rug at first sight

Well, my husband and I fell in love over the weekend. Not with each other (that, luckily, has already been accomplished) but with a clearance rug at pottery barn. We arrived at the store with draperies on our shopping list and left with a herringbone, chenille & jute combo, 8 x 10 rug. Spent under $400 so I'll consider this purchase a win.

Once we got home and laid the rug down our love at first sight quickly became deep and long-term. While it's perfect for our space the family room can only take so much beige, so I will need to choose a different throw pillow fabric. I had planned to use the rug as a color source but the herringbone is fabulously classic and works perfectly with our travertine fireplace. No regrets but it's back to the pillow drawing board.

via (no longer available online)

I have to admit that I've become a bit less neurotic about the design details lately. I'm trying to be more flexible and if my husband and I stumble upon something that we "love" we purchase it and worry about the details later. Those who know me know that I like to attack a project with an organized game plan but I have to admit that doing it this way results in an eclectic compilation of things we BOTH love and truley make this place feel less like a house and more like our home.

Don't worry, I've still got a sick obsession with inspiration boards and to-do lists. That will never change.

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the big, black compromise

Q: What is smart, 3D and currently taking up 60 precious inches of our family room wall?

A: The giant plasma television that my husband recently purchased.

There is nothing more difficult in design than making an enormous, black, plastic panel look chic. This house is all about compromise and we have limited space, so rather than spending all of our savings on a built-in unit with doors or demanding we add a media room off the back of the house I am going to compromise by finding a fabulous piece to hide all of the media components. That's where I need your help.

Has anyone google-searched "tv stands" recently? I've never seen so much plastic and cheap looking "wood" in my life. Those were fine and dandy back in Oxford, Ohio (college) but I'm a grown up now and would like my house to reflect that upward trend. I'd like to find a unique piece that will still function as a media console but has some style and character. Glass case buffets and sideboards seem to be the ticket but I wanted to ask you for your advice first:

Has anyone come across a unique piece of furniture that could double as a media cabinet? Or has anyone seen any fab media cabinets out there?

Afterall, what is better than movie night? Popcorn, snuggly blankets, glass of wine, husband. It can't be beat.

damask winner!

The winner of the "damask if I do, damask if I don't" contest is...drum roll please...

# 3! The Light Gray Quilted Medallion Damask!!!

I learned a very important lesson making the selection: never trust the Internet to be an accurate representation of color when it comes to fabric. Above is the sample that is published on the manufacturers website. Here is what the fabric ACTUALLY looks like:

Even with a camera it's hard to really capture the color.

What I thought was a light gray background is actually more of an off-white and what looked like a dark gray print is more of a silver/gold/taupe metallic. Luckily, it will be the perfect blend between our creamy travertine fireplace tile, off-white walls and gray accents we plan to use in the room.

Fireplace tiles.

I hope to choose a second, more modern pattern to accent these pillows down the road. I really like a relaxed, more eclectic look rather than a sofa and pillows perfectly matched. Stay tuned for that selection as well as some "before-and-afters" of our bathrooms. The tile floors are almost done!

For the next week you can find me unpacking boxes. If I never see cardboard again, it will be too soon.

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