Tips for Choosing A Sofa

One of the rooms in our home that is on the “to-do” list is our living room. My style changes often however, living room furniture is something we live with for 10+ years so here are some things I like to consider and some inspiration from Havertys (click the images below for information on each specific sofa):

  • Size and shape – Do I prefer a standard size and shape? Smaller? L-shaped? Sofa and love seat or sofa chairs?
  • Furniture placement – I frequently rearrange furniture for a fresh new look as well as take Christmas time into consideration. Furniture against the walls… or defined/separate seating areas?
  • Room’s function – Conversational? Relaxing/lounging? TV viewing?
  • Color – I prefer to keep large furniture purchases neutral since I like mixing things up and changing things out often. How about you?
  • Material – Leather? Upholstered/fabric?

  • Style – What style fits our home? Classy and chic? Eclectic? So many combinations and options.

Because I can guarantee that within that 10+ year time frame, our living room will go through different stages, different color trends and styles.

I may have mentioned my indecisiveness a time or two so coming up with a couple of different ideas makes the process a little easier. When looking at purchasing large furniture, I have a small list of “must haves”. Large furniture purchases must be:

  • of good quality
  • durable
  • neutral
  • affordable

How about you? What is your decision making process when purchasing large pieces of furniture? How do you stay on on track with decorating/redecorating your home?

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Havertys helps you bring your vision to life. Visit Havertys.com to find a store near you, detailed product information and design tools to guide you in your home decor purchases.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Havertys. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

Sauder Experience

With a nursery project in the works, purchasing a dresser is near the top of the furniture list.

As a part of a fun campaign, I recently shopped at Sauder.com to choose a dresser that fit our space and needs. The Expedition Design tool makes choosing a piece that fits your style easy!

I ordered the a dresser from the Shoal Creek Collection (gorgeous jamocha finish) from Sauder that will coordinate beautifully with the crib that Ali has chosen. I love the extra attention to detail.

We loved the rich dark color, beautiful hardware and extra deep drawers for more storage. Even better? I ordered it online and it was delivered to my back door. Much less complicated than hauling it home from the store.

Upon unpacking the box, it was noted that one of the boards had snapped during shipping. But rather than have to pack everything up and return to the store (that box is heavy!), I simply ordered a replacement part at no cost to me … online. It shipped the next day. Super convenient! There’s also a live chat option.

And while the DIY part of building may feel overwhelming, assembly was actually pretty easy with detailed instructions. Every piece is labeled and the drawings of each step are helpful. The only tools required are Phillip’s screwdriver and small hammer. The dresser was assembled in just a little over an hour. An affordable dresser! With slides and drawers…that easy!

It’s currently residing in our guest room, soon to be guest room + nursery space. Perfect for baby’s clothes, blankets and diapers but until those plans are underway, it provides great storage for extra linens, towels and “junk”.

Isn’t it gorgeous? I love the placement at the end of the bed too. How about you?

You’ve seen me use a dresser as a kitchen island, hallway linen storage and dining room buffet. I love non-traditional uses for furniture. And dressers are so versatile for use and function as additional storage for any room. What do you think?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder. The opinions and text are all mine.

Design Style: Urban Classic

I’m often stumped when asked my decorating style. I tend to just do what I love. Our family room is a mix of modern with vintage, new with old, an “urban classic” style but with a bit more fun with pops of color.

I’ve recently been working on redoing the family room which is a mix of repurposed, thrifted, DIY and new. Vintage modern. Urban classic. It’s still a work in progress (I know. I know…I just revealed the family room makeover not long ago but it wasn’t feeling ‘just right’ so I’m slowly changing it. Again.) I love decorating. I love thrifting. I love DIY. But sometimes adding something new is just as important for achieving the look I love. Sometimes that means saving for a big ticket item but most of the time I’m working on a tight budget.

One of the elements you can’t miss in my family room is the set of Sauder Barrister Lane bookcases on either side of the fireplace surround. New but classic spin on the plain cubby-style shelving. I love the color/finish and the addition of vintage-looking name plates.

Two Barrister Lane bookcases give this wall and fireplace surround a built-in (but moveable) look.

I love the vintage vibe of the bookcases paired with a modern pattern like in this accent rug and colorful glass lamps:

And they’re versatile. So when I get the urge to rearrange, they’ll work in several other rooms in my home too.

Get the Look: For a bit of casual sophistication, Urban Classic reflects a smart, easygoing lifestyle through timeless decorating. Somewhat eclectic, this style focuss on mixing classic and found items to hint at a well-traveled taste. Urban Classic is full of sophisticated yet relaxed home design ideas with a healthy mix of materials. Colors are earthy and rich, while materials show age to suggest a loving history of use.

  • Find inspiration. Check out magazines, decorating blogs, ideas via Pinterest or a Google search. Sometimes inspiration can be found in art, fashion, one object, fabric patterns, catalogs, etc.
  • Mix repurposed, thrifted, DIY with new and modern (Sauder has a broad range of beautiful furniture at affordable prices) to create a room that reflects your style.
  • Personalize. Take what you love about your inspiration and put your own spin on it, making it fit your lifestyle, your personality.

Perfect timing: Before I even received this opportunity, I spied the Barrister Lane bookcases and knew right away that I wanted a set of two to flank either side of the vintage fireplace surround that you often see in my family room (sometimes I move it to the dining room). I couldn’t pass up the color, style, function and affordable price and ordered two of them online. THEN just a few days later, I received the offer to participate in the Sauder Get the Look campaign. Great timing, awesome coincidence! I purchased the product before the campaign became available to me. How perfect!

Purchase experience: The bookcases arrived and were simple to assemble by myself. The instructions were easy to read and the pieces clearly marked. There was however one piece missing from one of the packages. My first reaction was panic…would I have to box it back up and ship it back? (Sauder furniture is super heavy – not fun for shipping but definitely adds to the overall quality of product.) The answer: No. I simply went online to sauder.com and ordered a replacement part. Free-of-charge. It arrived within in a few days. No hassle! Great customer service – I was able to manage ordering the replacement part on a Sunday evening without even having to explain the situation to a sales representative or make an extra trip to the store or without having to return the product. Gotta love that!

What design style is most prevalent in your home? See more ‘Get the Look’ ideas from Sauder on Pinterest.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder Woodworking. The opinions and text are all mine.