The Perfect Place for a Settee...The Dining Room, Of Course

Ever since I first saw a photo of a beautiful curvy settee pulled up to a dining room table (years ago), I've lusted for that look in my own dining room. 

Something like this....

or this....

 or maybe this...

 or even this....

I would put it right there under the round black mirror.  What do you think?

Initially I thought Nate Burkus HSN Studio Sofa would fit the bill since it's the perfect size, comes in green velvet, has a great price and I love the look (not to mention the casters - love furniture on casters), but according to its description, it can only hold a maximum weight of 250 pounds.

 

 So you're having a cocktail party and you spot two of your much beloved, but horizontally challenged buds heading for your beautiful little studio sofa.  GASP!  What do you do?  Try to distract them until a skinnier friend plunks her tiny posterior down thereby saving your mini sofa from destruction?  Put a sign on your sofa spelling out this dubious weight restriction? Hide the sofa in the basement until the party is over?  None of these seem like acceptable options to me so I wrote off this one pretty quickly.

For now it shall remain just a nice little unfilled decorating dream.  I've got a lot of those ;-)

Finishing That Wasted Space

First, thanks to Ballard Designs Style Studio for posting a photo of my dining room makeover.  It wasn't the best of the two I sent, but I'm sure they chose that one because you can see the table base a little better and it is their table after all. 

On to today's subject: Finished Attics.

While it certainly isn't anything I can afford right now, I've always imagined some day finishing my attic.  One thing that stopped me in the past is that while the entrance to my attic has a perfectly normal staircase, it can only be accessed through my bedroom.  There is probably another way to open up access, but creating an opening versus using existing would no doubt greatly escalate the cost. 

If I maintained just the entrance from my bedroom, that would rule out a guest room - unless I want guests traipsing through my bedroom (not so much).  I have always admired what Martha Stewart did with her Bedford NY attic.  It's kind of a craft room on steroids.  Take a peek:

 

  

Of course, no matter what I would do with it, it would have to have a bathroom - even if very small.

 

 

A little sitting room to relax and watch TV or read would be nice too.

  

 

A gym?  I would have no excuses to skip the workout so I would have to pass on this idea, but it is impressive.

   

 A home office...

Or just stick with the obvious...a bedroom.

 

 

  

  

I'm going to go buy a Mega Millions ticket so I can finance my big ideas.

“Have nothing in your house that is not useful or you believe to be beautiful.” William Morris, leader of the Craftsmen Movement. If you want a golden rule for what to purchase and what not to purchase, this is it.  William Morris also said that the most important things in life are love and work and the true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in the details of daily life.  I think he has a point or three. 

Tuesday Tips - Wisdom For Everyday Life

Baby, it's cold outside!

It is cold in Cleveland, Ohio right now.  This kind of weather makes me want to hibernate.  Just curl up in my favorite chair next to a roaring fire with a glass of wine and a stack of decorating magazines.

Regardless of what you think of the decor, these are some roaring fires I'd like to cozy up to right now...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay warm :)