So where do I put my booty?

I was perusing the latest email from Houzz and was drawn to this photo:

The colors are very soothing and beautiful, but in spite of that I had one overwhelming thought when looking at this beautiful arrangement.  Can you guess?  Oh right, I gave it away with my title didn't I?

So, where exactly does one plunk their booty?  If the hostess instructed me to sit and make myself comfortable I would be struck with sheer terror.  How exactly do I make myself comfortable?  Sit in one of those two little slivers not covered by pillows?  Are you kidding me?  My butt?  I mean it's not ginormous or anything, but I couldn't even get one cheek in either of those slivers.

I have two 18" pillows on either side of my sofa and I frequently worry that that is two too many.  Maybe just one at either end is fine?  Still, I like all four pillows, so all four remain.  But I make sure they are squished into the corners and the first thing I say to people after I tell them to sit and get comfy is to "just set the pillow(s) on the floor if they're in your way."  And I MEAN it.  I never want decorative pillows intimidating my guests into not getting comfortable in my home.

So while I have a deep and abiding love of beautiful pillows, I believe they have their place in the home; like in the bedroom where they're only going to annoy your man. 

Here's to making room for all booties, small and large.  Pillows in moderation only people.

xoxo

Catalogs Deliver Design Inspiration

Sorry for the lack of posts recently.  I took a road trip with my parents to Cincinnati to visit my brother and his family and then I was busy getting the blog for my business set up with my web designer.

I know if you love design, you look forward to the arrival of certain catalogs in the mail as much as I do.  Some of them (Ballard Designs chiefly) provide so much eye candy and design inspiration that they often trump even the best decorating magazines.  One of my favorite catalogs is from a furniture company that I believe was founded here in Ohio, but now has locations in 12 other states, Arhaus Furniture.

I became a fan of Arhaus when I first moved to Cleveland (where the company is based) and would regularly visit their nearby stores for inspiration in decorating my apartment.  If you think visiting Anthropology is inspirational, Arhaus in store decorating at the time would blow you away.  They did things no one else was doing at that time and walking through the store was a guaranteed sensory overload.  The store decor is still impressive, but today the focus is more on the furniture than in creating the WOW factor with amazing backdrops for the furniture.

Still, I look forward to their catalogs.  Some of them are fairly straightforward and no different than other furniture catalogs, but every once in a while they really go the extra mile and set the stage in a way that truly inspires.  The catalog I received in January is one I still pour over regularly and will probably be included in my favorite magazine collection as a keeper.

Following are some of my favorite pictures from the catalog.  Sorry for having to cut pictures in half, but my scanner isn't large enough to capture the double page spreads.

The photo below is the right half of the room in the photo above:

There isn't a single thing in either photo I don't absolutely love. How often do you really feel that way?  For me, it doesn't happen often.

The photo below shows the same bookcase, but the room and furniture has changed.  I wish I could capture the two pages together because that trio of windows makes an incredible backdrop.

Arhaus furniture certainly isn't cheap, but the pieces I've purchased are still in amazing condition.  My sofa and the two chairs in my living room are from Arhaus and I still love them as much as the day I bought them (over 10 years ago).  And no, I was not paid for this post or in any way compensated.  I just don't believe in keeping good things a secret ;-).