My quest for a cottage style floral sofa was not an easy one.
While floral fabrics and cottagcore are back in style, decor accessories and furniture still aren't widely available in stores, so my shopping journey didn't end the way I expected.
Here are my new plans and all my decor ideas.
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| This post was sponsored by Calico Corners |
I've been searching for a floral sofa for long, long time.
Years, in fact.
No kidding.
Ever since I noticed the tiny tear mark in the arm, way back in 2015, I knew its days were numbered.
So I started shopping, looking in furniture stores, here and there, whenever I happened to pass one by.
When it became apparent that finding the kind of cottage style floral sofa I wanted was not available off the rack so to speak, I turned my head to custom.
More expensive, probably, but I really wanted new flowers to replace the old.
However, once I dove into that pool, I realized that designing my own sofa in a pattern I loved, in the right colors and for the right price was going to be equally as challenging.
Along the way, I chronicled my frustrating journey...repeatedly. I lamented about needing updated decor.
I complained that I couldn't find anything to suit me and I wondered if country style was still in style.
And I planned in black and white.
As I continued to patch my sofa and repair the degrading fabric.
Never doubting the fact that eventually I would find my bloom covered unicorn.
Well, spoiler alert.
I didn't.
Nope. After years of searching for the perfect, red toned, floral, cottage style couch, I didn't end up with one.
Can you even believe it?
It's shocking, I know.
But hear me out.
In the last two months or so, I escalated my search. My husband's cushion had a spot where the fabric had literally worn away. It simply...evaporated...and the batting was poking through.
That was the last straw.
And reupholstering, which was going to cost as much as a new custom sofa and I was going to be without the couch for 12 weeks. Not doable.
Which left custom fabrics. The clear winner in the ring. Until I really dug into price, colors and availability.
Most of the affordable fabrics were solids or odd patterns, not floral and definitely not cottage style. And if they were close to what I wanted, and in my price range, the reds were too orange or too pink.
Nope. Not gonna work.
So I kept at it.
I searched online, I went to local shops and I ordered more samples than I can count. And I kept coming up empty.
Until one day I saw a checked couch and thought, hmmmm. I've never done checks.
I've done plaids. I've done stripes, and I've done florals...but never checks.
There was something warm about the look, charming, classic and most definitely cottage.
As a matter of fact, when I was considering a mixed fabric sofa - by the way, crazy expensive!! - the base was checked.
That led me to naturally consider red, but there are already red checked curtain panels on the living room and kitchen windows. So the idea felt redundant.
Besides, red checks didn't have that light, fresh, English garden feeling I was hoping to get in a room that was kind of dark before.
So.
I moved on to beige checks (boring) before I finally wandered into Calico Corners and reconnected with Yvonne, the designer who had helped me try to track down a pretty floral months before.
She showed me a green Kravet check (Oak Bluff in Celery) and I was smitten right away. It was fresh, it was light and while it wasn't floral, it had a definite garden feel.
Now, I know what you're thinking...you can't believe it's not red, right?
I know, but a girl cannot live by red alone.
Believe it or not, the family room was green before and there are actually more green rooms in my home than red.
It just may not seem that way since the red is so vibrant. And I share it the most...but that green makes the red in the adjoining rooms pop.
It's a calm color, a neutral really, so I use it spaces where I crave serenity. My master, the basement den and the family room.
Plus, outside of decorating it's my favorite color...and the color of my eyes.
Not that that little fun fact matters at all to this story.
Anyhoo...once I went home with visions of checks dancing in my head, I went to the Calico Corners website and starting playing around with their design tool, called C360, mocking up sofas to see what the fabric would look like on the couch style I chose.
I mean come on.
That's when I noticed they had wallpaper, floral wallpaper, like this Heirloom Rose pattern from Magnolia Homes.
And I was done. It was exactly what I didn't know I was looking for...
While I was there, Yvonne showed me a gorgeous new matelasse fabric for my window seat and I decided that would look great, too.
The room, well, not so much.
I have to pick a green wall paint to coordinate. (I chose and Benjamin Moore paint samples were the key!)
Because, you know, I'm a color girl.
(Well except in the hallway where I leaned heavily into the white paint.)
And while it's taken a bit of planning to renovate without triggering my allergies, we've already ripped up the carpet and started some of the work.
Of course, it'll be piecemeal since the sofa will take several months to arrive.
But that's ok.
You can't rush love.
Especially when it was on sale.
And I think that after all this time, it's most definitely worth the wait.
What do you think about my change of plans?
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This post was sponsored by Calico Corners. You can read my full disclosure here.
Love it all Kim. Oh my gosh this is going to be beautiful. You will have your sweet little cottage garden home by the sea. Love the flooring and the pattern for the couch and the wallpaper. It is all so great together. I cannot wait to see this all done. Great choices. I am very excited for you. xoxo Kris
ReplyDeleteThanks Kris!! I am really, really happy with the way it all came together. I never thought about adding wallpaper to the room - after all the years we spend taking it down - but it was a great way to get some flowers in there...and in a BIG way!! xxoo
DeleteI'm in the same boat - my beautiful floral sofa fabric is disintegrating and breaking my heart! I hope to be able to find some pretty fabric to reupholster it after our new carpeting is installed...
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I feel your pain. I looked for years and years without any luck. Most of the floral fabric that I found (and liked) was crazy expensive. The wallpaper turned out to be a good solution for me. However, if you are open to other colors, I found some beautiful florals in greens, yellows and blues! I wish you luck and hope you'll keep us posted!
DeleteI love green. My eyes are green too.
ReplyDeleteOddly, it's nowhere in my house. But I have been eyeing a green sofa!
I love it when a plan comes together!
Here's to all the green eyed girls, Margie!! SO funny, I never, ever thought I'd end up with a green sofa. I was stuck on red...turns out, I just needed a good designer to open my eyes to all the lovely tones out there.
DeleteMargie, now if only George Peppard would hand deliver the new furniture!!
DeleteKim, it's beyond awesome! I've considered wallpaper, too. But since I have just sold my house... if I move to an apartment (a good plan, since I do not like mowing the yard, right?) I'll have to buy luan, cover it, and lean it against the wall. Which is good anyway. I can move it to different rooms, or around in the same room! You are just too much fun to use as a decorating springboard! My very best discovery from AllFreeChristmas a hundred years ago.
Enjoy your new room! It will be beautiful!
Thank you, Nancy! You always have the sweetest things to say...and you sold the house? Wow! Congratulations!! Wallpaper is back in a big way... if you do use it to decorate the new place I hope you'll share!!
DeleteNancy ,
DeleteHow about Bradley Cooper?? 🙂
You ladies crack me up!! I love it!! ❤️
DeleteMargie, I don't know Bradley Cooper. Do I need to look??
DeleteKim, of course you know I found a cottage style coral-base floral love seat for $45!!
And I LOVE my apartment!! I'll have to write a blog post so everyone else can see it.
Bradley Cooper played in the 2010 movie version of the ATeam.
DeleteI like looking at him... 😊😉
Bradley Cooper. Eh. Give me George Peppard!
DeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteDoes the check fabric read as sage or more apple green? I just did my bathroom in white herringbone shower, white vanity, black basketweave floor and I want to paint the walls in apple green and that fabric will look great as a window treatment. Your room will be lovely and so worth the wait.
Hi there! The fabric is definitely more apple. It's a Kravet fabric in Oak Bluff, Celery. There is a link to the website above, so you can order a sample if you wish. It's a super fresh color. Your bathroom sounds lovely!! This might work! Plus, it comes in a solid and also a ticking stripe.
DeleteOf course I love your change of plan; green is my favourite colour!
ReplyDeleteHaha! Of course it is!! SO much in common.
DeleteOh my I cannot wait to see it all put together! Green is my color...my favorite color. I love every piece you've chosen.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny! Green really is such a beautiful color. I'm very excited and can't wait to put the room together.
DeleteLove the green checks for the sofa and the floral wallpaper too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Penny!! Definitely unexpected, but I’m so excited about it.
DeletePerfection! My favorite color aside from red is green. Because I love nature I suppose. Green, I agree with you, is really a neutral.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Thanks so much, Brenda! Green really does give me that natural, garden feel too, which is what I was looking for in this room. So I'm super excited that Yvonne suggested the color.
DeleteI 'm so happy that you came up with a great solution for the room Kim. It's great that you had that help at the store picking out the fabric. It'll look so beautiful when the room is finished. I love the fabrics and the wallpaper! You are great at interior design Kim!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie! I'm so happy I ran into Yvonne...sometimes it really does help to have a pro on your design team no matter how devoted a DIYer you are! Now I just have to pick that paint! Hahaha...here we go again. I know you get it!
DeleteI love everything you've chosen, Kim. It is going to be beautiful. Six years ago I found my perfect chintz settee at an auction. Sometimes things just come together when we least expect it. xo Laura
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, Laura. I guess when it's finally meant to be, it is! And thanks so much...I can't wait to have it all done.
DeleteI LOVE your choices and can't wait to see the finished room!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Tammie!! It was a surprising outcome, but I love it.
DeleteI love it, love it, love it, love it. I cannot wait to see it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the loves, Carla!! I feel the same way.
DeleteGreat choices. I love it when things come together. It shall be fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda!! Fabulous is what I going for so you just made my day!!
DeleteI absolutely LOVE your choices, Kim. They are perfect for your sweet home. I love green and never tire of it. I used to have mostly green but have put a lot of turquoise/aqua/blue into our condo because hubby loves it and the blue color is calming for him. I love plaids and florals together and I can't wait to see everything pulled together. xo Diana
ReplyDeleteThanks Diana! Green is a staple for me, too. Funny, most guys I know, including my own, love blue. I wonder what it is about that color that attracts them? The wallpaper I chose has some words on it and they are teal/ blue, which is what he saw immediately and loved. So win, win...well, until he has to put it up. Or heaven forbid, take it down!!! 😉 xo
DeleteI really love the combination of the green buffalo check, the floral wallpaper and the matelasse. I too have a love affair with that particular shade of green, for home decor, it's my favorite color, red for everything else. Can't wait to see the finished room.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Carol! Something about that combination just pulled me in and yes, I'm always drawn to that shade of green. It just makes me happy!! Have a super weekend and thanks so much for the comment!
DeleteOh Kim! I love it! It is so cottage looking, fresh and inviting. The whole thing put together is just perfect. I'm so happy for you. I know how frustrating it is to be looking and looking and not find what you want.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mari!! It was a long journey for sure, but I just didn't want to pick something I didn't love. Sofas are very expensive, and I keep my stuff for decades, so I wanted it to be right. Happy April...I hope it's a warm one!
DeleteKim! I love it. No I ADORE it! While I hate to see the floral sofa go, it really has had a good life. I personally don’t know of a sofa that has garnered so much attention. One more selfie when you put it to the curb?? The celery green checks and floral wallpaper, the matelasse, perfection. It’s going to look like a sunny spring day every time you walk into the room. You know I’m interested in the flooring as I’m having my wood floors refinished this month. Are those wood floors you are installing? You will get the right paint color for sure….then onto the window treatments! Have a great weekend my girl.
ReplyDeleteHello Susan!! I love your idea of a curb selfie! I may just have to do it. Although, I do intend to keep the cushion covers and any bit of fabric I can get off of it...can you believe it? I think I have attachment issues...what do you think? Hahaha!! Now floors...we were considering hardwood, I love it in the kitchen and every other room in the house has them, but this room was an old covered porch. The subfloors are a mess and I'm planning on putting down a giant rug...so we chose vinyl. Good luck with your floors. Nothing like hardwood!! Happy April!!
DeleteI love everything and can't wait to see the finished room.
ReplyDeleteThanks Betty I can’t wait either!
DeleteKim this is a wonderful combination. I find it very sophisticated and the update will be perfect for your home. I look forward to seeing the sofa when it arrives. It's all very exciting!!
ReplyDeleteMary, you just put a huge smile on my face...sophisticated and modern cottage style was the goal. Thank you my friend!
DeleteI love the plans - however, and hear me out - consider not painting the walls green. I did that with a lovely Martha Stewart paint years ago and it made everything in the room look dull and unwashed and sad. And this is from a "green girl". And by the way, I'm itching to get some bedroom chairs covered soon and am thinking a raspberry velvet! Wild, I know.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thoughts, Gina. I will consider it. I've been toying with the idea of a creamy white to really make the room light and airy, but my heart strings keep pulling me back to the idea of color. So we'll see! I honestly wasn't expecting to choose a checked sofa, so who knows what will happen with paint!! By the way, LOVE the idea of raspberry velvet chairs!!!
DeleteKim, I had to hop over to see your plans and the room is going to be amazing! Love Calico Corners although it’s been a long while since I’ve been in one.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane! I love Calico Corners, too. I've been shopping there for decades. I used to buy fabric there when it was cut by the yard. This is my first time buying upholstered pieces from them and I'm excited!
DeleteThis will be beautiful! I love green too, though I've gotten away from it as my living room used to be green and then I changed it out to mostly blues. Now I'm wanting to change it again and perhaps adding pops of red!
ReplyDeleteWe bought a new sofa from Crate & Barrel about 1-1/2 years ago, a slipcovered white one. I like it because it's easy to change out the colors of the pillows to fit whatever whimsy phase I'm going through. ;-) Easy to wash the slipcovers, too and I can order a different color if I get tired of the white.
Can't wait to see how your new room will look!
Thanks Melanie! I'm excited for the new room, too. It's funny, when I was speaking with the Calico designer, we did discuss the idea of adding slipcovers to the cushions and leaving the checks on the frame if I wanted to shake things up in the future. I do love option and agree...that white sofa is great for that. Can't wait to see your own changes!!
DeleteI can't wait to see how it turns out, Kim. The green plaid and florals are such a lovely combo. It's going to look amazing.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Michelle! That great just makes me smile...and I that is the mark of a good design!
DeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about your sofa, how is the back of it? Can you strip off the fabric if it's in good shape and do something with it..valances or curtain tie backs, it is such a pretty pattern to just toss it away if you can use any of it..just a thought.
Hi there!! Great minds think alike. I told my husband that before we drag this bad boy to the curb, I wanted to remove the cushion covers and the fabric from behind them and the back of the sofa. It's in great condition and just too pretty to leave behind. Thanks for weighing and confirming that I'm not crazy to do so!
DeleteI'm doing the same thing to my outgoing sofa! I plan on using the fabric on dining room chairs I am redoing.
DeleteWe all can learn from you! Step out of the box and try.
ReplyDeleteYou did well!
Thanks Christine! I guess it’s always good to keep an open mind. 🙂
DeleteSounds good, Kim. The wallpaper is beautiful! Can't wait to see the finished product.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Dalila! I love that wallpaper, too...I can't wait to get it on the wall.
DeleteBest line: "It was exactly what I didn't know I was looking for." It's great when things work out that way! I love what you picked,and how it all works together. This is going to be a dramatic makeover, and I'm getting my popcorn ready for the big reveal (understanding, of course, that it's going to be a wait for the sofa)!
ReplyDeleteIt was a big surprise, Amy! I never thought I would end up without a floral sofa...but the prospect of putting flowers on the wall is an exciting one! And yes, hold to that popcorn...I'm counting the days!!
DeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! I LOVE it ,,,the sofa, the wall paper, the flooring!! Everything!!! Beautiful!! Very much Cottage!! So pretty!! Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend!!
Hugs,
Deb
Thanks so much, Deb!! It's a departure for sure, but I'm thrilled with the plan. Now I just it all to hurry up and get delivered. Thanks for the visit my sweet friend! Hugs!!
DeleteWhat a beautiful combination! I haven't been in a Calico Corners in years. Maybe it's time to go check them out again. Can't wait to see the finished room. ~Anita
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised, Anita!! I would definitely check it out...when they have a sale is best!!
DeleteYour design plan is fabulous, Kim. It's going to be beautiful, and I can't wait to see it. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy! It’s getting there…very, very slowly!! Happy Easter!!
DeleteOh Kim, I LOVE ALL YOUR CHOICES!!! The green with that floral...be still my heart!! I can’t wait to see it all put together.
ReplyDeleteI love the fabrics that you selected. I am a green and bluish green gal. I love it!
ReplyDelete