Although I already owned a lot of furniture when I moved in to number 69, I didn’t feel that any of it really went with the style that I wanted for the living room. I’ve held on to some of the smaller pieces, which will be scattered around the room, but the larger items definitely needed to be Gumtree’d.
With a bit o’ cash in hand, it was time to furniture shop…
My Furniture and Accessories Shopping List
The main starting point for furnishing the room was a grey over-dyed Turkish rug I had bought from Ebay a few years back. I absolutely love this piece and knew that it was destined for the living room. I’ve found similar recently on Ebay and also on Etsy.
If you caught my post These are a Few of My Favourite Things, you’ll now realise the two items that I couldn’t resist. Oliver Bonas’ Diagonal Stripe Cushion and the Grey and White Pure Wool Cushion from Holly’s House. The textures and colours look great together!
As for the sofa, you may notice there has been a slight change of plan from my original choice of style…
Sofa-gate
We actually had chosen a gorgeous soft grey relaxed style chesterfield from Loaf, which we ordered online. It arrived, and was indeed as beautiful as it looked on screen.
However, Brian and I are both very much like Goldilocks and found it very difficult to get comfy. The feather-filled cushions were just too soft for us and our dodgy backs, and eventually, enough was enough. It had to go. That’ll teach us not to buy before we try.
Luckily, my lovely friend was in need of a gorgeous sofa, so we did a deal and cash exchanged hands. The hunt for the perfect sofa had resumed.
Having trawled the internet for hours for something similar, I eventually turned to my faithful companion, Pinterest, in the hope of finding an alternative solution.
One image kept turning up and it really stuck in my mind…
Image from Fantastic Frank, via Cocolapine, via Pinterest
But where was it from? Was it even available in the UK?? Could I afford it?? I’d already lost money by buying the Loaf sofa blind. I couldn’t afford to do that again.
Then I found it. It was called Nockeby… and it was only by bloody IKEA!!! YASSSS!!! We immediately drove to our nearest IKEA and tried it out.
PERFECTION! So comfortable. It’s firm, retains it’s shape, and the covers are machine washable. Bonus!
The Rest of the Room
For additional, affordable seating, we have opted for an IKEA armchair, until we find something that we love. I’m quite keen to find something vintage that I can reupholster, but for now it’s the Mellby armchair, with a change of legs and a black and white houndstooth check cover.
To contrast all the square angles of the seating, I’ve opted for an Arne Jacobsen style Egg Chair in a soft beige wool, to sit in the bay window. I bought mine from Ebay, but can’t seem to find any links to share. Sorry!
I’ll also be including my vintage Albini footstool, giving a nice contrast to the clean lines of the Egg Chair.
As for lighting, the main ceiling fitting is an upcoming project, which I’m hoping to share next week. I’ve just given a taster of the style of accent lighting that I want to go for, as I’m a big fan of lots of low level mood lighting. I’ve included the Spun Done Floor Lamp by French Connection as I love the brass style finish and simple shape and the Marlowe from Habitat. I actually received this as a christmas present a couple of years ago from my mum and dad. This is a touch lamp, the glass of which is filled with tiny bubbles which look beautiful with the soft light of an Edison bulb.
Accessories-wise, I still plan on keeping it neutral throughout with a palette of mostly black, grey and cream. I love old wedgwood and have a few pieces that’ll work well with the eclectic style I’m trying to achieve, however, the Broste Copenhagen Concertina Vase from Trouva (seen on the first board) would be a beautiful addition to the new shelving unit.
All in, I’m pretty happy with how the project is progressing. I can’t wait to bring the furniture in, have it finished and to be able to share the end results. The IKEA hack is looking amazing and should be complete by next week…
