my lonely couch
February 21, 2007
It is a long and narrowish room. The couch is pulled about 6ft off of the back wall. No idea what I am going to put back there. Laundry? Toys? Children?
Yes, I need decorations and curtains and wall hangings. And a money tree.
Oh and notice my new wall color? Isn’t it lovely? It is called Barley and is a Pottery Barn color.
Posted by Chris @ 10:47 pm
RSS feed for comments on this post.
The URI to TrackBack this entry is:
http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com/2007/02/21/my-lonely-couch/trackback/
Ohh, I like that couch. Very stylish! And the paint on the walls is gorgeous too! And the floors! Man I could go on and on, you’ve got good taste!
February 21st, 2007 at 11:07 pmLooks great!! I love the couch!
February 21st, 2007 at 11:12 pmLove the color on the walls. And the couch. Gorgeous.
February 21st, 2007 at 11:18 pmoh if only I had a corner of my house that was so clean!
put some beautiful curtains (velvet? silk?) on the window and a couple of pics on the wall and wah-la… you’re living in a pottery barn spread!
February 21st, 2007 at 11:38 pmThe behind-the-couch space might be a neat play area for kids’ toys — if they aren’t always put away perfectly, at least they’re mostly out of sight!
February 21st, 2007 at 11:51 pmI was going to suggest the same as Gem. Or plants? A standard lamp?
Such a pretty couch, and I love the screen, too.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:17 amI was out looking at leather sectionals tonight, almost exactly like that one. After the last stomach flu episode - with toddlers turning their heads IN to our fabric couch whenever they were throwing up (and away from the bucket I was eagerly holding), we’ve decided the next couch MUST be leather.
I’m still wobbly from the sticker shock, though. The sectional that I want has a chaise on one end & a queen sleeper - all for the bargain basement price of $7,800.00 (that includes a 10% President Day discount).
Regarding what to put behind your couch - I’d put a big lush green plant, with a floor lamp. I’d also consider a low bookshelf on the opposite side - that you could double as a sofa table. I don’t know how a fishtail palm would do in your climate (but since it would be indoors with natural light from the window, maybe OK?). Here’s what I think would look nice (especially when they get really big and start to “arch”): http://www.amazinggreenhouse.com/DetailsList.cfm?ID=MS-2251-9
You’re off to a great start - the room looks very warm, esp. with the floors & area rug.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:18 amChildren. Yes, I think children should go behind there.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:20 amOops! The link I sent you was for a fake palm - so it doesn’t really matter what the climate is like. Heck, you could put it on your front porch in a snow storm and pretend you’re in the tropics!!!
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:21 amIt’s beautiful. I love the new color and everything else about it. You have worked so hard you deserve a nap on that couch!
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:25 amHoly crow, I think we recently bought that exact couch but in brown! Obviously, you have fantastic taste.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 amOK, tell the truth now - how much time did you spend cleaning up for that picture??? Come on, surely you with SEVEN children cannot possibly have that clean of a house. I can’t keep up with my measly 3 (soon to be 4)…surely there’s no woman on God’s green earth who can keep a house looking like THAT with seven children!?!?!?
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 amThe couch is brown! I think it looks darker in the photo.
Laurie, the couch just got delivered so there was no mess yet
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:54 amI love it what a beautiful room! And I notice the stove is keeping that room warm!
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:13 amI love it! And no I won’t give you my horrible decorating advice because your house is gorgeous! How much is pottery barn paying you to place pictures of your gorgeous house on your blog? lol. I love the color too. Is it as yellow as it looks in the picture?
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:27 amVery Pottery Barn!
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:23 amIt looks great! Love the color and the couch. And the floors are beautiful too.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:52 amI like your big window, too. I think a plant would look nice behind the couch in the corner.
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:01 amUh just to satisfy my curiosity…. how many rooms are there in your entire house?? Just when I think I’ve seen them all….
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:15 amOh honey, PLEASE keep posting pictures of your house. I’m in house-decorating-idea paralysis, and your home (I suspect, from looking at this photo!) will be very inspirational.
K.
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:42 amBeautiful room! So put together! I ditto the small play area or plant ideas.
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:53 amI love the color! I love the couch! I LOOOOVE the hardwood floors! And the stove looks so cozy. Oh can I please come to your house and curl up on that couch with a blanket and a good book?
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:16 amI don’t know if you like antiques or not but an old trunk (you can keep spare blankets in) would look neat under the window and you can sit some plants on it (if you are into plants). I love the open airy feeling of the room…
After everyone’s comments I’m almost desperate to see it, but all I get is a gray box. Even when I clicked on it still came up with nothing. It must just be me
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:40 amSo very handsome! And so full of possibilities, that room. Have fun bringing it all together.
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:46 amI’m with Gem, the space is definitely where you throw all toys, misc. items and children in a quick “clean up” emergency (if one should occur).
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:56 amBeautiful! What a lovely room!
I would put a bookcase behind your couch.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:00 amOkay I’m with Debbie on this one, how many rooms? I am so confused. Can you do a quick house tour for us so we know where we are? Love the couch by the way and I would soooo put the children behind the couch! Either that or my husband when he annoys me!
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:40 amOk, I’m in decorating dilema right now too. I need to come up with deco ideas for my laundry room. It’s a mud/laundry room…but I have the Maytag Drying Center which makes it a little more difficult to decorate around.
Can we see pics of your Pottery Barn Laundry room? PLEEEEASE?
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:42 amsofa table behind the couch
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:46 amLooks great, Chris! And so not green!
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:49 amlooks great! love the color!
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:56 amYou definitely need some dramatic window treatments (sorry my father-in-law’s interior design talk has gotten to me, I can’t call them “curtains” anymore.)
Love the window, sofa, floor. Maybe you could paint up a giant piece of art for that space.
Course all those ideas are kinda a fantasy. Cause in real life with lots of kids, we all know that toys are just going to end up back there behind the sofa.
February 22nd, 2007 at 9:57 amThat rug is beautiful !
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:29 amReally gorgeous - like the practical yet gorgeous wipe-clean couch!
Curtains/drapes - not too much or it will darken the room - something nice and simple yet classy, to go with the rest of the room.
Photo room-divider - that’s gorgeous! Where is it from?
Behind the sofa - is this to be a kid-free (haha) room or will they be allowed to have their stuff in here? You could get a really classy corner-shelf unit, and use those rush/wicker baskets to put stuff (like toys) inside - practical but still classy and in keeping with the room. You could of course ban all toys from the room - but even with just one kid, I know how impossible that is!
Sooooo… when are you going to start your interior design business? I AM serious!
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:38 amThat looks SO GOOD. I almost wouldn’t do anything else…but then, I’m incredibly lazy, so maybe you shouldn’t listen to me.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:42 amhmm that thar looks like a nice place to hide from the children..hehe
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:11 amI think a nice window treatment that pulls out the pretty blue colour in the rug is in order.. but hey.. behind the couch is a great place to hide kid mess!!!
I know you took that picture because it will NEVER be that pristine again. LOL
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:17 amEven at our age, our last sofa was a leather sectional similar to that one. Deep green to match the woods outside our windows. Leather because we (means you know who, not me) still eats, spills, works with all his papers, etc on the couch. After eight years it still looks new. When you can actually SEE it.
Beautiful room! What I would do (if I had that open space and lots of kiddies) is to use another screen behind the couch, a translucent one so that it doesn’t block light. Then throw a bunch of cozy pillows and things back there and let it be a den for the littler kids.
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:43 pmGorgeous! It looks smashing.
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:04 pmIt really looks lovely. Want to come to my house next?
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:10 pmLovie it. Love it. Love it.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:12 pmI have the exact same rug except it is red in the areas where yours is blue. Love it (hides the dirt well - lol!). Our walls are a soft yellow as well. But our couch is red.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:17 pmI too am a big fan of pattery barn! Wish I could live in their store!
Beautiful room! And…by sheer coincidence, (and after trial and error with 6 different shades of golden/yellow - I am paint color-challenged!) I am in the middle of painting my living room Barley too! It is a gorgeous color.
February 22nd, 2007 at 3:00 pmChris,
It looks beautiful…how about a sofa table with a lamp directly behind the couch and either a big picture or a ficus tree next to the window?
February 22nd, 2007 at 3:47 pmI love it!
February 22nd, 2007 at 3:50 pmI’m with the guys above…can you satisfy our curiosity (please, please) and tells us about your house? I know you have tons of bathrooms, but how many rooms? I have a three bedroom apartment, and one 1-year old, and I can’t keep up with the cleaning…putting things in their place is a never ending task….I think I gave up.
February 22nd, 2007 at 3:55 pmYour couch by the way is beautiful, I love the way that room looks!
It looks really good, I love the paint color and I am tempted to use it on our hallway. I think the wall to the right of the window, and the wall on the right both need something. Either a big painting/print or antiquey mirror on each wall, or groups of smaller framed paintings/prints, photos, and/or mirrors. If you’re looking to go cheap, are you near an Ikea? Their frames are so cheap, and anything looks good in a frame.
February 22nd, 2007 at 4:38 pmYou can build some sort of flat shelf-like thing and make it nice for people to set drinks on or a few photos and plants. Or whatever.
Eh. Just a thought. Storage is always good, though.
February 22nd, 2007 at 4:58 pmI think it looks lovely. I wish we had a space like that in our small place. So, six feet you say, how about a piano? I think that would be really classy.
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:00 pmThat space is SCREAMING for an occasional table with a green plant and some pictures. STAT.
I just used a PB paint in my master and I lurve it!
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:53 pmAlso? We have the same throw pillows! I have no idea why this excites and enthuses me, but it DOES.
I happen to have pics of them up right now too.
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:55 pmPLEASE tell me where you got that sectional! I am looking for a leather sectional…with kids and dogs…nuff said.
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:43 pmWe have a freakishly long living room too and we do the same thing with our couch. We are planning on adding tall bookshelves on either side of the window, with either a window seat under the window or a sofa table. (That comes just below the window.) Right now I have lots and lots of toys tossed back there though.
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:50 amIt’s so warm and bright! It would look better with a pile of laundry though.
February 27th, 2007 at 4:19 pm