I’m a jacked up nightmare of snot, plus Ike is home for the “holiday” today (seriously?! Jesus is already risen — back to work, teachers!) so I’m not sure how witty and entertaining I can be this morning. However, I really wanted to say thank you for your comments regarding my shelving dilemma. I read each and every one, and thought very deep thoughts about them. Here’s what I came up with:
#1. I think the tan leather couch would look better in here, but I did some measurements, ran some calculations, assessed the wind speed, etc, and Alexis the hot uncomfortable couch just won’t work in our family room. It’s way too low. So for now, tan couch stays where it is, and someday (hopefully maybe this year) when we replace it with something bigger and sexier, tan couch can move into here and I will pimp out Alexis on craigslist.
#2. I decided the painting wasn’t working in here. I love it on dark colored backgrounds, but you were right when you said something horizontal would look better. But how about something round? Cuz that’s what I came up with.
#3. For now I plan to go with gloss wall color for the shelves IF they stay on that wall… I’m still a bit undecided here. I think we may need to address the door situation first and see if the shelves intrude on the walkway. If the shelves don’t go there, they can go on the opposite wall — just as soon as I figure out what to do with the thousand pound limed oak hutch currently holding court on that wall.
#4. Exit coffee table, enter rug.
#5. I realized all I want in the world is for the office to look something like this room by Amy Howard (minus the wtf roses):
Mmmm mmmm delicious. I love the dark, low contrast wall paired with light sofa and peachy pink pillows/rug.
So here’s my mockup, designed to head in that direction. I painted one shelf charcoal and the other wall color… I think wall color wins. I replaced the lady painting with a large round brass tray I already had (how to hang this behemoth?!), flanked by some small vintage lithos. Don’t hate my peachy salmon pillows because they’re beautiful. I already own the vintage malayer rug, but it’s redder in real life and I fear it may overpower the space…
Plan B
I think this may be better — more masculine. The rug is definitely lower contrast in real life, so I think it will blend with the floor rather than chopping up the tiny space. And you’ll just have to imagine that both shelves are wall color. Don’t worry — my paint job will look better than that in real life. I HOPE.
Just to mix myself up a bit, I tried painting the shelves green since I like the teal/jade/coral color combo, a la Kelly Wearstler:
My version:
I got lazy with the photoshop… sorry. So, the green isn’t quite right, but it doesn’t really matter because the wall color isn’t accurate either (it’s darker and greener in real life). I don’t care for this much color on this wall, but I think muted jade shelves might look nice on the opposing wall, flanking the window with a neutral desk setup in front.
So maybe that is Plan B.
And that’s what’s happening with the office — largely lots of photoshopping, head scratching, and fondling of paint chips.
Speaking of paint, I got a zillion samples from Sanders this weekend. We painted an attic closet that Matt enclosed for us, and I also started the process of selecting a whole house color palette that includes every bedroom plus wallpaper. So you know… I’m not overwhelmed or busy or anything.
Don’t worry — you’ll be hearing much much more about this business later.
T minus 17 weeks until my due date…
!!!SHITBALLS!!!
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Lord, I feel like such a yes-man with you sometimes…but I must say I adore the mockups…especially with the leopard rug. Looks so rich. And girl, let me tell you…get this shiznit done before the last few weeks. I can’t walk ten paces without sucking wind or needing to sit down. My will to make things look kicky is fading fast. This body is sick of playing host…and my house is suffering! No pressure though…take your time. Heh.
You have no idea how many PS mockups I have on my desktop right now. It’s frightening. But it makes all the difference to actually see it, right?? Digging the shelving in the wall color. And both rugs look fab, so you won’t mess up there. Don’t let anyone hate on those salmon pillows – they look amaze against that dark wall!
Love! The round is totally genius and the leopard rug rocks – I surprised (though I shouldn’t be) how much I like it! But I agree with Tobe that both rugs look great.
So much to cover here. I really prefer Alexis in this space than tan leather, so I am glad she is staying. I really liked the idea of having the etageres on the other walls as the trim interference personally makes me a little tweaky.
Love the brass tray over the sofa, but I liked the painting alot too. I think it depends where the shelves end up living.
Think teal/jade/coral combo is lalalovely. Try it on the shelves!!
Based on photoshop I like the first rug best, but I hear that the colors aren’t exact. Not sure I love the leopard rug with the tray, but again, that might just be a photoshop thing. In real life it could be a whole different story.
Did I miss anything? Look for an email from me in the next day or so
I feel so lucky that I ended up with a whole-house color scheme by accident. (Of course, being an accidental success, it has the odd flaw. But I don’t have to repaint everything. Thank God.) But I am fascinated by the process of actually creating one intentionally, and I hope that you share your samples and thought process. We are here for you, aesthetically!
Now I try to be marginally helpful: I get that given the scale/spacing issues the etageres need to recede. OTOH, given their design, I think it would be wrong to make them fade…they will never ever look like built-ins ’cause they’re not supposed to. However, I will not object (since you care so deeply about my opinion!) to the dark paint colors ’cause it’s paint and you can always paint again.
As to the brass tray, some home improvement show demonstrated this brilliant heavy-object-hanging-method with a cleat that I think would hold the weight of that thing. (You take a 1×6 or thereabouts and cut it in half lengthwise, but at an angle. Then you bolt the lower half to two wall studs so that its top angle forms a little ledge. Then you attach the top half of the board to the object to be hung, and the angled cut keeps it secure.) Problem: I don’t know what the back of that gorgeous gorgeous tray looks like, or how you can affix any kind of hanger to it. (I think the method I saw involved an object with rear-facing wood framing that would accept bolts. The point of the method was hanging something that needs a stud to hold its weight but will not be centered on a stud.) Picture of the back of the tray, please? Also, how heavy is it?
Yeah, I don’t know… I am really torn about the shelves over there. Probably painting them won’t happen until the rest of the room gets cleared out, a desk is moved in, and I can physically move them to the other side of the room and see how they look there.
Too. Many. Decisions.
As for the tray, it’s heavy. The back is bare, but I think it used to have hangers welded to it. Ben bought a metal cleat and JB weld to glue it on there. Not sure if it will work or not.
I love the vintage malayer rug, especially since the coral notes can have a friend to play with. And, I’m a fan of the charcoal with the more intense, saturated rug. That gives more visual weight to the shelves, helping them to both recede and to stand out. If that’s possible. Either way, the round tray on the wall (once you figure out how to hang it) is brilliant. I have to say, it’s so fun to see this process unfold. Design is a living, breathing, mood elevating (and sometimes soul-crushing) experience, so to be able to observe from the relative comfort of our own domains is amazing. Thank you, as ever, for including us! You never cease to inspire me! xoxo
I like the brass plate, red rug, plus wall colored shelves as an evocation of the inspiration piece. you could probably leave the rug out in the hot Texas sun for a week to bleach it out and make it more salmony. Looks great!
all of your mock-ups look good, but I am loving the idea of throwing some jade into the mix of teal/coral! that Wearstler room kills me. I love the brass plate, but i also like the painting in the room…did others not like it? ok, i’m not helping here…would love to see malayer rug in the space, just to see!
Yeah, I have a zillion pieces of art. I think my own personal style tends toward muted/antiquey + something shiny or colorful for balance. So lots of the art I had was too much for that colorful wall, if you know what I mean.
And btw, the tray is way less brassy and shiny in real life.
Erica, I’m going to try to bleach my rug. Wish me luck!
Another thought…Can you pull the sofa off the wall and put a console table behind it? (Ikea occasional console table in white – $79 and 74″ long.) Think the sofa looks overwhelmed pushed back between the bookcases. Get a very large abstract and flank with lamps.
Would paint everything the same color for continuity. Love the leopard.
That’s a great idea, but I don’t think I have the space. I should post the dimensions of the room — it’s TINY. The previous owners used it as a dining room and had to put their dining table in catty corner to fit. Hilarious.
Love the brass, and leopard. How are you going to bleach the rug, because if you can get it to a more coral tone, it’d be pretty amazing. Too heavy in it’s current state. If the shelves move to the other side, I could see you amping up the jade to malachite.
I don’t know if I really can — probably just wishful thinking. I know that some rugs will bleach in sunlight but it may happen unevenly (abrash) or it may take 20 years. I have seen very few light coral Persian rugs, but I would love to have one…
hmmm…i don’t know…i think you ought to reconsider a deeper jade green.
Lazy mockup or no, I really like most of the last set of ideas. Jade shelves, leopard rug, coral pillows. I’m not fond of the brass tray up on the wall, or the little rectangular lithos surrounding it. Not together at least. I think the original artwork would look fabulous in a heavy, ornate gilt frame, flanked by a pair of crazy sconces. Alexis is, as always, amazing and should just stay put.
What sort of table are you planning to put in there? That tray would make a fantastic cocktail table, if you could find a base for it. Or make one (cannibalize something from CL).
My two cents.
you are great with photoshop!
my favorite mock up is the brass tray, leopard rug, and the shelves the same color as the wall.
i’d pull your green in with something else – i don’t think you’d be happy with green shelves.
babybabybabybabybabybabybaby!!!!
I like it. Either rug. Plan B seems safe to start with…I love Alexis here so that makes me happy for now. Glad you were able to attend the wedding – welcome back!
On the real, you are sick more than anyone I know. Even though I don’t know you. Granted, the entire world had twice as many stomach flus this year than normal….but take some bee pollen or wheat grass or whatever people are taking for that. You gots to take care of yourself b/c we all depend on you for your posts
And your kids and all.
On topic–yay leopard rug. The bookcases are awesome, but I’d toss them to the other wall. They seem to cramp your gorgeous sofa, being rather deep. If you keep ‘em by the sofa, I think they have to stay wall color (like how I use have to?).