Making it Lovely

Tag: Room & Board

  • Of Course I Included a Pink Sofa

    Of Course I Included a Pink Sofa

    I enjoy working with clients so much, but am having a hard time figuring out how to meld my work with individuals and my desire to share design details here with all of you. I know I’d be upset if I were hiring someone to create something one-of-a-kind for me who then turned around and gave it all away for free to the world. It’s something I’ve seen others struggle with too, and I’m not sure there’s any single right answer.

    This design came about as I was thinking about a family room that I’m working on for someone, but in a different style and color palette and without some of the real-life limitations we’re working with. (It’s a tricky space, hence my being brought in to help.) Another difference is that I always specify retail for the blog rather than including custom or trade-only sources that not everyone has access to. So maybe this kind of approach is a possibility moving forward? A fictional design loosely inspired by something I’m actually working on? Either way, it was a lot of fun to pull together.

    I also want so much of this for my own home. Imagine this in our snug!

    Pink Sofa Living Room | Making it Lovely
    1. Brera Floor Lamp (Tortona Bronze), Troy Lighting; Bellacor
      I appreciate that this lamp has ‘sculpture by Delia Deetz’ vibes.
    2. Wirth Chair, Jayson Home
      It can go inside! It can go outside (in a sheltered spot)! Nice curves!
    3. Cotton Knit Throw (Pink Stone), West Elm
      I’m not presenting pink for my client, but for myself it would be the way to go. I can be predictable like that sometimes.
    4. Echo Wallpaper (Ash), Kelly Ventura
      I realized after looking at the pattern for some time that it reminded me of mascara swipes, and I’m into it.
    5. Coffered Inlay Trays, Jayson Home
      Fancy-ish decor things like this are a luxe touch. I have a similarly made box on my bedside table (in lieu of a drawer).
    6. Full Moon Clay Vase and Merriman Black Vase, Leanne Ford Design for Crate & Barrel
      How many vases can one have in a home? Might we need another one or two?
    7. Southern June Framed Print, McGee & Co.
      Traditional and lovely.
    8. Glasgow Metal Media Stand, Project 62; Target
      I’m picturing two or three of these lined up along a wall with a TV above.
    9. Embroidered Floral Pillow, Opalhouse; Target
      A cute pillow, nicely priced.
    10. Mohair Pillow (Camel), Room & Board
      I have one of these mohair pillows in a different color and it holds up beautifully. Like velvet, but better.
    11. Edwin Hand Sconce, Ballard Designs
      Hand sconces! I do wish these came in a left and right hand, but hey. Still wonderful.
    12. Masson Stone Accent Stool, Frontgate
      The coordinating Wyatt Stone Accent Stool is fantastic too, just a smidge taller.
    13. Oakmont Hand-Knotted Rug, Serena & Lily
      This beautiful hand-knotted wool rug will last and last.
    14. Celsa Sofa (Blossom Pink and Oak), Article
      Pink sofa! Pink sofa! Boy, do I want a pink sofa.
    15. Montana Live Edge Coffee Table, Crate & Barrel
      The little preview image here isn’t doing it justice. A simple form made more interesting with the live edge.
  • Hello, Quincy

    Hello, Quincy

    Spoiler alert: I bought the Quincy bed from Ethan Allen.

    Quincy Bed from Ethan Allen

    And now, the thought process behind the purchase.

    Our Hoffman bed from Room & Board was great. If we weren’t changing sizes from a queen to a king, we would have kept it, and I would recommend it to anyone in the market for something upholstered. That said, I figured that if we’re about to get something new, it would be fun to switch things up a bit and go for something else.

    Not a brass bed. Too on the nose with the Victorian. Nothing too mid-century modern either. As much as I love the style, I don’t like it as much for this house. I love a good Jenny Lind and I’m still glad we bought one for Eleanor, but wouldn’t it be weird to have matching mother/daughter beds? (E has one for her doll, too.)

    Turned wood though — we’re getting closer! I do like all those antiquey cannonball and four poster beds.

    Painted Red Cannonball Bed, Martha Stewart

    Antique Spindle Bed

    Antique Four Poster Bed
    Images: Martha Stewart, Royal Design Studio, Country Living

    I featured the Quincy in a past edition of Making it Yours. The bed was definitely the star of that look, and I immediately thought of it as a possibility for the bedroom. Knowing you like something in general and knowing it’s the right piece for a specific spot are two different things, but yep. That bed would look amazing in this house. It’s expensive though, so I started looking around at other options. Maybe there was something out there that was even better? Or the same look for less?

    Four Poster, Cannonball, and Other Decorative Beds

    1. Washed Wood Bed, Anthropologie
      Maybe too simple? Compared to the other options, it is.

    2. Soraya Four Poster Bed by Bebe Furniture, Wayfair
      Nice, but do I really want a four poster bed?

    3. New Haven Maple Tall Cannonball Bed, ShaKa Studios
      Three wood finishes and several headboard shapes to choose from.

    4. Spindle Bed, Rosenberry Rooms
      Really cute. Twenty colors and wood finishes to choose from.

    5. Avignon Headboard, Serena & Lily
      I’ve featured this one on the blog before and I love it, but it only comes in a queen size.

    6. Cordevalle Santa Rosa Four Poster Bed by Universal Furniture, Wayfair
      Another four poster. The Holcomb Bed from Horchow is identical, or nearly so.

    7. Cambridge Bed, Serena & Lily
      I would like something like this more for one of the boys’ bedrooms.

    8. Claudette Headboard, Ballard Designs
      Nice curves, but I think I would get tired of putting a bird on it.

    9. Stinson Wood Bed, Pottery Barn
      The barley twist posts are paired with a simple curved headboard to keep them from going too fussy/traditional.

    10. Barrett Poster Bed, Ethan Allen
      Those are some good-looking pencil posts.

    Lots of options. There were more too, but those were the tops and I didn’t love any of them like I did the Quincy. Which brings us to the lookalike: the Soraya Regency Panel Bed by Bebe Furniture, from Wayfair.

    Quincy Bed Knockoff or Lookalike

    And actually, there are plenty of lookalikes out there, but that was the most similar one I came across. They’re all, Quincy included, modeled after antique cannonball beds (which you can still find, but almost always in smaller sizes). That particular one was less expensive, but only available in white (I wanted black), I didn’t like the added trim along the top of the headboard and footboard, the spindles aren’t as interesting, and it doesn’t have the small brass details. At that point, it seemed worth it to go for the bed style and color I wanted all along. Since the Quincy is currently on sale for 15% off, it was only a difference of a couple hundred dollars; kind of a drop in the bucket when you’re already looking at a pretty pricey purchase.

    Quincy Bed, Ethan Allen

    The Quincy Bed from Ethan Allen

    We went to check it out in person, and then placed the order. No word on when it’s arriving quite yet, but when it does get here, we’ll likely have to hoist the headboard up over the back porch to get it up to the second floor. Should be fun! Should be worth it though, too. It’s the kind of bed that can go country, traditional, whimsical, modern, or classic, depending on the bedding, furniture, and surroundings. The kind of bed we can be happy with for a long time.

  • See Ya, Bed

    See Ya, Bed

    Oh, hey there, empty bedroom. Why not throw another room into the started-but-not-yet-finished mix?

    The Bed is Gone

    A couple of things happened at the same time. The first is that a mattress company reached out, interested in working together on a post (which will go up next week). Brandon and I bought our queen-sized upholstered Hoffman bed from Room & Board back in 2007 when we moved in to the bungalow. While it has held up beautifully, but both our family and our bedroom are larger now. A king-sized bed has been on the wish list for a couple of years and I figured if we were going to get a new mattress, we might as well take the opportunity now to make the switch to a king.

    Then while we were considering the new mattress, our friends’ bed broke. They were thinking of either finding a bed on Craigslist or picking something up from IKEA, and when we mentioned that we were thinking of selling ours, they said they’d take it. We gave them the ol’ friend discount, and we brought it over yesterday (leaving us with a temporarily empty bedroom).

    So… we’re updating the bathroom on the third floor. August’s room is being redone. The kitchen is getting a new stove at the very least. Another bathroom is waiting on electrical work to be done so we can wallpaper. The wood flooring in the hallway still needs to be completed (it’s also waiting on electrical work). And now we’re changing up the bedroom, at least a little with a new bed.

    Since so many things are in flux, I’m trying to step back and keep the whole house in mind so that it’s cohesive. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying about decorating that “if you love it, you’ll find a place for it,” and it’s true to an extent. You also have to be a good editor though, because if you’re anything like me, you can love four thousand chairs and a good number of rugs — doesn’t mean you’ll find a place for it all! It’s a balance of taking stock of what you have and what you need, planning ahead, and leaving room for serendipity. I don’t have the bedroom all planned out yet, but I have chosen a bed. I’m going to put together the foundation now so we’ll have a mattress to sleep on tonight, but I’ll put together a post soon about which bed I chose and why, along with the other close-but-not-quite options I considered. I overthought the process, as usual. It’s what I do.