Progress on decorating the once-empty family room has sped up in recent weeks. After much internal (and external) debate on ottomans and throw pillows I feel like the room is finally starting to take shape. Sure, I'd like a smaller swivel chair close to the fireplace (I'm thinking something with a skirt to counteract all the leggy pieces in the room already), curtains and dramatic built-ins on either side of the fireplace, but I feel like I'm finally starting to get somewhere with this room.
The biggest deviation from my original design (shown above) has definitely been the decision to go with a coffee table in lieu of an ottoman. Dave had initially wanted an ottoman for comfort's sake (he loves nothing more than a spot to put his feet up), but I had a lot of trouble finding an ottoman that I liked and that didn't feel too heavy or large for this rather narrow space. You probably don't want to know the amount of time I spent (okay, wasted) scouring my favorite online sources for ottomans or coffee tables that fit the bill. After all but giving up, the perfect coffee table managed to find me, on super sale at One King's Lane (which is increasingly becoming my go-to resource for decorating my new home). I need to get a piece of glass cut for the top (the table even came with a handy template I can take in to the glass cutter's!), but otherwise I'm loving it as its longer length and narrower width fits the space perfectly.
As the name suggests, the Raj cocktail table has an Anglo-Indian flair with its woven top, java finish, turned legs, and I think the British Colonial style plays nicely with the chinoiserie style of the other tables in the room (the silver leaf five-leg table and the collector's classics console table, both from Ethan Allen) without making the room feel either too eclectic or too theme-y.
And of course I can't resist a close-up of these gorgeous throw pillows (see HERE for the first half of the story). The three pillows I had made out of KWID's Imperial Trellis II really pull the room together for me -- the trellis pattern is the perfect compliment to the Chiang Mai fabric on the other pillows and the Madelaine Weinrib rug. I must thank Melanie over at Plum Cushion for making them so beautifully (and quickly!) and for even sending me back all my leftover fabric. If you're looking to get some custom pillows made, I can't recommend Melanie enough.
I didn't have a lot of time to really style the room, but I added a few of my favorite design books and candles to the coffee table to make it a little less stark. I also added the white orchid that Dave bought me after I returned from a business trip to the side table (it was living in our master bath).
As a final touch, I pulled out my Jonathan Adler hippo (scored last year off eBay), which had been sitting in our pantry since our move last August, awaiting his new home. Doesn't he look darling behind the sofa?
To illustrate the progress that has been made since August of last year (when we had absolutely zero furniture to go into this room):
On an only marginally-related note, Friday also marked the arrival of three rolls of this:
Osborne & Little's Summer Palace! Many thanks to Susie of Maddie G Designs for hooking me up with this wallpaper; it's even more fantastic in person. If you're not a design professional but are interested in getting direct access to trade-only products, Susie is a wonderful resource. Not only did she help me locate the product(s) and get a good price, but she was responsive and easy to work with as well. Thanks, Susie! Now the only task is to find someone to hang this for me -- anyone have any recommendations for good wallpaper hangers in Houston?