{in the tweeds}

About a year ago, my parents very generously gave us the sectional couch in the living room of the Bay House so we could put it in our newly finished basement media room.  (Let me tell you – it is a PERFECT FIT!  I really ought to do a house tour…)  They had had it for a number of years but its yellow twill fabric wasn’t hiding the stains of constant visitors well, and the pieces of the sectional were constantly sliding apart on the hardwoods.  Around the same time as when they gave us the sectional, they also moved the last of their things back to Virginia, and ended up bringing whatever furniture didn’t fit there to the Bay House.

Hence why the living space at the Bay House now looks like it does right now: dark, heavy colors and fabrics totally not fitting in a summer house…and basically nothing to sit on!

view from entry (kitchen behind and on right, den through the doors)

The whole back wall is covered in almost floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, fully taking in the view of the Bay and letting in tons of sunlight.  It’s kind of an awkward space to arrange furniture, it being a large open space with a million doors on all the walls, a big fireplace, and the kitchen opposite the wall of windows.

view from the exit to the porch (kitchen on right, den straight ahead)

So, for the past year, my mom has been trying to figure out what furniture to get and how in the world to arrange the space.  She wants to keep the wall color the same, start afresh with stuff hung on the walls, re-upholster or slipcover the existing sofa, and find comfortable and plentiful seating in a good arrangement.

view from den (kitchen on left, master straight ahead)

Even though she was working with a shop in Kilmarnock (called The Pedestal – really cute store, pop in if you’re ever passing through!), she still couldn’t make up her mind.  So…decision-making daughter to the rescue!

The end of August, Husband and I went down to the Bay House for a sort of birthday weekend and to enjoy one of the last weekends of the summer.  Mom had been to The Pedestal recently and the gal she was working gave her stacks and stacks of suggested fabric books to go through.  It was time to be brutally efficient and just pick something out!!!

Wanna see what we came up with???

do i hear oohs and ahhs?!

Now I am no fabric picker-outer expert by any means (please pipe up if you have opinions!), and the ones she came home with from the fabric shop were great, but look what we put together!

SOFA

The existing sofa was made by Hickory Chair and is still in fantastic shape – and really comfy.  Mom either wants to slipcover it or re-upholster it; the navy floral has got to go.  We’re both really into the yellow and gray combo seen everywhere these days, and since the walls are yellow and the counter tops and floor tile in the kitchen open to the living room are a dark gray, gray the sofa shall be!

Whereas the current sofa’s skirt is about 5 or 6 inches, we’ll give it a 10 inch pleated skirt.  Mmmmm.  We were looking for a fabulous gray linen/cotton blend with just a hint of brown…and we may have found just that in Duralee’s 31922 360 Ebony:

a gray linen-y fabric with a smidge of brown

As far as arrangement goes, the sofa will stay basically where it currently sits.

SWIVEL CHAIRS

Seating!  We desperately need seating!!!  Opposite and facing the sofa, we want to put a pair of comfy swivel chairs, like these from Lee Industries (but NOT in this fabric):

a pair of chairs something like this

Between it I put the Braiden Side Table from Crate & Barrel, pulling the blacks in the room but still keeping it airy.

And what fabric will these lovely chairs be covered in?  How about this dandy of a linen blend by Thibaut called Mizoram in Aqua, with a creamy white background a pretty blue floral print:

thibaut mizoram in aqua

here's a bigger view of the print

Why aqua?!  Well, remember when she painted the entryway a spunky BM Bahamanian Blue?  This would go OH-so-nicely.

SETTEE + BENCH

Remember the wooden bench in the current pics?  Mom wants to keep it in the room, but it’s not very comfy.  So, we’ll get a cushy down-filled cushion to put on the seat (maybe some pretty ties tying it down?) made out of this fabulous pale linen blend by Robert Allen called Nick Nack in Biscotti:

wheaty linen for settee

The bench would stay in its current position, perpendicular to the sofa.  Across the seating area and facing the bench, I propose a little settee like the Olivia Settee from Pottery Barn, also covered in the same Robert Allen linen:

can you envision it upholstered in the pretty linen?

There is also a great Nate Berkus settee over at HSN for a steal of a price and in a pretty Pool or Twill color that might fit the bill:

a very possible option!

PILLOWS + MORE

Pillows for this space will pull it all together, I think.    Remember that fantastic, glorious fabric I posted about a few weeks ago?  Well, it’ll take center stage in this design: Robert Allen’s Eleria print in Biscotti.  The neutral background coordinates perfectly with the fabric for the settee and bench cushion; the leaves go so well with the leaves in this print; the yellow of the flowers really pop with the yellow on the walls; and the pops of aqua are perfect with the print on the swivel chairs.

the piece de resistance

And the birds – the birds! – I just love them.  Such a touch of whimsy, but really adding more aqua to the mix.  And although she didn’t want oranges (she was open to red moreso), the coral-y orange really pulls in accent colors from existing artwork in the room, not to mention the crab pot buoys (usually bright orange and yellow) that they frequently find washed up on the shore!

isn't this fantastic?!

I would also love Mom to use this fabric as a pleated cafe curtain in the kitchen.  LOVE IT!

Mom also has a big yellow, tonal striped, floral fabric remnant of some unknown maker, seen in the background here, which would also make some fun pillows:

bringing in that yellow!

Other pillows will be covered in this sweet stripe by Thibaut called Popeil in Marine – I just love the little embroidered nubs on it (actually the pic above shows a better representation of the actual color of this fabric):

every room needs a stripe!

She also wants some low-profile pieces in front of the fireplace, since it’s a traffic zone but could use some seating.  This fabric could then also be used for a pair (or three?) of upholstered stools in front of the fireplace, maybe ones like these X stools from Pottery Barn:

a perfect perch by the fire in winter

The gal at The Pedastal also suggested a couple of upholstered cubes or small benches, but the jury’s still out on whether to go for it.  Maybe she’ll just wait for some “found” item…like with washed up driftwood for a base?  We shall see!

RUG

I haven’t quite made up my mind on this one, but I kind of love this 8.5′ x 11′pale aqua diamond indoor/outdoor rug by Dash & Albert:

a little geometric flair!

I’m not sure it will be big enough for the space, but I love that it is a sort of neutral coordinating blue in a geometric pattern.  And the fact that it’s an indoor/outdoor rug makes it a bazillion times more appealing for this oft-traveled space.

COFFEE TABLE

Did you think I could just leave it at fabrics?!    I’d looooooove to see this modern and airy lucite coffee table from CB2 centered right in front of the sofa.  I think it would be perfect for this space, not letting your eyes rest on a heavy piece of furniture, but outside to the view!  This beaut is a clear winner (har har har)!

ooh la la!

So what do you think?  Are we on the way to a good combo of fabrics for this waterside retreat???  Let me remind you of how it’ll all look together:

methinks i like it!

Mom was super grateful for a second set of eyes to help pick out fabrics to get a looks she wants!  Well and for me too, since we spend so much time there in the summers!

I’d love any feedback or suggestions!