Tuesday, January 14, 2014

one thing leads to another...

The thing about design is that it never ends.  Something new comes in to your space and it changes your whole perspective..and things shift once again.  It all began very innocently.  I was just going to vacuum and remove the last bits from the holidays.  



The downstairs rug moves upstairs and the upstairs rugs moves downstairs.   And "big brown" who has always been too large for our space is off to a new home.  



  Can you spy the little helper sweeping the floor?  He is back there if you look closely!



 I purchased "big brown" over 6 years ago from an outlet store and at that time big was in.  Understanding scale weather in the garden or in an interior is an important part of design that I look at more closely now.

So with the house in shambles we headed to Ikea with the beans to look for a smaller sofa for our space.     


Better, but after living with it for a couple of days it just wasn't right.  The hubs is very patient with me when it comes to things like this.  He knows this side of me very well and I appreciate that so much!



The thing I like about interior spaces is that, unlike gardens, they do what you say.  Pillows don't wilt and become temperamental! They just sit there and do their thing!  But seriously, to create the stage where our family life happens is a pretty cool thing and one that I will always be passionate about.  


The start of our little homage to Valentine's Day on the mantel.  A wooden love sign from my mom and a strawberry picking messy heart picture with my girl.


Interior Inspirations

 Source unknown

 Seesawdesignblogspot.com


HabituallyChic


Now with little people we have decided to keep this couch thing to a reasonable price as I witnessed one of my beans using the chair as a kleenex today!  All of these sofas are under 600 bucks at The Classy Home.  





And then one of my favorites from West Elm.  


So as of now we have no couch in the living room which has been fun for the beans and their nest making habits of pillows and blankets!  For me it is a chance to hone in on a fresh new take.  Mirror down?  Art above the sofa?  What about you.... are you changing things up in the New Year?

As always friends...
Happy making, baking and growing!  


36 comments:

  1. your wooden floors are gorgeous, I love wooden floors and rugs x

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  2. Those floors - amazing.

    Good luck finding the right sofa. Does this mean that the house hunting is on hold?

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  3. It is great to have fresh ideas and little changes here and there. Your new room look sdelightful but I bet you aren't finished yet are you!?? Love to you Jo x

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  4. I thought from your pinterest that you were planning some interior changes, and I have been waiting to see what you have been up to! Looking forward to seeing how it works out in the end!! Liking the start of your thoughts on Valentine's!! xx

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  5. Looks like you are on a mission to find the perfect couch. I could use a new one too, but I just reupholstered mine a few years ago and I can't justify it right now. Plus, with my 25-year old daughter still living at home and 2 pets, my couch takes a beating. I rarely use it since it's old and hurts my back, but my daughter loves curling up on it with the dog - so it stays.
    Anxious to see what you come up with. Love your mirror over the couch!
    Cindy

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  6. Nicole I have been doing the same thing in my living room! I moved one thing around and now I'm changing everything! Funny how that works! I'm sure whatever you choose will be beautiful!

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  7. I do love to change things around. I also get tired of stuff. It's natural when you are interested in design. As far as making a mistake with a sofa you are not alone! One time I ordered a sofa from Sears for what was then our townhouse. The thing arrived and it was like an ocean liner had sailed into our small living room. The sofa had a custom fabric choice and I thought that I had no choice, but to keep it. Ever time I looked over at it, I was near to tears! Thank God they took it back and made me a love seat instead.

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  8. I think your wooden floor is gorgeous and also the light blue carpet is beautiful. Haha I spied your little helper in the kitchen. I don't change much in our livingroom, twice a year I move the furniture around, in spring and in autumn, just because our lovely sofa is nice and classic but......too big for our moderate living, as an ocean liner as Jennifer said.

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  9. Oh what I wouldn't do for a new sofa! Mine looks like it's "Fall" all the time in here cause it's dark and tapestry which is soooo out dated! but....since our budget doesn't call for a new sofa at this time I rearrange the living room about once a month....not kidding!!!
    Loooooove your hardwood floors BTW
    xx Shari

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  10. hmmm... i liked it before... i like it after! I'm terrible at interior decor... believe it or not my hubs is in charge of it and he somehow has a good eye for it! my mom once rearranged the living room and I only noticed when I tried to sit down on a sofa to watch tv and it wasnt there anymore. I did recently initiate a total re-think of the hallway which also involved an ikea trip and it turned out awesome, no more piles of coats and shoes all in one wardrobe!

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  11. We rent our house and while the majority of our furniture is our own, the sofa's are not and I hate them!! I have them covered in layers of strategically placed throws and pillows but my kids... well lets just say... fort building is the new "craze" and all of my throws and pillows disappear and I get to see the awful sofas again!!
    Now don't get me wrong, I am happy to rent (means my move to the states happens easier!) but I just need to not see the sofas... from the comments, looks like I am not alone! Strange how one thing can upset the flow of a room right? Hazel x

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  12. Oh Pooh! I want to decorate now! I love love love the gray couch! and that is too funny about the kleenex, gotta love them babes!! I am not a fan of mirrors, hated cleaning them when I had a cleaning business!! I think you should go check out tara whitney blog and see what she did with canvas pics of her kids, love it!! black and white would go great with the couch too! ok that's my 2 cents!! have fun! Now I am going to go clean and rearrange furniture today!! Thanks Nicole!!!

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  13. I can't wait to get started changing things here. I have some painting to do, rearranging things in rooms, finishing the laundry room and finally the kitchen. So much I want to do, but now on hold.

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  14. Hey Nicole, I hope your couch search is successful and you find something just right, I think your new year new look is gonna be just gorgeous if your inspiration pictures are anything to go by, can't wait to see it! This year for me is about being cozy, believe it or not i lived with a huge pile of packed boxes in my living room for nearly 3 years, but now they're gone and i'm slowly turning our house to a home! x

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  15. Good luck with your sofa hunt! I'll have to remember A Classy Home and take a look there....I hate how expensive sofas are, especially since it seems like ours don't nearly as long as they should with all the kid and animals around. We have a way too big one that needs to be replaced, too (ours is really uncomfortable to boot!)

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  16. How exciting! I love shopping for new furniture. I had the same experience with furniture I bought years ago, when we were young and poor and it was a very good deal for this couch, chair and ottoman set. It was enormous, but all three pieces were being sold for $300. We needed it and we thought we were so stylish. But the furniture was huge back then, around 2001, and it overpowered every room we ever used it in. We finally replaced it all last year and it's better now. Much smaller, better scale for the room and not a million pounds and impossible to move. :)

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  17. I love moving things around and getting the odd new piece, it really improves the energy I think. I'm decluttering like mad here, and enjoying the extra bits of space. And I'm not done yet!

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  18. Cleaning often leads to rearranging the furniture for me...I just find it freshens things up so much :-)
    Have fun!
    Sarah x

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  19. I do love changing the furniture around the beer fairy often says he has to check twice before he sits down in case things have moved but it's very hard to throw out old furniture I get very attached to it.
    Merle...................

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  20. So true that once you start a design project, it inevitably leads to others. It's amazing how changing things up a little can really enliven a space though. Good luck with the couch hunt! You don't want to rush it cause it will be with you for a long time. It literally took me over a year to find a new one last year but I'm quite happy we waited for the right one. And after the new couch, I'm now looking for a new area rug :) Lucky you that your hubs is so patient.

    Rowena @ rolala loves

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  21. Redecorating is so fun! My husband is the same... He has no patience with me taking my time making decisions. And then changing them. :) Precious photo of you and one of your beans on the mantle. Love the Love sign too. Enjoy the process (and end result, of course!) of decorating your space!

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  22. Oh how I wish I lived closer to IKEA!! Your wood floors are to die for! I ordered a new couch and love seat in plaid. They have been in since before Christmas, but wont' be delivered until late next week. I hope I still like them! lol.. You have great decorating taste inside and out!!!

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  23. I'm actually HORRIBLE at design, so when my house is set up, it usually stays that way the entire time I live there!

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  24. I am not sure I would move the mirror unless you have another space that is just as good for it. Isn't that a pb mirror? I am looking at the smaller version for my mantel but it is spendy. I wanted a smaller couch as well... they are so sleek and gorgeous but most do not support the head and neck. So our couch is bigger than I want but it lives well. Oh well, I hope you love the couch you pick out. That is what matters most. And you are so lucky your husband is patient with your interior design. I am stuck with a few pieces that the hubs thinks are great but are just so blah. Take care!

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  25. We bought a new couch last Christmas and we just love it! It's in our living room and goes so well with all our furniture. We had our other couch for 25 years, so time for a change, wouldn't you say? Good luck in the hunt for the right piece. I would love to change my furniture around, but my living room is like a mind-teaser puzzle where there's only one right way to put all the furniture or one piece won't go back in :P Wendy x

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  26. Oh- Everything is looking wonderful. Big Brown found a new home..and it will be fun to see how you settle everything in once you find the perfect couch. I think that is one of the hardest things to do. I look and look and look!! Good luck- xo Diana

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  27. Haha - we have a big brown, too, and I HATE it. I want a new one sooo bad. But like you, with kids and pets, inexpensive is key. I will NEVER do loose back cushions again. Ever, ever, never. I love that third one you have pictured. A lot. Can't wait to see it all come together!

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  28. I love your inspiration photos, Nicole and I can see your vision. It is going to be beautiful - I love the gray sofa. Gray is such a wonderful neutral and can be 'dressed up' in so many ways with many different colors. I can't wait to see what you do with the space. The mantel is lovely. Love that you use the sweet photos and such simple objects in lovely ways. You have a beautiful style. Hope all goes smoothly in your quest. Hugs xo Karen

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  29. Oh my, we also have a big brown - a leather one that has been nibbled on and repaired. I'm still trying to figure out how we ended up with four dogs. . . no new sofas for us until we're sure our girls are past the furniture tasting stage.

    Love your blog (and thanks for visiting me).

    eli

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  30. I agree I love those wooden floors-every year that rolls around-I plan to finish the bathroom project-hubby is getting old on me-so gotta get going on things in the house-happy new sofa hunting

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  31. I really want to get a new couch. The one we have is actually my hubby's pull out futon that he used before I moved in and it's not very comfortable and it's a love seat size so not much room to streatch out on. Still, space it as a premium here so until we move I'll probably have to put up with it.

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  32. I am going for a whole house re-design this year. It's all looking a little tired now (well to me anyway) and I am very tempted to buy a corner sofa and wooden floors etc etc etc xx

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  33. Yes that is exactly what I am up to too and I find after you live in a place a few years you do think differently about the space and the smallest things can make a big difference. Would love an L-shape couch in blue please!!

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  34. How fun for you! I love changing things up and getting a new couch is exciting! I like the styles you are looking at! Ummm, and I am in LOVE with your floor!! It is beautiful! I so want to rip up my carpet and put in new floors, maybe someday!! Have a wonderful week Nicole!

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  35. I like that last couch...we just upgraded ours with on that made of faux raw silk and 2 cushions...we custom picked the arms and fabric and legs etc. from havertys

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  36. love your pale blue and white rug in the first photo! where did you get that from??

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