I don’t know if my husband can say the same thing, but all this year, I’ve been planning to move out of our apartment once the one-year lease ended. That’s sort of just me. I start to get antsy after about eight months of the same house. It’s a problem, I know. I think (hope) that it would be different if we lived in a real house. But apartments feel fluid to me. It’s easy for me to feel like it’s no big deal to just pick up and move for a change of scenery. There are so many amazing neighborhoods to discover in NYC! Why not try them all!? I feel the same way about furniture. Just about the time I finish a project, I’m ready for something new. Truly, it’s a sickness.
This month we signed another year lease on our apartment, which was a little hard for me. I’m feeling that itch to start fresh. I think it’s because this year has been reeeaaaaaal busy for me and we still don’t feel very settled here. Our place is sort of decorated, but not very well, and it’s certainly not “designed.” It doesn’t flow. It’s not very organized.
Since we’ve decided to stay here in our less-expensive-than-alternative-apartments-I-was-looking-at place, I’ve got a little extra money each month to make this space work better for us. I can’t wait to share with you guys.
First up! A new arrangement for our living room. I’ll have to share all the nitty-gritty details later, but our tv broke and is causing us to rethink the seating arrangement. I’m thinking of ditching the gray sofa (that I got for free from Custom Sofa Design, which went under for a good reason) and shuffling things around a bit.
I will keep my Lee English roll arm for another decade or two (seriously people! Invest your decorating dollars in good quality upholstery!!!), but the currant color is not my favorite. It’s upholstered in Sunbrella’s outdoor velvet in Ivory, which I have been testing and “reviewing” for the past year. All in all, I give it an A-. It is super duper soft for an outdoor fabric. And it wipes down really easy. I have two problems with the fabric: 1) I don’t love the creamy beige color (that’s a personal problem though) and 2) I wash the cushions like once a week and the fibers are starting to pull out. Again, I sort of feel like this is a personal problem. I feel like I am not caring for the fabric correctly. So, if you’re in the market for a kid-friendly velvet I recommend the Sunbrella – just maybe not in the Ivory color and also don’t wash it more than every other month and make sure to air dry.
So, I’m realizing I might be a slipcover girl. As much as I try to keep the food and beverages in the dining area, the kids forget almost daily. Evie unbuckles herself from the Stokke and walks around with her PB&J. No bueno for the rug and the upholstery. But I love throwing the cushions of the Lee and the gray sofa in the washer and having brand new couches once a week or before guests come over.
Wow, this post is getting chatty! Anyway, point is, I’m planning to slipcover the Lee in white denim or duck or heavy linen so I can bleach it. I would love something like this with little box pleats (from the Windsor $mith collection)…
Sort of reminds me of this sofa (anyone know the maker?):
Cole and Sons
Decor8
I think the white slipcover will be obviously a little more casual, and a little girlie. But the plan is to pair it with more masculine elements – like a boxy settee and more modern club chairs. (Which reminds me – anyone interested in a pair of navy bergere chairs? I told you it was a sickness.)
So, have you sewed a slip cover for your sofa before? I’ve done chairs before, but nothing this big. I’m thinking between the size of my couch, the roll arms and all those little box pleats, this one might be a job for the professionals. What do you think?
Also, anyone else out there with a similar case of Wanderlust? Am I the only one who craves constant change?
I crave change too…and cotton duck slipcovers.
I think you can totally rock that slipcover, those pleats are to die for.
pve
I try to move almost weekly. My husband keeps me firmly rooted. Those adorable slip cover pleats look like a custom job. Good luck.
I love a rolled arm sofa with a slipcover. It makes me weak in the knees in a way it shouldn't. It is like design porn for my twisted decor obsessed heart.
I have made several slipcovers and I make a pattern from scrap fabric. I am not a fan of an "inside out pin", as you have to go through the whole process every time you make a new slipcover, over 10 or 20 years this could be several. However, if this method still interests you, there is a fellow blogger (Slipcovers By Shelley) who sells an amazing DVD on her blog. She has a great easy system.
I take fabric and pin it to my sofa. Then I feel where the cording and edges are with my fingers, and trace around it with a pen. Then I add a 1/2 inch seam allowance all around. I leave the fabric pinned on and move on to the next piece. You only have to do half the sofa since they are identical. Once this is all done I start making markings where the seams match up directly on the pattern pieces. I also mark the grain and where all the pleats will go. Now I have a pattern I can get out whenever I want a new slipcover.
Sorry for the lengthy comment. I think you are more than capable of making your own, but they are time consuming.
I also wanted to add, I change my mind constantly. This is one of the hardest things about being a DIY'er….by the time you finish something, your mind has already switched gears yet again. And, I get the itch to move as well. We are home owners so this is not possible. I just like re-imagining new spaces. Heck, when I can't sleep at night I think back to old apartments and redecorate them in my head. I also mentally redecorate other peoples homes when I visit (even my detists and hairdressers office). Anyone else do that?
I did the same thing I wash it and bleach the heck out of it and I bought the duck white one from ballard designs and I am very happy with it. It is not my forever sofa but my sofa while the kids still have there messy hands everywhere!
I am so happy to read this post. I thought I was alone is my crave for change! We did a huge remodel 4 years ago….and I am quietly thinking about "the next house". I also have a huge stash of fabric that I loved at the time…you know how that is.
I love your blog. In fact its the first thing I read every morning.
We have been in the US since 1998, but never stayed in one apartment(or for that matter one state) for more than two years till we bought a house in 2006. Its been 5 years in one place now, but I get the "itch" to move every other year. So I think I understand your feeling of wanderlust!
As for the slipcovers, the box pleats look very pretty. I have been meaning to make new slipcovers for our once-white sofa and the pictures you posted have kind of inspired me to give it a go. So thanks!
Couch :Clayton Marcus?
I've been a follower of your blog for awhile and ever since you first posted about your apartment I've always looked forward to your apartment update posts the most.
My advice is more on the part about you staying another year and making changes to make you happy.
I think that since you moved in you you have collected an incredible selection of furniture, art and other small details that each on their own are just fabulous but in a group setting they lose there shine. I think you might find moving everything out now that you plan to stay for another year and starting over. Bring in the pieces you love most – I love love your bookcases you recently completed and the dresser kitchen island. This way you can get back that chance to style/decorate the room like you mentioned in your post.
I'm not a professional by any means but as a graphic designer I totally relate when it comes to making decisions for personal projects and sticking with them. I have had like a gazillion business card designs ;)
I've had several white denim slipcovers professionally made. I use a Pindler fabric (great price point) that washes and bleaches well, according to clients. Make sure you pre-wash it. That way the upholsterer can get the tightest fit possible and it won't shrink when you wash it. I am such a fan of white slipcovered sofas. Good luck.
Martha
Yes on the wanderlust. We have lived in 6 different houses/apartments in 5 different states, two coasts in our 12 years of marriage (and 4 kids). We finally "settled" and I love our house, but I do get ansty. I think that's why my husband agreed to a semi-reno this Summer – to keep me from looking to move! Then again, after being in this house for 4 years, the thought of packing and moving is really daunting and I feel ok with staying here!
Good luck with the slipcovers!
Those pleats are gorgeous, go for it. Also, if I lived in NYC I would totally take those chairs off your hands. I have admired them ever since you posted about recovering them! Good luck!
I completely understand!! I love moving & setting up a new house. A new house/apartment to me is like a blank canvas to an artist- imagine the possibilities. Unfortunately, my husband HATES (with a passion) moving. This is the man who would wear the same 3 outfits to work everyday if I let him. He doesn't like change. :-) We built last year. One day I think I'll have to bury him in the back yard- he says he's never leaving this house! When he was in med school, he never knew what our rental would look like when he got home- I was constantly changing the furniture, making slipcovers, new curtains & pillows, etc. I love a good yard sale!
And speaking of slipcovers- if you do have a little extra money, I would invest in a professional. To me, the time it takes to get it right (esp. all those beautiful pleats!) is worth the cost of a pro. Your Lee sofa has beautiful lines- you want your slipcover to look just as good. I made mine because we were young & broke & I could do it when the kids went to bed at night. He'd pull all-nighters studying & I'd do it sewing! Then again, you may be much more adept at sewing than I am!
Good luck & thanks for inspiring us daily!!
I would love those chairs! We're in new jersey and could easily pick them up. They.d fit into our newly-decorated living room perfectly.
I am the same way about wanting to change things all of the time and wanting to pick up and move. Now that we own a house with a 20 year mortgage, I'm more likely to stay put. I think Pam from Bibbity Bobbity Beautiful (sp) made the exact slip cover you have in mind.
I love the look of those box pleats! I've has the intentions to make one like that for almost a year but I finally just bought a premade one one uglysofas.com. I think it was cheaper than buying fabric and my plan is to alter it for a better fit if it starts to look sloppy. I have no experience slipcovering or upholstering and was nervous to start on something so large.
I would totally take your Bergere chairs if I was in NY. I will be in a couple weeks but my husband would kil me if I even thought of trying to bring them home on the Bolt bus! They made for a great tutorial btw!
Love those slipcovers – I had pinned that image from Decor 8 as soon as I saw it a while back.
I usually move every two years, but now we live 1 block from my kids school and I don't want to move away from the neighbourhood, we are coming up on 2 years though…If you deliver to Ottawa I'd take those great chairs of yours ;), the colour would match perfectly!
Looking at your couch and the other pics, I just keep saying ooooohhh and aaaahhhhhh. We've lived in about 7 different places in our 7 years of marriage. I'm spontaneous and love trying out different places. Oh, and love the box pleats!! They rank up there with polka dots for me!
Question about the Sunbrella fabric…when you say washing it do you mean washing it in the machine or just spot cleaning? I ask because I'm in the market for a new couch and I have three kids, so your review of the fabric is of interest to me. I really wanted to find a fabric that didn't have to be taken off the couch and wash just spot cleaned….but I think that may be impossible!!
I'm quite the opposite…we own a house, and poured a lot of time and effort into her…so I want to stay until I get every nook perfectly organized and I am tired of sharing one upstairs bathroom with my boys (one 2 years old, one due in November)…
my husband is ready to get something MUCH MUCH bigger…but I don't think extra space = extra special…
however, a master en suite with two sinks would be luxury!
I do a strong OxyClean solution in the bathtub when my slipcovers look extra dingy. Works great and I suspect it doesn't harm the cotton fibers like bleach does. It also doesn't yellow the fabric like bleach.
that sickness that you mentioned….yea, i have it too!! i am constantly on the hunt for a new rental and always, ALWAYS rearranging, changing, and selling things in order to make room for new things!! you are not alone!! :)
this one may be old news….but i remembered this post from The Nester about slipcovers. Her slipcovered chair had a similar ruffle along the bottom.
http://www.thenester.com/2010/03/how-to-make-slipcovers.html
and this:
http://www.pinkandpolkadot.net/
xo
jess
I'm a mover, too. My grandmother always said I had a "touch of the gypsy". You could totally do that slipcover yourself, but take it from one who has done it – it's like sewing a tent! Huge, bulky, takes over your whole space. Farm it out – it's a really big job.
The wunderlust is part of the process of decorating; we spend so much creative energy dreaming up a roomscape and then following through, item by item, project by project, that the spark which ignited the whole idea naturally dims. I've been trying to explore the less is more philosophy and when 'the itch' starts in, I try to shop at home and make changes from what I already have. We built two years ago and I could leave tomorrow. But the economy in our area for selling a home means we'd not recoup what we already have into this home. So I'm trying not to rip out walls, add on another bedroom and sunporch and just be here. And then I see a beautiful project on your blog and oh, I so want to give it a try or I see a purrfect end table and I already have enough and I think, ummm, surely I could put that somewhere! So I wait it out . . . and usually in a couple of weeks, none of it matters that much. But your daughter's PB & J does, as does my grandson's handprints all over the windows which I just keep there as reminders.
Oh, Jenny, wanderlust describes so much of my experience, and not just with regards to decorating. Not to get all serious on you, but when I find myself constantly wanting change (read: discontent), I try to remind myself that I was in fact made for another world (read: heaven!) and nothing (not even the most well-thought out room design, ha! :) this side of heaven will ultimately satisfy my soul and quench my thirst for something "new" and great. I'm not very good at remembering this, and I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with creating beauty from interiors (quite the contrary–I love it!), but I like to think that feeling of wanderlust can keep me in check a bit. Sorry to get all heavy on you! ps. love the feminine slipcover paired with more masculine elements idea :)
I made a slipcover earlier this year, and it's worked really well. I found some great fabric at DeBois Textiles in Baltimore, and chose white so I could bleach it after the dog sat on it all day long.
HERE
You may want to check out 2 different blogs about making your own slip covers. I like Custom slipcovers by Shelley and Pink and Polka Dot. Chekc it out. They may give you the courage to do it.
I'd love to see a Jenny-fied slipcover tutorial.
As much as I'd like to start from a clean slate nearly every week, I just can't on account of the cost and that's okay. Make whatever changes you want! You seem to do a fantastic job of repurposing and reimagining tired pieces. However, DON'T sell your bergere chairs! They are too fabulous for words!
Just last night I was going from room to room making plans to change drapes, window treatments, paint colors (ugh!) Someone once told me that when you have that "change everything" feeling – something big is about to happen! :)
Hey Jennica,
I love your chairs if they are for sale I am your gal and Jake will be in the next taxi downtown.
M
I have the same sickness and it's starting to frustrate me…just finished my living room but now that the kitchen is done, I want to change the hole thing- sooo annoying. I love the pleats idea and as always, those DG pillows make my knees weak.
glad to hear I'm not the only one! I am constantly redesigning my home…in my head! haha…thanks for sharing!
Yes, I too have decorating ADD. It's subsided a bit as I got older.
Lately I have been obsessing over a slipcovered sofa. I need one! I also have a serious need for change. I would love to move once a year and I am constantly selling things so I can change up my home. I also consider it a sickness.
you read my mind on the white slipcovers…It's time for new ones for my couch too. I'll be eager to see if you find a good retailer or DIY it.
Oh I have the sickness too! You are not alone.
My husband and I just spoke to a realtor about
lisiting our 3 yr old farmhouse. Not because we
have to move, but because we want to and only
because we get bored and are ready for a change.
We were thinkig of buildong again because we
are nuts and I think because we crave the challenge
and the chaos. This sisckness is also mine when it
comes to decor and furniture. Lately I have been
seriously thinking leather for our sofa…we have 3 little
girls also. Of course the leather sofas that I adore are the really expensive Chesterfields. But I keep going back and forth between leather and a good slipcover for our current sofa. So I totally understand where you are coming from :) Good luck with reworking your living room and also hunting
for your next home!
Slipcovered sofa: you might look at Lee Industries. It looks similar to one of theirs.
Yes! I have a white slipcovered sofa, chairs and ottoman. I wasn't exactly prepared for the upkeep – never washed my old upholstered sofa – but now I am grossed out thinking about how dirty it must have been! It's almost like a workout wrestling with my slipcovers. :)
Hi I would love a reference – whom you used for the slipcovers if you decide to have them custom made? thank you!
love your blog!!! I live in NYC and I am having the hardest time finding an affordable slipcover.
That wanderlust is actually why I went to design school. My husband became so fed up with me spending money decorating our home that he offered to spend money for me to learn how to decorate the homes of others. Great idea, Jim!
We've been in our current home for 5 years, the longest we've ever lived anywhere, and I strangely don't feel that urge to move. What settled me down was having my place fully decorated and designed. It helps me feel settled and relaxed, and instead of looking for ways to start "new" projects, I look for ways to improve this one.
Here's to hoping your nesting will create that same feeling for you!
I love the little pleats on the front of the sofa. And yes, I am deeply madly interested in those chairs if they can be shipped to CA. Seriously.
I have an old RH sofa with an off-white twill/duck/something slipcover that has held up well for about 10 years. My advice to you is to get something a little off-white that reads as white (see Lauren Leiss's Pure Style Home recent blog about that). It hides dirt a little more easily because the dirt against a white background is so stark, and stains come out with a little oxy-clean spray and then oxi-clean in the wash. And you can still bleach the off-white if you need to (at least I do about once a year), but it makes the fibers break down faster and yellow more.
After moving 9 times in 8 years of marriage I am spent! We just moved into our first home this year. It probably isn't the house of my dreams but it is my dream of owning a home come true. It hasn't been long but I can see myself here forever. Maybe that will change. I do love to rearrange furniture way too much though. And with moving into an extra 1600 square feet I still have a lot to fill.
My favorite posts of your include your lovely little home. I hope we get to see much more of it over this next year. But I have had a girl in a closet {and it was one of my favorite little spaces!} and bet that a little more space would make you want to wander. Keep up the great, inspiring work!
I didn't move at all the first 18 years of my life and now I move about every two years. I either get frustrated with an apartment's limitations (that would require expensive solutions) or the location, or the price! I'm pacing out my projects in our new place but was just thinking last night that I bet this time next year I'll be wanting a new place… don't tell my boyfriend though – he HATES moving.
Girl, please. I would entirely redecorate every year if I could. I tell my husband not to buy me jewelry, just furniture. Not even high-end stuff – craigslist finds are just as addictive. I think if I had a store selling these recreations maybe I'd settle down a bit. There's just SO MUCH to love!!
And what happen to the Custom Sofa place? I was just thinking of looking at their stuff again but I was unsure of the quality because they're so cheap.
I am working on a daybed slipcover with boxpleats. It is so simple to do a slipcover. I had never done one before and was really surprised at how simple it was. If you have done simple upholstery, you can do it. Definately a diy not a professional job.
This literally could not be more topical for me. I just received some twill fabric samples yesterday for my slipcover I plan on making. I made a slipcover long ago for a hideous monstrosity of a couch (a free hand-me-down monstrosity). It was an ok job but being that it was literally my first big project and stupid me I bought a stripped fabric… well what a hassle. Oh, and it was so long ago the "information superhighway" was just being talked about; definitely not somewhere one could actually travel to get information. I was trying to figure out how in the world I found and ordered decorator fabric- can't imagine. Maybe the back of a magazine…back when they were filled with ads for mail order companies?
Now I own a PB Mitchell Gold slipcovered couch that I have had for 13 years. I ordered a replacement cover maybe 8 years ago but found the whole thing a pain in the butt. Again, nobody seems to know how, who to call etc. So it is just easier to make my own. My old cover- I washed it, at home, and dried it in the dryer many many times and it is starting to fall apart. The stitching is pulling apart and a zipper is broken. The cushions were a lumpy mess; the filling was pulling apart- making them lumpy and uncomfortable. I was afraid they would need to be replaced (or the entire couch would) but I was able to fix them with some batting; we are back to slipcovers. I plan on taking the old one apart and just using it as a pattern- much easier than making a pattern but now that I see the little pleated cover…. I am head-over-heels in love with that slipcover.
Hi Jenny! I love that windsor smith sofa too! I made a similar slipcover for my Lee sofa (identical to yours, but in the 3 cushion style) a while back. I must have already linked to my slipcover post in the past, but here it is again:
http://bibbidi-bobbidi-beautiful.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-slipcover-sofas-and-chairs.html
and then I covered the cushions separately here:
http://bibbidi-bobbidi-beautiful.blogspot.com/2011/01/little-updates.html
You are so handy with a sewing machine- you could totally do the slipcover yourself. It's really no different than reupholstering except you sew the pieces together instead of stapling them to the sofa.
I'm always itching for change too. The only thing that keeps me from changing everything all the time is the amount of time I spent working on something. The bigger the project, the longer I keep it around! I guess that's why I haven't changed my slipcover yet! But I am tempted to bleach it (it's a beigey linen) and see what happens…
Hi Jenny! How much are the chairs going for? I live in Brooklyn and could pick them up easily.
Actually, my husband and kids are worried that if I ever finish rearranging or doing diy projects, that they might just get custom slipcovers made for them. I have done slipcovers for a chaise and a love seat, however have only done a pleated slipcover for an ottoman. Whichever direction you decide to take, they are worth their weight in gold.
Oh my goodness, if you find out what that sofa is, pleasepleaseplease update me! That is the sofa of my dreams!