Decorating, Living Room

Summer Refresh with Serena & Lily

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This post is sponsored by Serena & Lily

Hey guys! So, if you’ve been around here for a while then you know how I love switching things up around the house! For a homebody, like I am, it really helps keeps things feeling fresh! Also, rearranging a room might just be my favorite way to get a work out in. When Serena & Lily reached out and asked if I wanted to partner up for a room refresh, I didn’t have to think twice! If you aren’t familiar with Serena & Lily, they are a furniture and home goods brand with breezy California vibes. Think casual and coastal, with classic American influences and modern lines. I, for one, am a BIG fan.

I have been eyeing this chair for months (told ya I was a big fan) and thought it would be the perfect addition to our living room, especially for the summer months. I love how it doesn’t feel heavy visually, and still even allows light to flow through it. The lines are clean, modern and lend themselves to a mid-century style that I always gravitate towards. Serena & Lily also carries cushions for the seat and I’m thinking about ordering them next. The chair feels so well made with its sturdy rattan frame and I love the deep seat too!

The two chairs feel much more balanced in our living room and really create an inviting spot for conversation. Can’t wait until we can have guests again!

Another favorite from Serena & Lily is this little stool. I have used this little cutie in a variety of spaces and I swear, it looks good everywhere! It’s been hanging out in our newly remodeled bathroom and is a great spot for wash cloths, pretty display soaps, or a nice candle….oh yeah, I forgot, PLANTS! How could I forget about plants?!

I also have one more really fun item that’s coming soon so stay tuned! I can’t wait to show you guys! And just for fun, I thought I would add a few more of my faves from Serena & Lily right now. Summer is the best time of year to refresh a space if you’ve been thinking about changing things up! Just simply click the picture! Happy shopping, friends! XOXO

 

Decorating, Living Room

The most popular seat in the house

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This post is sponsored by Sixpenny 

Hi guys! Hope everyone is doing well during this mess that is COVID, and everything that goes with it. All this time at home has recently allowed me to really see how we use our living spaces since we’ve moved into this new (old) house of ours. It’s funny to think about how I thought we would be using our spaces vs. how we are REALLY using them. I usually try and provide the most seating as possible for guests in our living room, so that everyone has a comfortable place to sit when they visit. But, quarantine means less visitors (ahem…no visitors) and I set up an additional TV zone upstairs in the loft for the kids. I mean…how much Blippi can one person take before they want to pull their hair out?! This meant that I spread out my extra living room chairs throughout the house which left the living room feeling a little bare. So when Sixpenny reached out and asked if I wanted to work together to refresh some seating options at our house, I jumped at the chance!

If you aren’t familiar with Sixpenny, they are a furniture brand that specializes in premium furniture – all natural fabrics, down fill (or poly fill as the vegan option), luxury leathers, solid wood frames, and so much more! Somehow, they still manage to offer all this at digestible prices and if in stock, ships within 2-3 weeks. Pretty great, right?! Now you can see why I was so excited to work with them!

I wanted a comfortable chair to accent our leather sofa for the living room. Something that you could curl up with a book, or for some serious Netflix binging. And then I found Gabriel…

I selected their Gabriel Chair in the medium weight linen, and the poppy seed color. I like that the cushions are down filled as it allows for easy fluffing. And do you want to know the best part? It’s slip covered, which makes throwing this baby in the wash a breeze. Now I won’t be holding my breath every time my three year old is running amok with a chocolate chip cookie in hand. Peace of mind for the win!

Nate and I have been racing to the living room each night after we get the kids to bed to see who can score this cozy new spot for the evening. Spoiler alert – I’ve won the last three nights! The poppy seed color compliments my leather sofa and the colors in the rug too, don’t ya think?

I love the linen and its casual vibes work so well in our home. And have a look at all this texture!

I also should mention how seamless Sixpenny’s ordering process was. After I selected my Gabriel, it shipped within two weeks and was delivered to our front door in less than a week after that! Usually, Sixpenny offers white glove delivery, where they come right inside your home, unbox the piece, and then place it wherever you’d like. But, during COVID, they are exercising an abundance of caution (which I appreciated), and just left it on our front porch for us. Completely contact-less!

Every time I see this view, it puts a smile on my face. And I would be more than happy to answer any questions you guys might have about Sixpenny or the ordering process! It was a truly a breeze, and I am still totally smitten with Gabriel…although I call him Gabe now, as we’ve gotten to know one another a little better. Ha!

XOXO, Courtney

 

Decorating, Living Room, one room challenge

The New Kid in Town…Aka Our New Sectional

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This post is sponsored by Rove Concepts

Whew…now that the One Room Challenge has wrapped up, I’m so excited to give you guys some more details about the some of the products and companies that I was SO lucky to partner with to make this massive project come to life. I’ve been busy putting in a lot of sofa time (jk…not busy at all) since we finished up the ORC last week…I swear, it feels like I haven’t sat down in six weeks! After breaking in our new sectional for the past week, I feel confident that I can give you guys an honest opinion of the sofa, how the ordering experience was, and what I thought of it in person! Am I the only one who gets nervous about ordering a sofa online when you can’t see it in person or sit on the cushions? Eek!

We have had a fabric sectional for years, and I felt like it was a good time to switch things up! So, I started considering leathers for the new sectional. When I started poking around the Rove Concepts website, I found the Luca Sectional and it was love at first sight. It comes in three shades of leather and countless fabric/velvet options, as well. I went with the Palermo Caramel leather. It is a dream!

Right away, I was struck by the sleek, mid-century inspired lines of the legs and sofa. Something about a mid-century inspired sofa that feels so classic. I am confident that even as trends in furniture and decor change, this sofa will never go out of style.

Rove Concepts also allows you to customize your sectional, and add a chaise on whichever side works best for your living space. I wanted the chaise to be on the left side (between the dining space and living space) as it would allow me to add a couple of extra chairs on the window side of the living room for additional seating. But, every living space is different, so having this option is a big bonus. If you have a keen eye, then you might have noticed the tufting on the seats and the piping around the edges. Just a few of the details that make this sectional feel so special. Another customizing option is the color of leg. I chose their brown option, but you could also select the natural or black colors.

Another great feature about this particular leather is that it has natural color and marking variations that can vary, making each piece of furniture unique. The soft surface will scuff and a beautiful vintage patina will develop over time. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve never owned a piece of furniture that actually improves over time! Especially in a house full of kids, like mine.

I was also pleasantly surprised with the customer service at Rove Concepts. If you’ve ever had a bad customer service experience (I know that I have, unfortunately), you know the importance of a company that communicates clearly and stands behind their product. During the ordering process, I received emails letting me know the status of my order, and then again when my order was ready to be shipped. They also provided shipping notifications and set up a time that was convenient for delivery. Since ordering a sectional is a big deal (at least it is for me), I found that these updates were both reassuring and helpful. They even sent a survey after delivery to rate their customer service, and to gauge how I was liking (ummmm LOVING) the new sectional.

In person, this leather is soft and the seat is deep and comfortable. My favorite spot is the chaise at night for cozy TV watching. It smells so good too, and serves as a reminder as to what good quality the leather is. It was also important to me that the sectional didn’t feel overwhelming in our small-ish living space, and I think the low lines of the back gives it a lower profile, which is perfect.

All in all, I’m so happy to have went with a Rove Concepts sectional, and I couldn’t love it more! I’ll be back next week to talk kitchen appliances. I’ve been getting lots of questions about how we like them and I’m gonna dish allll the details for you guys then! But, in the meantime, if you have any questions about our new Luca Sectional or about Rove Concepts, leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to help! See you next week! XOXO

Decorating, Home Improvement, Living Room

Spring refresh for the living room with Barn & Willow

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This post is sponsored by Barn & Willow

Hiya guys! Long time, no see…errrrr blog?? Anyways, I’m writing today to talk curtains. And to admit that I am guilty of committing a big faux pas when it came to hanging curtains in my living room. I know, I am ashamed. I now see the error of my ways, and am trying to redeem myself. Wait until you guys see how some new curtains DRAMATICALLY changed the look and feel of my living room!

Having nice curtains somehow makes me feel very adult. I liken it to spending a Saturday shopping for a new refrigerator or getting excited at the checkout line at the grocery store because the checker offers up a coupon for one of your items. Both things I love! Anyways, back to business…curtain business!

Here is my old curtain situation and a perfect example of how NOT to hang your curtains. I was making a couple of mistakes that are often made when hanging curtains. The panels were too short which forced me to hang the rod just slightly above the window frame. It leaves you with a very blah effect, and nobody wants blah! Let this be a lesson to you, and learn from my mistakes. If you lift the rod, it lifts the eye which makes your ceilings look higher and your space bigger. Another common mistake is not having the rod wide enough (also guilty of this), on both sides of the window, so that your curtains are forced to be hanging partially over the window, blocking light and making the window look smaller (windows look small = room looks small). Extend the rod at least 6-10″ on either side of the window frame so that when the curtains are pushed totally open you can see almost all of the window.

I partnered with Barn & Willow and replaced these tired, old panels with the most beautiful drapes…notice how I used the word drapes instead of curtain? It’s because I’m fancy like that, now. But seriously, it was such a fun process to choose my new panels because they allow you to get the exact look that you have in mind. I wanted my new panels to look light and bright, so I chose their organic cotton panels in the ivory color. They even allow you to decide how you want the tops to look with pleats, the style of pleats, or a soft top. Yes, really! I didn’t realize that I had a preference until I went through the options and studied the differences between all the different looks. Isn’t that such a cool option?!

This is my panel with the soft top option that lends itself to a more casual look, which I love!

I chose these panels, and am so impressed with the texture and weight of the fabric. They definitely look and feel like a quality product. And as a bonus, they are fully lined and have drapery weights at the bottom of each panel. Why weights, you ask??? Well, they make your curtains look better! The weights keep your pleats in place and make it so they don’t flap about. A little detail that makes them feel so special, ya know?

Now, on to the pretty pictures.

What do you guys think? Isn’t it amazing how different my living room feels? And did anyone notice how much bigger my windows appear? My living room feels so fresh and bright now! A BIG thank you goes out to Barn & Willow for sponsoring this post, and for being so helpful and patient! Thank you for reading and Happy Spring…only one more day!!!

art, Decorating, Living Room

My art ledge refresh with Art To Frames

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This post is sponsored by Art To Frames

Hi everyone! With the kids FINALLY back in school, I’m feeling recharged and ready to make some changes around here before winter comes! I always get the bug to purge all the things in the Fall because I know we are all going to be inside a lot more the next few months. Also, it’s so much easier to get rid of all the old toys and excess stuff when the kids are at school and they aren’t here to try and talk me into keeping said stuff.

I’m excited to share a collaboration with you today that I have been working on the last couple weeks with Art To Frames. If you have been following along for a while or you ever see any of my instagram posts, then you already know I love collecting vintage art. I started going to thrift stores years ago when there wasn’t any room in the budget for art, and slowly but surely, I have accumulated a collection that I love. I even have a few special pieces that I believe to be quite valuable — so YAY to that!

The biggest downfall to collecting old art is the old frames that can sometimes accompany them. Think dirty, fabric frames that are sometimes falling apart or at the very least, in rough shape. So when I find a painting that I love, I buy it with the expectation of having to replace the frame. Kind of like house shopping, if it has good bones and you love it…go for it! It’s much less of a commitment than a house, but you get the idea.

When Shimmy(the most helpful person on the planet), from Art To Frames reached out and asked if I wanted to work together, I thought maybe I had died and gone to frame heaven! I’m. Your. Girl.

The past few months, I have been putting aside a few pieces that I thought would work well on my art ledge for a bit of a winter/autumn vibe so these were the paintings I had in mind when I placed my order.

I knew I wanted a natural wood finish look for most of them and added a few white frames to keep it fresh and modern. The variety of selection at Art To Frames is crazy good, not to mention that they are hand-made out of solid wood. When they arrived, they were packaged perfectly and not even one had a crack, a ding, or any other kind of damage. Also, I think it’s noteworthy to add that every frame comes with the hardware attached to hang them right on the wall! Easy shmeeezy.

Most of my paintings were leaning on the ledge so I simply left the hardware attached to the backs in case I get the urge to move to a new locale. The one painting that I did hang on the wall was this special fellow.

Oh hello, handsome. My husband and I disagree about this guy. He thinks he’s creepy while I think he’s spectacular. What say you?

So here’s my little update for the fall and I’m loving it so much that I just might leave the art ledge as is for the entirety of the winter….maybe. The moral of this little story is if you find yourself in the market for some custom-sized picture frames of gorgeous quality, look no further than Art To Frames. Mmmmmmmmkay?

Alsooooooo…..I haven’t forgotten about the concrete counter post that I promised last month. I’m working on it, but I have these three small humans that have been keeping this mama BUSY. Anyone else making any Fall/Autumn (which do you say?) updates around their house? I’d love to hear!

Decorating, Living Room

Living Room Updates and A Comfort Works Sofa Cover Review

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Hi everyone! We are almost to the end of the school year here and these last few weeks are jammed packed with activities, field trips, and even a spring concert. Counting down the days…almost there!

I am blaming spring cleaning but we have been on an organizing kick over here. With the house feeling all fresh and clean, I realized that the living room needed a little facelift. This room is the most hard working room in the house. It lives directly off of the kitchen and is the hub of all activity. So, when the lovely Felicia contacted me from Comfort Works and asked if I wanted to review their replacement slipcovers, I said, YES!

Let me start by saying that we have been buying IKEA sofas for almost ten years. They are durable, stylish, and affordable. A combination that I believe to be perfect for families with small kids. When we bought our house last year, we bought a big sectional (the Norsborg sectional with a chaise) for our living room and love the amount of seating that it provides. It was a darker gray and that is the general tone that I wanted, but in person, the material felt a bit tired (maybe because the baby uses it as a napkin on the reg? hmmm.).

Comfort Works makes beautiful replacement slipcovers for IKEA sofas and custom slipcovers that will fit whatever style of sofa that you might have. Isn’t that cool? You get the look of a very high-end sofa without spending the money! Yes, please. I picked some fabric samples and they arrived in a week. Right away, I was impressed with my options. I couldn’t have made a wrong choice as they were all so lovely.

I picked the Kino Shadow in their heavy duty material because…well, KIDS. This fabric felt like the perfect choice for us with its darker tone and can even be machine washed. Seriously! Machine Washed! We also decided on their Bailey Wooden Sofa Leg to replace the old, chunky ones that originally came with the sofa.

When our cover and legs arrived, I knew we made the right choice! The cover is beautiful, full of texture and the color is a deep, saturated gray. The quality is GOOD. And the best part? My husband and I both agreed that our replacement cover was easier to put on the frame than the original cover from IKEA. I loved how Comfort Works made it a no hassle process with the help from their little prompts. So smart, right?

All of the pieces fit like a glove and there wasn’t any excess fabric.

Overall, it was a pretty painless process. Even with our big sectional, we had everything taken off and our new cover put back on in less than an hour.

I am so excited about our new replacement slipcover and the new look it gives my IKEA sofa! It really feels like a new piece of furniture. Hope you guys love it as much as I do!

This post is sponsored by Comfort Works. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.