste money on something I'm certain I can do myself. The class is only $100.00 and I can bring a piece of furniture that I have, for my project.

That really sold me on the class because if I can take my settee or one of my  regency chairs and make it all pretty, I will attack all of my looming and future projects with a vigor.

Class starts in February and I can't wait!!

Love It All

The cabinet, the mirror, the lamps and the rug!

Fab Find

I'm so in love and mildly obsessed with this dress, I had to post multiple photos.



Antonio Berardi Dress /  Elizabeth and James Shoes



When I saw this dress on Blake, I just died and went to the heavens where all fabulousness and swagger lives.

 I MUST own this dress and it must fit as if Tom Ford (my gay husband) himself tailored it to my body.

Sorry, Ashley, this dress looks frumpy because of the ill fit and the longer hem. And to me, it looks a little vulgar like she's just letting "the girls" make an appearance. 

On Blake, it looks stunning, the fit is PERFECTION, as is the hem and the less revealing showing of the lacey undergarment is so much more sexy. And I think the fact that it's all one color makes it look like part of the dress.. not a dress malfunction.

Also loving the shoes and the sleek hair. Bravo!

Color Me Bad

I have to pick paint colors for the interior and it is FREAKING. ME. OUT. See, being an apartment dweller and living with the bland off white, flat paint for soooooo many years, I have never really given any thought to painting walls actual colors. Now charged with the task of doing so, by MONDAY, is giving me a mild case of the hives.

My saving grace has been the multitude of decor blogs that I frequent as well as fashion and shelter mags, which has given me a direction in which I wanna go but that's it. Silvery gray walls for most of the interior, with a dose of purple-y and yellow-y and cream-y. Like my Traditional Home inspiration photos:



The image that started it all.





So fabulous..



This image is SOOOO much better in the magazine. You can see the creamy soft yellow, the touch of purple and the grays wonderfully in person, I mean the mag.



Le Sigh



What I thought was very helpful, before going to the paint store was this magazine:

I was like, "Yeah, I found my colors, I'm good to go".

Wrong. So wrong.

Today, the Husband and I went to the paint store and I was immediately overwhelmed. So many choices.. tones, variations.. ugh.. I feel the hives creeping up just as I type this.

After awhile, we settled on BM's Dior Gray, Silver Half Dollar and Gray Owl as options for overall interior color.

I wanted a different color for the dining room as it doesn't get as much light as the front of house.. so I chose BM Lavender Mist and Spring Iris as per House Beautiful's suggestion for a light purple mixed with gray. My thinking was it would be great for color flow.

Then, lastly for the bedrooms, I wanted a creamy, yellow-esque, neutral. So, I again consulted House Beautiful and selected BM's Man on the Moon.

As we looked at them in the store, we were pleased with our selections and went over to get samples. No samples.. in ANY of the colors we chose. Ugh! Hives. Very itchy. Mild headache behind eyes creeping up too.

We left the paint store and went over to the house. I felt confident with the feel of the colors I want but not those particular shades, if that makes sense. So it's back to the drawing board.

After trolling the interwebs, I found other colors that I think could work well for the overall interior. BM's Silver Fox, Horizon, Revere Pewter, Stonington Grey, Balboa Mist and Pigeon Gray. Anyone have any suggestions? Opinions? Advice?

I'm searching for my perfect gray.

Sorry, not sure where I sourced images..

How Exciting!

I just received an email that our wedding was selected to be featured in the "Real Weddings" section of Brides New Jersey, Spring/Summer 2011 issue. How cool is that!?!

all photos Julie Newman

Just looking at my wedding photos to compile this post makes me feel wistful, excited, love and blessed all over again. My wedding day was one of the happiest of my life.

I remember feeling so nervous it would rain as it had the week leading up to the wedding date. Then that morning, I was so busy, I hadn't even noticed it was a sunny and beautiful day. But when I finally realized it, I couldn't stop talking about it. "Honey, isn't such a perfect day?" or "Honey, I can't believe it's such a beautiful day!". I was like a broken record. haha

I know it's a long way off but I will be sure to post about the Brides issue as soon I get my hands on it.