Shallow? Absolutely. True? Without a doubt. I can’t tell you how much it sucks to be under house arrest because of pregnancy complications. I can’t lift anything or walk a lot, so me and the outside world are no longer bffs. Plus I’ve been super ultra mega sick, so for the last week Better Half Ben and the sweet inlaws have wrangled Ike, leaving me in relative peace to get some R&R. In other words, it’s just been me and the computer. Danger!
So, yeah — I bought this rug. After your response to the last post on leopard, I decided I could risk $240 on something that will at the very least be a kid friendly, plush landing pad. I realize no one will confuse this with Mr. Leopardo, but Momma ain’t made of money. I think the colorway will be decently neutral, and the spots aren’t gargantuan like some of the other creepy leopard/leprosy rugs out there. Now, where should this bad boy live?
Look! I took an actual real picture of our house! I’m painfully aware that it looks like shitballs, but this is what happens when you can’t haul around a tripod. Ok, let’s discuss my plans for this area. The dining table used to be back here, but I hated it so this will be an open, not hideous kid play station with a comfy sitting area for me. The rocker is getting sold, for realz. I have an antique Chinese scroll for the long wall. The lamps need new shades (help! I usually have very strong lampshade opinions but these guys have me stumped…). The art can stay or go. I would like to flank the credenza with a pair of matching chairs — something plush but colorful. Maybe these?
If I had the budget I would do these, but the sellers must have a brain tumor or something.
If I were decorating someone else’s house — someone with more money than me — I would force them to have two wingback chairs reupholstered in cut velvet flamestitch fabric. I should have bought this chair, but I let it get away from me and it makes me want to punch a wall.
I digress. Basically I want to keep a palette of neutrals and jewel tones. I could switch the painting for this guy:
And do emerald/teal/neutralish chairs… assuming I can find them.
And then there is leopard rug himself. The dimensions of the space I bought it for are tricky, so if it doesn’t fit I may move in a Persian rug (two Persian rugs in the same space… hmmm?) and put leopard in the front room (per Karly’s suggestion).
Look, that’s our front room! Doesn’t the presence of actual REAL pictures from our house make your head want to explode? It does mine, but that may just be a sinus infection. I know Leopard would look nice in here if he doesn’t work in the play area. It’s always nice to have a backup plan, right?
ps: please notice the wallpaper samples in the hallway. There are sooooo many more now. I have way too many things going on at once.
So, let’s recap some of the issues at hand.
1) To leopard in the play area or the front room? I will wait until it arrives to assess.
2) Which art do you prefer — the seascape or the abstract? I also have a fabulous antique mirror I could do if the rug+chair combo gets busy and that wall needs something more neutral.
3) What kind of chairs? Should I spring for custom upholstery? I’m super scared of the price tag.
4) What the hell kind of lampshades go on those lamps???
5) I need tylenol, pronto.
Ok, buddies. I will be refreshing your comments every three seconds, so boss me around and tell me what to do.
Related posts:
That rocker is one of my favorites, so bye bye Mr Rocker, it was nice knowing you. The pictures of your house are fantastic…absolutely love the color of the front room (and that chair and lamp!).
Keep the seascape up, it’s bold and awesome!
If you do custom upholstery, make sure you can get the chairs for super cheap. Or maybe look up diy re-upholstery videos on youtube since you’re stuck at home. It could be a good skill to learn.
Lampshades always confuse me, so I can’t help ya there :/
Feel better!
F*ck yeah that rug nice! Do it! Do it now!!!
I bought it! I think I may have broken the seal, so give me something else to buy and I just might…
Stephen, I know the rocker is pretty time. But she is like a pair of seven inch heels that sit in your closet because you want your feet to live.
wooo hooo!
Love the pictures. The blue wall color and light fixture are killer.
I vote leopard in play room if possible.
I also vote for pink (?) wingback chairs. I think they would fit quite nicely. I think I’d lean towards that awesome mirror you have that I haven’t seen.
Lampshades…. is gold silk too gaudy? Is black redundant? I’m stumped on that one too.
Anything else I can vote on?
Holy buckets. I want that seascape. Source? Please tell I can actually purchase it and that you didn’t hand paint it or something.
Hey Kylie, I bought it at Salvation Army, but it’s actually stretched fabric. On the selvage it says it was hand screened by Steve Johns for Brandon House Designs in 1977. Maybe there’s another one out there? Good luck!
Do you still have the info on that gorgeous blue paint color? I’d love to get it! Thanks.
Hi Dianne, it’s Benjamin Moore’s Dark Harbor, mixed 25% darker. I’d say it’s a touch greener in real life. Very pretty.
Is the rocker still for sale or have you already found it a new home? If not, I want it! So much!
First of all, not only does your photography not resemble shitballs, I daresay you could find yourself on the pages of a shelter mag today. In fact, at first, I thought the wallpaper samples in the hallway were intentionally placed art. Perhaps you should frame a few samples and arrange them like so. Or is that a total curly-willows idea….I don’t know…I’m tired.
Are those super-amazing I-would-punch-you-in-the-gut-to-have-them chairs from a seller in Medford, NJ by chance? I’ve loved stuff from them before, but they seem to think tripling a reasonable asking price is an A+ idea. Jerks.
That rug was such a good choice….and my first reaction is to put it in the front room. And I adore the abstract painting.
Erin, what is the name of that amazing teal/blue color on your walls? It photographs perfectly.
Why yes — the seller is in Medford. That was very mind readery of you, and I’d say triple is about right.
Kelley, I will be selling it after I find something to replace it. Want me to email you? Where do you live?
Hee…I recognized the green garage door. That place was close to where we lived. The stuff is often pretty great and prices are always stupid.
Yes, please email me! I live in San Francisco (yikes!) so obviously shipping costs are on me.
I can’t answer all your questions but I know you will do the right thing. Love that abstract painting. I also like, with this scheme, the dark wallpaper sample in the background, the one on the lower right. Primarily I wanted to comment that I adore the paint color — esp. with that light floor finish.
BRIAAAANNNNN! I’ve missed seeing Brian, Obvs. Things are looking great, and your photos without a tripod are better than most of ours with, so no worries there m’lady. My thought on shades are pale linen drums with gold interiors? LOVE that Sally Army seascape and would be sad to see it go, but I’m sure it would look great anywhere you put it so I’ll shut up. Dark Harbour looks dreamy….MORE! Can’t wait to see it ALL.
Ok, first, everyone else is right. Your so-called “crap” photos put ours (can I say that? without offending anyone?) to shame. Second, I’m dying over your Dark Harbour. I want to lick it. Or rub it. Or something else inappropriate. Third, I’m loving the seascape but the abstract is also vibrant and interesting. Maybe you can find a spot for it in your deep, dark front room? The contrast could be fantastic. Fourth, I’m sorry I haven’t said so until now (I’m a lazy Flipboard reader now), but I hope things are going ok regarding your bed-rest. I can only imagine how annoying/scary/inconvenient it is. I hope the internets are entertaining you in your time of need. Last, I’m with Karly – that leopard will spice up your front room like no other. But I’m sure seeing it in person will help you with your decision. I’m so glad you finally posted some pics of the new house! It’s looking beautiful (as expected). Well done. xoxo
I am extremely interested in seeing the rug in situ. I’ve been hoping to do wall to wall leopard carpeting in my dining room, but if I could get a couple of these rugs and nail ‘em down instead, that might do the trick and save a bundle of dough.
I think it will look great wherever you put it.
You guys are making pitiful little tears of happiness spring to my eyes… ok, I promise to update more. Will show rug in situ.
Kelly, I’ll keep you updated.
And Collyn, don’t worry — the seascape will go somewhere if not there.
Finally, GO SANDERS for helping me with the wall colors!!!
Since you asked! this is what I have to say:
The paint colour is awesome. I loves it.
Although Im not a long time lover of animal prints -reminds of peeps who don’t understand how to wear eye shadow & think shoulder pads more is more – but I digress.. I think the rug would look fabulous in with that paint colour.
Lamp shades – I think they need to be bold in colour. Picking up one of the cols in the painting or a contrast to would look fab.
oh & custom upholstery & I dig the pink wingbacks.
ok. thats enough. I now have to go force my opinion onto others!!
Wow, I LOVE the paint color! I think I might steal your photo just to have a record of it.
I’m very bad at giving advice, but it seems to me that chairs pushed against a wall like that wouldn’t be sat in, so there’s not point in having then be plush and squishy. Seems better to pick chairs with a strong shape that would be easy to move when you need extra seating elsewhere.
I’ve been looking at your pictures again, like a stalker, and I really need to see more of this entry hall. Your console table mirror combination is getting me all sorts of excited.
Go Sanders!!!
Lampshades can be rose silk or black.
Seascape art can stay–looks good.
Fugetabout chairs on either side. No one will ever sit there.
Leopard rug should go in teal room.
I am not feeling the wallpaper.
So sorry you feel like shit! House is looking good!
Am going through your blog and really very much interested for your leopard rug how’s its looking after spreading it.Me too planning for such kind of innovation in my rooms.If any more ideas you have to decorate home please share it.
Hmmmm… I think at least one of the chairs will get some action. I sit in the rocker occasionally, when Ike is playing on the “rug” (aka the wafter thin kilim runner) that’s in there now. They don’t have to be giant and overstuffed, but they do need to have height and that’s a little tough to find.
I’ll be sure to post pics of the rug in situ.
The wallpaper situation is a hot mess. I like the pattern I (think I) chose for the upstairs, but downstairs is a stumper since you will be able to see both patterns in the same view, plus it butts up next to teal paint and pale peach/ivory paint.
Wallpaper post next!
cannot wait to see more!!! must admit, i also don’t usually go for animal prints, but leopard has been a secret crush for a while. with that out in the open now, i love the rug & think it will look great in the front room. btw,the paint is incredible and the chandelier looks fab. yay Sanders!! love the painting as is but stumped on lampshades. maybe depends on what ya do with the chairs. hope you are feeling better!!
I can’t remember all of your numbers and scrolling all the way back up repeatedly might make me nauseous, but I will randomly respond with numbers of my own.
(1) FINALLY you share pictures!! I don’t know what it is you see that’s wrong with them. I’m not a photographer, but I’ve never taken such a clear, well-composed photograph of anything.
(2) The peacock blue is awesome, and yet not as brooding as I was expecting, probably because of all the natural light in your house. I think this is a good thing for its longevity. What is the color called?? Also, what else is going in that room?
(3) Why is the rocker going? It’s not my usual taste at all, but I can see plainly that it is AWESOME. Awesomer than any of the upholstered pieces you are proposing to replace it, honestly. (Although the red wing chairs ARE my taste and if I see them for sale near me I will buy them.)
(4) Don’t spring for custom upholstery. Find some poor schmuck on craigslist who already did so and can’t unload the furniture for even what he paid to have it redone. Such schmucks abound, and as long as your taste isn’t crazy-specific (er, such as that flame-stitch), you’ll find what you want for a great bargain. Custom upholstery can happen Someday, when you learn to do your own. (This is what will happen in my house, too.)
(5) That’s a nice rug. It would look lovely in front of that credenza.
(6) Abstract art is not my thing so it’s hard for me to answer properly. The seascape: is that a painting on canvas, or one of those thingies with different colored fabric stretched out across it? If so, then the abstract. It has cheerful colors. What is it of? (I know it’s abstract, but it looks quasi-representational. I feel certain it must be of something.)
(7) I desperately want to say something useful about those lamps, but I am truly, truly terrible at lamp shades. Now I am going to go back and read the other comments and learn things about how to pick them properly.
OK, several of my questions are answered; rescinded. I meant to say, as well, that the only wallpaper on which I can SEE the print in your picture is the lower-right one (dark seashell/fan print). I know eyes see better than cameras (in that we can focus on things serially), so maybe the other patterns would be more discernable from the next room if I were there in person, but I would say if you CAN’T see the pattern from 15 feet away…maybe ditch that one. (I did hang one print where the pattern can be seen clearly only if the light is decent, because the contrast is low [it has a large scale], and I do like that one, so I don’t think it has to be insanely high-contrast to be worthwhile. But I think the high-contrast ones read well, especially for an accent wall.)
I eagerly await the post on wallpaper.
Re: Lampshades- I can see black linen drum shades- nothing fancy.. but if you want to go fancy then something in a drum shape with a gold paper interior lining.
glad to see more of your house.. it’s coming along and looks great!
I have nothing to add, except that your front room looks banging! It’s all kinds of win!!
I’d use glossy red drums (straight, no taper). But many jewel tone drums would work.
Animals are good. The paint color rocks. If you’re that willing to boldly go, then second-guessing yourself is a mistake anyway, my dear Captain. Animal is classic for good reason. Serious Teal can never be wrong. And if you think so, that’s only because everything else is wrong. Or you are legally blind. Otherwise…
Will admit that I, too, am hugely distracted by that rocker. As in, oddly attracted to it in ways that should never happen between a human and a piece of furniture. I could barely even consider a nice teal, if you can imagine! If you will ship, I’m in. And if you won’t, pu-leeeeeze can you give the name of the manufacturer or something so I can sigh and drool and creep everybody out as I hunt one down?
This is my first time here, but I am in love. With you, with BM Dark Harbor, with Leopard, with everything. Except for those Godforsaken lampshades. Here’s what you need to do. Buy black fabric drum shades and paint the insides gold. Trust me. Also, do NOT switch the art. You need the bold colors. There’s my bossy two cents! Remember I love you!
XOXOXO
ABC
This is my first time here (and I realize I’m a bit late), but I just have to say: That paint color is AMAZING. Also, I live in Austin and am now obsessed with that seascape, so please please please let me know if you ever decide to sell it.
I am also in love with the rocking chair! Did it sell? If not, I want it. Where did you find it at?