Breakfast Room Living Room

Four Random Things – Draperies, Dining Chairs, Rugs, Etc.

Last Updated on October 7, 2017 by Kristi Linauer

I didn’t actually get any projects done (or even started) yesterday, but I still feel like I made some progress. I came very close to getting started on my living room draperies, but decided that I wasn’t quite ready.

These are going to be the last draperies I make for my living room for a very long time. The third time’s a charm, right? So I want to be sure I end up with something I really love, and that I’ll enjoy for a long time. And while I really like the fabric I bought, and I’m sure it would make lovely draperies all by itself, one of my favorite things is an accent on the leading edge of drapery panels. And I especially love Greek key accents.

I really like this look…

floral-drapery-panel-with-greek-key-border-on-leading-edge-via-bhgvia BHG

The good news is that I was able to find a Greek key trim that actually coordinates with my drapery fabric. The bad news is that it’s pretty narrow. But I also found a beautiful dark blue linen that coordinates with the drapery fabric. So somehow, I’m going to combine the two to make a wider border on the leading edge of each panel.

fabric-accent-and-greek-key-trim-for-living-room-draperies

On to item #2 – my breakfast room chairs. Remember how I told you that I found some dining chairs for my breakfast room at a great sale price? Well, this Rustic Java Greyson Side Chair from World Market* is what I bought.

greyson-side-chair-from-world-market

However, the “rustic” part of that chair really isn’t what I’m looking for — the dark brown finish and the fabric that feels like canvas. So since I got them at such a great price (they were already on sale, and then I got an additional 25% off with a coupon, so they were just a tad more than half price), I could purchase new fabric for them and still come out cheaper than the original price of the chairs. I decided to go with a beautiful blue velvet (this Jaclyn Smith Theater Velvet in Peacock from Joann Fabric), and the fabric was delivered yesterday.

breakfast-room-chair-makeover

I’ll be painting the wood white before I reupholster them, and because I’m me, I’ll also be tufting the backs. So they’ll look completely different by the time I’m done with them. 🙂

On to item #3 — a new breakfast room rug. I found this one on Overstock.com* that I really like, and I got it at a great sale price for Cyber Week. (Yep, evidently it’s a whole week.)

windsor-home-kaleidoscope-area-rug-grey-white-8-x-10

The reviews say that it’s darker than the picture, so I’m hoping it will work out. If not, I have plenty of experience now returning rugs to Overstock.com. 😀 And I had to laugh because one of the main complaints about this rug is how thin it is. That’s actually a bonus for me! Because of Matt, I specifically have to look for rugs that are really thin. So if the colors work out, I think this rug will be great for the breakfast room, which he’ll be using every day.

And finally, my samples of velvet from Anthropologie arrived. You’ll remember that I was considering a velvet sofa from there for my living room. Well, I don’t really like any of these.

living-room-velvet-sofa-fabric-options-from-anthropologie

I take that back. I do really like the blue on one the left, but I don’t really want a blue sofa. The purple in the middle is way too dark. I think it’s called eggplant. Or maybe it’s plum. Whatever it is, it’s so dark that I initially thought they sent me black. And the teal on the right is just blah. These colors just aren’t what I’m looking for, plus they’re cotton velvet. Cotton velvet is probably my least favorite velvet. Silk velvet is my favorite, followed by polyester velvet. Yes, polyester. 🙂 That’s what the fabric is for the dining chairs, and I love how soft and silky it feels. Cotton velvet just doesn’t have that luxurious look and feel to it that I want in velvet.

So those are out. Truth be told, I’m holding out for a green or purple fabric for a sofa. But it has to be just the right green, or just the right purple. The problem is that I found the perfect purple sofa in a magazine, and now everything else pales in comparison. The sofa is a Nickey Kehoe Classic Tufted sofa that costs $7150 NOT including the fabric.

nickey-kehoe-classic-tufted-sofa-upholstered-in-manuel-canovas-velvet-2

I doubt that will ever be an option for me at that price. I do love it, though! But I’m not in a huge hurry. I’ll take my time and find just the right sofa and fabric that’s actually within my budget. At least now I know it won’t be coming from Anthropologie.

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42 Comments

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  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Sheila F.
    December 2, 2016 at 2:26 am

    I work nights. It has been such a treat to see your posts come up at this odd time. Lol I am excited to see how the chairs come out! This color scheme is gorgeous!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    dookie
    December 2, 2016 at 2:31 am

    I love that you’re so open to trying new things, but OMG do not buy a purple sofa… you’ll love it for 2 weeks and be so glad you went out of your comfort zone, then you’ll slowly grow to hate it. You’ve said repeatedly how much you hate purple, and blue / green / purple is a pretty intense combination (plus a big grey fireplace!). At least get the room closer to finished then put a purple throw over your existing sofa and see if you can really live with a big purple elephant in your room? (And if you did go purple, the dark sample from Anthropologie would actually make sense to me- kind of like the barely there iceberg blue but at the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s a barely there off-black shade of purple. You love black and white, so I could see you rocking that! Good luck with whatever you decide though 🙂

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Em
    December 2, 2016 at 2:38 am

    Lol, looks like someone else isn’t sleeping tonight.

    I love leading edges, too. Your narrow find might be fortuitous…the navy contrast really elevates it.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Linda
    December 2, 2016 at 2:39 am

    Im a night owl. Lol. Anyway, love the colors you are going with!! Can’t wait for finished room 🙂

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Dale
    December 2, 2016 at 3:10 am

    I wake up many times at night and cannot fall back to sleep. It was a treat seeing your post. Im anxious to see your new countertops & the color of the shades you put on your sconces.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lisa Garber
    December 2, 2016 at 5:24 am

    I am surprised that you bought chairs without stretchers underneath since they are going to be used every day. They have a tendency to fail pretty quickly :((

    • Reply To This Comment ↓
      Kristi
      December 2, 2016 at 7:26 am

      Maybe we’re talking about two different things, but aren’t those stretchers between the legs in the picture of the assembled chair?

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lisa
    December 2, 2016 at 7:05 am

    I absolutely adore your blog. I love that you change your mind and make things your own. That is how I am. Now if you could just come to Pennsylvania to help me decorate my house, I would greatly appreciate it. Best Wishes!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Marcia B.
    December 2, 2016 at 7:28 am

    That purple sofa looks sooo uncomfortable with that low back and tufts.

    • Reply To This Comment ↓
      Gaye Austin
      December 2, 2016 at 9:40 am

      Have to agree with Marcia…that sofa looks so uncomfortable…and the color to boot belongs somewhere else not in that beautiful room you are creating. I agree, you will love it for 2 weeks and then hate it for a lifetime!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Jackie
    December 2, 2016 at 7:30 am

    I am curious as to how a light colored rug would look in the breakfast room. I think it will get dirty fast. Will the wheels on the wheelchair mark it up? What about food and drinks spilling?

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Jo
    December 2, 2016 at 7:55 am

    Just wondering if the chair fabric coordinates with the grass cloth and blue in the kitchen?

    • Reply To This Comment ↓
      Kristi
      December 2, 2016 at 7:58 am

      Of course! 🙂 I wouldn’t buy fabric to go in that room without making sure it coordinates with the wall covering in the room. 🙂

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Leslie
    December 2, 2016 at 8:07 am

    Love the solid addition to the border. We are taught in rug hooking to give thr eye a place to rest between patterns. The dark line does exactly that. I also apologize for not getting my pics of my pantry shelves back to you. We went on vacation right after you sent your request and then the email disappeared and thus no place to send the pics. Would still love to send them if you want them

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Guerrina
    December 2, 2016 at 8:31 am

    Those curtains are going to be beautiful and the leading edge will certainly accent the main body material! Box the Greek key with the navy linen? Would it be too light to box in with the background color of the main material? I do agree with Dookie’s comment about putting a purple throw in your chosen shade over an existing couch and living with it for a bit to be sure you’ll love it long term. I love a true Royal Purple for sure.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Theresa
    December 2, 2016 at 8:49 am

    I love the drapery decision! Love, love, love. Question about the chairs: you love nailhead. I’m guessing, though, that the nailhead trim will be totally covered? Not that you need my feedback, but I have no useful feedback on rugs or couches. With dogs and kids, my rugs and couches get destroyed quickly. I’ve tried to counteract destruction by buying expensive. Didn’t work. Tried buying cheap. Still gets destroyed, but at least I didn’t spend a lot of money. The only plus is that I don’t really have time to get bored with what I have before it needs replacing! LOL! Have a great weekend!

    • Reply To This Comment ↓
      Kristi
      December 2, 2016 at 8:51 am

      I do love a nailhead trim but I don’t think it’ll work well with what I have planned for these chairs. I could be wrong, though, and they can always be added after the upholstery is finished.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Nicki Jones
    December 2, 2016 at 9:01 am

    Hi Kristi!

    I SOOO feel your pain with trying to find the perfect couch. I spent a couple years trying to find the right one and could never find it. We ended up buying something that’s practical but not really what I wanted.

    Have you looked at Monarch Sofas for your couch? If I would’ve known about them before we bought our couch, I think I would’ve worked with them. They have some really cool customizable options that might be up your alley. http://monarchsofas.com/index.html…might be worth a look 🙂

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lynne
    December 2, 2016 at 9:05 am

    I always love your ideas and thoroughly enjoy your blog but I especially love your new plan! Personally I think that tufted purple sofa is to die for style wise -absolutely stunning lines and proportions! I do think that what Dookie recommends about throwing a purple throw on your current sofa isn’t a bad idea, only because I personally find buying a sofa the most intimidating piece of furniture to buy, and I’ve bought many in my life – most of which I regretted 😂. But sofa color concerns aside I love your plan! I would also tell you, that as a cat owner myself who has velvet covered dining chairs and a velvet chair in my living room, cats are mysteriously attracted to velvet. Cats and velvet bond like Velcro and cat hair will become part of the fabric. I keep mine vacuumed and lint rollered so it’s livable but I would seriously reconsider tufting on the dining chairs as those little indents become dust magnets. Of course you should keep in mind that my husband considers me a “clean nut” and there is an element of truth to that 😁. Anyway thanks for sharing your journey- it’s so much fun to see what’s next.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    lilybean
    December 2, 2016 at 9:07 am

    Kristie,

    Have you seen the Macy’s carries a lovely velvet chesterfield from the Martha Stewart collection. It is very comfortable, and when it is on sale a very resonable price. It also seems better constructed than most in that price range. The pale blue velvet is a great shade, has a nice hand and is sturdy.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Margo
    December 2, 2016 at 9:16 am

    I was just wondering if your new sofa will be used a lot…I agree with one of the other comments, about that low tufted back being very uncomfortable. I also am loving your new color scheme and can’t wait to see the final results. (would still love to see your niece’s finished room…;))

    • Reply To This Comment ↓
      Kristi
      December 2, 2016 at 9:21 am

      It will be our only living room area until we do our big addition on the back of the house and have a family room. That’s where we’ll have super comfy furniture, a tv, and an actual fireplace. So until then, the sofa in the front living room (i.e., our only living room for now) will probably be use regularly. I’m really hoping we can start on our big addition at the end of next year, so this living room will probably be use exclusively as our only living area for about two years if all goes as planned.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Justin
    December 2, 2016 at 9:47 am

    So I’m staring at that purple sofa… And I’m thinking to myself, “That upholstery job isn’t really any more complicated than the blue tufted ottoman.” And then I’m looking at the frame and thinking, “That frame has lots of curves on the edges, but not a lot of really complicated angles or curved bones. Building it out of plywood and some stick bracing probably wouldn’t be that much harder than the dining room chair you built.”

    I know it might sound preposterous to actually build your own sofa because a sofa usually needs to be comfy and have springs and such. But as we talked about before, this room is probably 90% show and that sofa isn’t going to be sat on very often. It doesn’t have to be “tv watching” comfortable. I almost wonder if you could get away with it by just using strapping instead of springs. Think of it more like an outdoor furniture frame with indoor upholstery over it. Or, I wonder if you could buy a similar thrift store sofa, strip it down, add some curvy details, and end-up with the same kind of shape.

    MMS did this project recently: http://missmustardseed.com/2016/02/tufted-sofa-reveal/
    I know it’s not the same, but let’s say you could find a sofa similar to that. You strip it down, change the curves of the back with a saw’s-all and some plywood, maybe add some curves to the front, cut off and replace the feet, then cover the whole thing with purple fabric, including covering the decorative trim.

    I dunno…just a crazy idea. 🙂

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Sue
    December 2, 2016 at 10:31 am

    I love the drapery fabric but am not sure about the trim. I’m sure you know what you want and how it will look when complete so I know it will be charming when it’s complete.

    Love the chairs you got for your breakfast room and that rug will look great, too!

    Not so crazy about the purple sofa with the fabric and the blue-tint walls. Personally, I think a blue or green tone (found in the material) would look nice. Good luck in your search for the perfect sofa but don’t overlook reupholstering a style you find in a second hand store.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    TCPR
    December 2, 2016 at 10:47 am

    What about the Finneran, Grammercy, or East Side sofas from England Furniture, or the Bijou sofa from La-Z-Boy? I had an England brand sofa for many, many years and it held up great. When I replaced it (for style), I bought another of the same brand. Custom fabrics from their lines are just as affordable as stock, and you might be surprised at the choices. I went with a velvety pewter color, but I see they have lots of bold teal and purples.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Denise
    December 2, 2016 at 11:48 am

    Someone at this site:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/77476056063859754/
    is in love with blue and green velvet sofas. This first one pictured is called Peacock, and is quite lovely from what I’ve seen in some of your photos for color choices. If you scroll down on this page link, there is a blue sofa that looks very close to the chair fabric you chose. The Peacock is in a grey wall setting and looks really nice. My mother has an amazing greenish-blue sofa (mostly a deep green), but it is there only to look at I think. She loves it and it’s like new because no one ever sits on it! She keeps a separate sofa for company. We live in a rural farming county in KS and dad raised Angus before he passed – perhaps that explains the lovely corner of the room that seems as though it’s there for display purposes only. It’s much like two living rooms in one very large space. I shouldn’t be talking, we have two living rooms and two family rooms – hence the entire home makeover here. At least ours are divided by upstairs and downstairs!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Linda K
    December 2, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    Roger and Chris (Rogers Hazzard from Sell This House and his husband Chris) have a lovely line of sofas. The Basel custom made with only one bottom cushion might work for what you are looking for. It is difficult to tell about the colors on my screen but there are several that are pretty. Also, they are made in America, use top quality materials including fabric, are custom made and really (In my opinion) inexpensive for what you get. The Basel starts at $1400.

    http://www.rogerandchris.com/about/

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Rebecca B
    December 2, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    Those curtains are going to be gorgeous and the chairs too!

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Claire
    December 2, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    My grandmother had an antique sofa similar to that (with gold velvet!) in her ‘formal’ living room that we were never allowed to sit on… my cousin ended up recovering it for her house. I know Waco is probably a little sparse on antique shopping, but perhaps you could find one in Dallas or Austin that would be worth recovering and renting a truck to transport it?

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Jane
    December 2, 2016 at 6:29 pm

    How about this one? I know it’s tufted, but the navy/purple color is pretty and it looks comfortable.
    http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Dannah-Sofa/prod163210304/p.prod

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Marianne in Mo.
    December 3, 2016 at 8:36 pm

    Loving the idea of your green sofa, hope you find the right shade of green soon. Surely it’s out there somewhere! I think that eggplant color wasn’t bad either, but I seem to be in the minority there.
    That fabric to enlarge your drapery trim is perfect! I would cut a width about 8 in. wide, mark the lengthwise seam allowances and center, then sew the Greek trim between the seam allowance and center. Fold on center line, then stitch raw edge to the patterned fabric edge. For lining, I would “stitch in the ditch” to attach it on that edge. (or you could sew the front edge of the trim to decor fabric, add lining, then sew the back edge of trim piece to the inside edge.)

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Cindy
    December 4, 2016 at 11:56 am

    What do you think about this one? It’s from value city furniture and a good price too!

    http://www.valuecityfurniture.com/product/item/living-room/seating/sofas/dapper-sofa-emerald/1983229/1949114

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Lindsey
    December 5, 2016 at 11:39 am

    I love that you are adding purple! I don’t understand why people have such a negative reaction to it. Plum is very classy, in my opinion.
    I have a dark purple/plum sofa that I got from lazy boy about 2 years ago. I love it! When I ordered it, the salesperson said that they had been selling so many purple sofas lately. So there are those out there that love the idea of a purple couch:)
    Whatever you do, choose what you love.

  • Reply To This Comment ↓
    Carla
    December 5, 2016 at 7:01 pm

    Hi Kristy,
    Now that your color scheme has completely changed, what are you going to do with the wing back chairs you made and upholstered? I did love the colors you had, but I could see the dilemma in a whole-house plan. I absolutely love your new colors and everything being cohesive. The new colors definitely seem to fit you better, if that makes sense.
    Are you going to leave your mural up? What about the side bar below it?
    I love your blog and look forward to each post. It pains me when I see you have to redo things a few times to get what you want, but it always looks good.