hi, how are you?
lately i've been pulled in a lot of different directions and i'm getting pretty tired of it.
does that ever happen to you?
someone asked if i change things around seasonally. well i do try to lighten things up around here when the temps go up. i'm kinda stuck in the furniture placement though so overall things stay the same.
i've been decluttering and simplifying things around here and i realize that there is a fine line between extremes.
on one hand i want less of everything but at the same time i want just enough.
finding that balance is different for everyone.
i'm never afraid of getting rid of things because there is always more if and when you ever want it.
this world is full of stuff.
i recently even sought out design help. if i had more money, i'd definitely hire someone to help me but i don't right now so i have to figure it out for myself.
it's funny that i know just what to do to someone else's home but my own paralyzes me.
on one hand i want less of everything but at the same time i want just enough.
finding that balance is different for everyone.
i'm never afraid of getting rid of things because there is always more if and when you ever want it.
this world is full of stuff.
i recently even sought out design help. if i had more money, i'd definitely hire someone to help me but i don't right now so i have to figure it out for myself.
it's funny that i know just what to do to someone else's home but my own paralyzes me.
i ordered this dash and albert rug because the casters were destroying the floors.
the thick jute rug wouldn't allow the casters to move at all.
this is a flat weave and so far i'm liking it.
i really prefer no rug at all but i'm pretty happy with the way this looks. i think. maybe.
brother.
it's always a fine line with me, what about you?
xo
janet
xo
janet
I think that the room looks beautiful and that the addition of the rug is a plus.
ReplyDeleteI especially love the fabric that you used for the curtains.
Oh my pouffe is destroying the floor too, we have lost the ability to sift on the sofa without putting our feet up.
ReplyDeleteI think it looks great too.
Your house is so beautiful - I really don't think you need design help. Looks perfect to me. I keep trying to declutter but need to take it more seriously and dedicate a whole weekend. But then there are a million things I'd rather do at the weekend - and I know what you mean about being pulled in different directions, sometimes I find it hard to manage everything, and keep on blogging.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine you needing design help. The room has a beautiful flow. Airy comfortable and stylish, just like you :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, thanks to you I am using jojoba oil and my skin is looking wonderful!
Have a happy day.
Sincerely,
Miranda
SF Bay Area
Hello Janet:
ReplyDeleteOne makes the best decision at the time...that is our motto...no point in having regrets with hindsight!!! You have a great eye for design and achieve, in our view, a simple elegance which many seek but few attain. The stool in front of the sofa is super, we should steal it if we could. Then, of course, you would have no problem with the casters and could decide what you wish to do about the rug. May we call next week?!!!
Janet, it's lovely. You are one who truly doesn't need a designer...in anything! everything you do is...you. Who could do that but you?
ReplyDeleteLove & Peace
I love your new rug. It is lovely in your living room. A nice contrast to the florals in your curtains, which I also, really like. I find when I am making decorating decisions around our home, I need to take it one step at a time. Layer slowly. Much slower than someone who is educated in this sort of thing. I try to just enjoy the process. I participated in a neighborhood garage sale this past weekend. It was tons of work and felt great to let go of some things we no longer needed or wanted!
ReplyDeleteYou don't need a decorator. You do a fabulous job. Better than most decorators...no...let's just say how it is...You Are a Decorator. Now about the rug. I really like it...but it should be larger so that it goes over to the chairs too. I know you probably can't afford larger. Money always affects my decorating. I have to make do with what I can afford. But you asked what I thought.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about being pulled in a million directions. I wish my hubby wasn't such a pack rat. I like your rug but does it bunch up and move around? I've always wondered about those rugs. I want to change ours but hubby tells me I'm stuck with it at least until the moths finish it off!
ReplyDeletexo
Ok, another thought. I had my furniture arranged like this in my last apartment. I pulled the sofa off the wall so that there was enough room for a sofa table behind it. That made it closer to the TV on the far wall. Then center the rug and the coffee table under the light fixture and move your chairs closer. It's going to make it a more intimate seating arrangement and I think the rug won't look to small then. And you can put some white hydrangeas on the sofa table behind the sofa. Or don't put anything behind the sofa...just get it off the wall. That is my two cents.
ReplyDeletei agree nita. i usally have the sofa pulled about 2 inches away from the wall but you know that doesn't last. the photo is deceptive b/c the room is so small, i agree it would look better if everything was pulled closer (more intimate) but getting around in the room would be harder. this is our only room for sitting, reading, listening to music, tv. if it were a formal room i would def make the changes. all that being said, i would like to try it and see. now i just need a sofa table. see, it's always a fine line with me. thanks for you suggestions nita.
Deleteagreeing with nita...even though the room may be small, what she has suggested will balance it and, i believe, give it more of any airy feel, and, at the same time give an intimate space for conversation and the such...give it a shot, i think you will like it...
Deleteagreed. so hard to do your own place. I look at TONS of inspiration images daily yet I am stumped as it comes to doing my own den. donna
ReplyDeleteI decorate for a living and find my house stagnant and the hardest to do...never lack inspiration for others, but here, I dawdle. Your house is so crisp and fresh looking. I think it has the perfect amount of `stuff`.
ReplyDeleteThank you for showing more pictures of your beautiful home. I have copied so many of your ideas, I'm embarrassed to admit it. You don't need a decorator, you are a decorator! Because of you I have taken loads of stuff to the Goodwill, I eat healthier, and I am attempting to grow a rose bush. Do you have ideas for how to decorate a fireplace mantle? Mine drives me nuts. Thanks again. Gina T
ReplyDeletebefore I read what you wrote, I thought to myself how much I loved the look of that rug. It looks so good with your pillows and new curtains.
ReplyDeleteIf the desire ever strikes, I wouldn't mind a bit if you packed up that whole room and mailed it off to me. :)
I can only have one furniture layout in my room also because of no real wall space. It's frustrating some times but I just accept it now after 14 years. I don't really have a fine line, I want to get rid of it all. A couch, a table and the piano ... oh, and I guess that leather chair that Chad is glued to. :)
I DO know what you mean--and (in my humble opinion) your "line" IS just FINE! I admire your taste - but would find it hard to "copy" with my darker furniture and wood tones.
ReplyDeleteJanet, what about using the table with the vase on it as a sofa table?
ReplyDeletedo you mean the table to the right of the sofa? it would be too wide. in a bigger room it would work i think.
DeleteI do but after taking a closer look, I see what you mean. At first I thought it was mezzaluna table.
DeleteI'm sure you'll find something suitable!
You are not alone in being pulled in 100 different directions right now! Two graduations, a wedding, two trips, a few house projects..yikes! I feel like if I had a day to myself to weed out and do some simplifying I would feel better, but when!? I just love your home, style and blog. You inspire me, and offer a little escape from the craziness, ;)
ReplyDeleteI like Nita's suggestion. I try to float my sofa and it always seems to drift back against the wall. You could def give the dining room console a try to see if a sofa table works there before you spend money on a permanent one. Now wide is your living room?
ReplyDeleteYour place looks awesome though. I wish I could restrain myself as much as you do. I love that little coral. Where'd you get that?
it's 13ft wide. i love that little coral too. it is the only wedding present we ever got! my sister gave it to us. it used to be a lot bigger but over the years, with 3 boys it has "shrunk."
DeleteOh, that is so funny about the coral "shrinking" because of the boys. I, too, had a son, and completely understand. Your shrunken coral is a precious gem--I love it!
DeleteAs for the new rug--I love it too! Stripes and florals...plaids and checks...mixed all together...the best. The fact that you've done it with soft neutral colors makes it even more wonderful.
If you are unsure, just give it a couple days, then you will know.
I think your rooms are beautiful just the way they are and I am inspired by your design.
ReplyDeleteL.
I love it, you don't need a decorator. I bought a Dash & Albert indoor/outdoor rug about 2 years ago when we moved the dining room table into the family room/library/TV room/dining room. Since that room gets so much traffic to the outside and pets, I knew that it would be impossible to keep clean (the rug is blue and white). But it is great. I took it outside last summer and hosed it off and let it dry in the sun. Mostly, I spot clean it with diluted bleach. I also have a small house and every once in a while we just rethink our rooms. Every room has to be used for lots of things.
ReplyDeleteI am in utter love with that brown wood side table, so if you ever "declutter" it, I will pay you for it and the shipping cost! :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe you need to get socks for your casters? I think little socks would be very cute and maybe we could start a new caster sock trend and make a lot of money so we could retire (to a perfect, spare house).
Like you, I stuggle with quantity and quality every day. I seem to want every new thing I see but I get home and the clutter drives me up the wall. I realize I have issues. I guess consciousness is a good start. :)
xo Terri
the little table on the left? ok.
Deleteall the knitters out there could knit little socks - brilliant!
I think you are a fantastic decorator. You did a great job at your friends house. And everyone loves your cottage!! Your house looks really pretty. I'm actually shocked you considered hiring a professional. I think we get a little overloaded on home decor with all the blogs and then we just feel inadequate. I know I do.
ReplyDeleteYesss....LOVE LOVE the cottage. And, yes, ditto, I get overwhelmed and can feel inadequate, but after my weekly cleanings, when my house is all sparkly and in order, I sit back and rest with much gratitude. That's when I am glad to be home.
DeleteJanet, Any more when I move things around...it's just to dust. We work hard to get our homes like we want them , why change so much. Use dark colors in winter(throw and pillows) and light ones in summer. that's about it for me.
ReplyDeleteJanet, Sorry I forgot to sign out...LOL Smiles to you, Susie
ReplyDeleteYour place looks so inviting, it calls to me.
ReplyDeleteThe serenity, not too busy but has enough detail that ones eye is drawn around the room.
Interesting pieces like the coral and hydrangea add a very organic natural flavour....
Maybe we could house swap and you could live in my dark wood arts and crafts house for awhile!
I'd be tickled pink to spend some time in your cottage...I think it just might be my dream home.
There must be a story about your wedding and the coral gift...
perhaps you were married on an exotic beach somewhere tropical.
I'm feeling pulled too so I totally empathize.
"this too shall pass"
XO
Janet, you have a great sense of style with both your cottage and wardrobe...but i like it better with no carpet
ReplyDeleteJanet, I think it look wonderful. It is bright and airy....I would happily hire you to come over to give me ideas. I once helped others with their homes and their closets....somewhere I lost the ability. Beautiful job! Bonnie
ReplyDeleteI think you are a decorator! I love love your house it is a dream home. I think it's perfect.
ReplyDeleteI have that rug in the 2X3, I bought it for the area in front of my washer and dryer, it sits on the blue painted floor and it really classes things up!
I think you are very busy but feeling pulled every which way is not good, I hope you can get a nice rest these next few days.
xo!
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog and have been following for a bit. I do like your room and the rug... only I myself happen to not be a rug person. Mostly because I loathe wrestling the vacuum off of them once they suck them up, I have a tendency to spill things that are staining and taking them outside for a beating is not ass stress relieving as it might sound. However it is a sacrifice I have to make as someone who is in a relationship with my boyfriend, who happens to love them. I am wondering though if you considered taking the ottoman to a furniture place and asking them to put on rubber casters instead. Most of them online or through the hardware stores are not the most attractive, but I imagine that a furniture upholsterer or carpenter might know where to get fancier ones for the weight and size, like these- http://www.paxtonhardware.com/Rubber-Wheel-Casters/departments/1502/ Just an idea.
that is a really good idea!
DeleteGlad I could maybe help! Hope it works out and I decided I should have introduced myself. Hi- I'm Crystal and I'm in San Gabriel (not too far from you). By the way, your series of posts on rose pictures were inspiring for me to take a break from my school work and enjoy our garden too. Thank you!
DeleteHi Janet, your room is beautiful. I agree with Nita that the rug is too small for the space. I think it needs to be large enough to include the stuffed chairs or put it somewhere else. Or maybe put down a large seagrass rug and layer the striped one as an accent. OK--it's getting complicated! But one of MY pet peeves is when rugs are too skimpy. Is that too blunt??? xoxo, Allegra
ReplyDeletehaha, you are never too blunt!
DeleteThere's always stuff. There aren't always cool people to talk about it.
ReplyDeleteHi Janet! I think only old people are no longer pulled in too many directions! I'm the odd man out, but I find your room and rug perfectly balanced. My first thought was that it pulled your room together beautifully, and left a pleasing spaciousness. I don't think you need a decorator either. You have perfect instincts.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons that I have enjoyed your blog is your wonderful taste in decorating. You inspire me, I like that you figure it all out for yourself!
ReplyDeleteThe room looks so elegant... in a very approachable way, if that makes sence. My dream is to one day build a cottage on a piece of land in my old county and I have saved photos from your home to use as inspiration. I showed them to my husband and say "I really just want to copy this house!" He loved it too!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many square feet your house is?
thank you, the house is a 1000 sq ft.
DeleteI like the small rug if there must be a rug. Seeing the floor makes the room look more open, whereas more rug may be more cozy but also smaller. I am probably biased as I am for the first time living without rugs and learning that perhaps I would rather not have rugs. The rubber casters sounds like a great idea. Actually, the room is beautiful, light, and inviting.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I've been reading a while but seem to get lost in the woodwork far too often.
you know this makes perfect sense. when the floor is exposed the room does look bigger and more open. and not having rugs makes cleaning the floors a lot easier. what i like about the rug (besides solving the caster problem) is that it doesn't close the room in. it is v lightweight and will be easy to clean and clean around. i'm thinking the rug is going to stay.
ReplyDeleteI love your home, Janet, you don't need any help, your decorating skills run rings round most "professionals". I used to prefer rug free rooms but on taking pictures with and without them I think they add personality, texture and interest to bare boards. x
ReplyDeleteYour home is totally gorgeous. I thought these were magazine photos. I was an interior and architectural designer for 25 years, and you definitely do not need any help! The only thing I'd do is try moving the new rug under the sofa about 6" so that it doesn't sit in front of the sofa and also won't stick out so far. I think it would help solidify the whole thing. I like the rug, and if the casters are ruining your floors, you need it.
ReplyDeleteYour home is beautiful and always inspires me. I also have a small living room similar to yours with a similar furniture arrangement that we use for everything, and behind my sofa is a big bay window that I have been debating putting a sofa table in, as I have no place for a christmas tree (table top) every year. I would have to move my sofa forward, cutting down on some of the walk room, but it would still be ok. So I have been thinking, what if you put a lamp on each end of the sofa table, and eliminate both or one of the end tables? Also I would eliminate the plates behind the sofa and hang the mirror horizontally instead of vertically. I picture a beige natural fiber rug with black borders from the front of the sofa to the back of the white chairs. p.s. you do not need a decorator.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really like about the photographs of your home is the wonderful sense of order and tranquility. I am a hoarder and I really envy your ability to de-clutter. I think that a professional decorator might create a less personal result, too much money to spend often results in something tasteful but devoid of true character. A slowly evolving home, on a budget, can lead to a much more interesting environment.
ReplyDeleteLove it when you show us pictures of your gorgeous cottage Janet! Living in a cozy home myself I know how it is to make everything fit just right...then I don't move anything. Love the stiped rug!
ReplyDeleteJanet... Your room is lovely... with or without the rug. Your comments about the casters ruining your floor brought to mind the little round glass dishes that sat under the casters of dressers, bureaus, chifferobes and such to protect wood floors when I was a child.I remember as a child taking these from underneath and washing them every so often. For some reason I thought it the greatest treat to clean these along with the contents of my mother's china cabinet. Unfortuately, I out grew that and all my treasures seem to have a fine, protective covering of dust these days! Enjoy your home... it really is a treasure!
ReplyDeleteOh no I can't stand decorators unless they are going to work with all the treasures, antiques, heirlooms etc that people already have. So often rooms get decorated with items that haven't been selected for the love of them or what they represent, but by what is trendy at the time. How is that a refection of you and your life in your home? only seek their advice to arrange/rearrange not add extra stuff.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your house--it's just beautiful and I love looking at your photographs of it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with the "pulled in a lot of different directions" sentiment...
not only are your rooms absolutely stunning but the natural sunlight shinning through the windows is amazing! I never tire of the photos of your beautiful cottage thank you for sharing:) Needless to say I don't think you need any help with decorating:)
ReplyDeleteRita
Janet,
ReplyDeleteA philosopher named Edith Stein said women have a tendency to do things in excess. So, I think as long as we realize this, we are able to have a handle on it. :)
you soooooooooo do not need an Interior Designer!!! I absolutely love your cottage.... It just looks so inviting and peaceful!!!! the rug is goreous!!!
ReplyDeleteJust to prove I'm not all mean and we all need a break when times get tough - Byeee
ReplyDelete(like the house pictures)
I love...LOVE the rug!!! Did I mention love?!!!
ReplyDeletexoj.
You house is perfecto..as are you!!! My fine line is whenever I notice myself going from cranky to downright miserable, I know that my life is out of order somewhere. A good scrubbing down, both in my home and at the spa, seems to help a lot. I am a very visual person, so even someone leaving a dirty glass out can drive me nuts. OCD- yes, but I am trying to find the balance. : )
ReplyDeleteYou know I love it when you post pictures of your house. The striped rug feels super fresh and adds a bit of fun. My favorite thing about your living room is the different wall hangings on either side of the window. I love that they're not the same, but that they still feel balanced! (I know what you mean about feeling stymied by your own house!)
ReplyDeleteCamille
Oh, and I'm surprised that BG&H or Country Living haven't come knocking yet.
ReplyDeleteI love your living space. Very clean looking. I especially like your curtains. Did you buy or make?
ReplyDeleteHi Janet, I just found your blog and I'm curious about your big white Ralph Lauren book. What is the book's full title? I'm thinking it might be a good read or at least contain some good eye candy! Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeletethe name of the book is ralph lauren. i took the book cover off and it also comes in a cardboard sleeve. you can find it on amazon. mine was a gift from my son.:)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'll go looking for it. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDelete