The Time Has Come...

8.24.2010
To resume work on the H-Haus! Our reno has been on the back burner while we saved up some dough so that I could have some extra time at home with the munchkin. Now that we have a comfortable amount stashed away, we thought that we could use the extra paycheck that the Hubster got this month (score!) to do a little fixin'.

Our main living space has become a bit tight these days (and it was pretty tight to begin with!) with baby swings, bouncers, and play gyms, so we thought it was high time to make better use of our sadly under-utilized back room. Currently a mish-mash of hand-me-down furniture and random storage, we don't spend a lot of time in the space despite the fact that it is one of the sunniest spots in the house. This is what it looked like when we bought the house (with the previous owner's furniture):


We did our best with what we had on a zero budget, but with one (very uncomfortable) chair from Tar-jay, a re-purposed hand-me-down entertainment center from IKEA, and an old desk, you can only do so much. Paint and new wood floors, art, and fresh flowers definitely helped make the awkward space at least be livable for a few years. Here is what the space currently looks like:







Not terrible, but it definitely wasn't working from a functional perspective. The plan is to create a cozy sitting room where we can get away from the boob tube and chaos of our daily life and relax, snuggle up with a good book, or play with our sweet baby. Which means step one of our redesign is to:

Buy a Comfy Cozy Sofa

We wanted something compact, casual, and comfortable. Basically an apartment-sized sofa. And we were on a budget. (You can only stretch one paycheck so far!) After checking out West Elm (great prices but too modern) and Crate & Barrel (great style but too pricey), we decided to hunt at our local furniture stores. In our area (Central PA) this can be pretty hit or miss as there is a LOT of big, poofy furniture. 



After an interesting couple of days of furniture shopping while lugging around a stroller, Beco carrier, diaper bag, and baby (not to mention some interesting in-car feeding and diaper changing) we found it! Under 1K (marked down from $1700!), comfortable, casual, and compact with nice, clean lines:

Maybe not our dream sofa, but it fit the bill (literally!) We ordered it in a gorgeously cozy gray fabric. The look reminds us of a wool, but it's super soft and durable like a microfiber. And at 72 inches wide and 35 deep, it is perfect for our small space.


So step one of our room redesign is complete. Stay tuned for step two - inspiration + paint colors!

7 comments:

  1. cool sofa. I'm very into grey, seems that is showing a lot lately. Cant wait to see what you do.

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  2. I hate sofa shopping. I have the perfect picture in my mind but it's always out of my price range. The last one I bought was way to shallow. When you laid down you felt like you were going to fall off. Luckily I was able to return it. I can't wait to see your new space. I've admired your style in other rooms.

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  3. I like the sofa you guys picked.. I cant wait to see the new space!

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  4. Oh how I dream of a new couch! J and his family picked our blue-leather-too-poofy-makes-you-sink-down-too-far couch out from a second hand store. And while I LOVE the gesture, the couch is just...well TOO of everything I don't want. I know a new or even new to me couch is out of the question right now, so I am living vicariously through your couch buying! Great selection, enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hate sofa shopping. I have the perfect picture in my mind but it's always out of my price range. The last one I bought was way to shallow. When you laid down you felt like you were going to fall off. Luckily I was able to return it. I can't wait to see your new space. I've admired your style in other rooms.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh how I dream of a new couch! J and his family picked our blue-leather-too-poofy-makes-you-sink-down-too-far couch out from a second hand store. And while I LOVE the gesture, the couch is just...well TOO of everything I don't want. I know a new or even new to me couch is out of the question right now, so I am living vicariously through your couch buying! Great selection, enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very nice table. I'd probably pair it with some ghost chairs. i like that cats are all around the house too haha.

    ReplyDelete

 

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