Gray Built-In Bookshelves

Joni, of Cote de Texas, is famous for bring us gorgeous home tours and I came across this West University home she featured back in December 2009, as decorated by Sally Wheat.  Although the entire home is beautiful, what really caught my attention was the gray built-in bookcases in the family room.  Ms. Wheat is definitely ahead of the trends as gray is as relevant as ever, four years later. 

via Cote de Texas

via Cote de Texas

I scoured the entire post for the name of the paint color and found that Joni graciously shared it in the comments. 

Here's another darker gray built-in from Home & Design.

via Home & Design

Laura at Bright, Bold, and Beautiful featured a home office remodel by Niki and Bradely Davidson that has the same dark gray built-in look.

via Bright, Bold, and Beautiful 

I'm in love with just about every design from M.E. Beck Design, Inc. including her use of dark gray in this living room.

via M.E. Beck Design, Inc.

All of this gorgeous gray is making me want to paint our living room media cabinet/bookshelves gray.  Here's what they look like now.  Who has photoshop and can give me a rendering?? :) 

I painted a white door gray and love the look, so I'm thinking I'd love the look in the living room too.  It's more interesting and dramatic. 

I'm just not sure how dark I want to go.  The door is painted Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams.  

What medium to dark gray paint do you like?  I'd love to hear. 

Impromptu Picnic

This weekend, in between thunderstorms, we had a pocketful of really nice weather.  The kind of mild weather that is perfect for an impromptu picnic, and just the excuse I needed to bust out my new picnic basket I found at HomeGoods.   They are designed by Cynthia Rowley and come is several different colors and patterns.

The padded handle is nice and inside, they are insulated.  I was able to fit a small cutting board, 4 tupperware containers, 2 boxes of crackers, a juice box, hand towel and ice bag. 

A small pocket on the outside is great for napkins and cutlery. 

You don't need to get all fancy for a picnic, just a few light snacks are perfect.  

I showed my son that, on a picnic, you can take off your shoes and enjoy bare feet:) 

But then he was off to the playground. 

Have you enjoyed a picnic lately?  Next time I'm bringing the wine.

Our Living Room Sectional (Pottery Barn Pearce) - A Review

Our sectional is from, the Pearce Chaise Sectional to be precise and I wanted to let you know the pros and cons in case you are considering this sofa for your home.  Overall, I would buy this couch again, but I wish the back cushions held their shape better.

This sectional comes in four pieces and can be configured so that the chaise is on the left or right. You have to be careful when placing your order so you get the correct piece.  

The couch is big!  It's long enough seat several people and also to take an afternoon nap.

For our space, the sectional fits our living room perfectly.  I love having the chaise lounge and you can typically find me there.  I claimed it from the very beginning.  Well, James and I claimed it. 

The fabric on our sofa is Everyday suede in Light Wheat, but it also comes in a variety of different fabrics and colors.   Light Wheat is a neutral dark tan.  You can take swatches of their fabric home for free.  The suede is great because it is soft and wipes clean easily.  The only stain I haven't been able to remove is an ink pen.  All spilled milk and other unidentified spots have disappeared with a scrub of soap and water.  

My disappointment in this sofa is the back cushions.  They get so "mushed" and lose their shape- especially the ones that get the most use.   I continually have to refluff them.   The cushion covers do unzip, so I guess I could purchase a new insert- I haven't looked into that, but might consider it. For now, I've added another pillow insert into the one cushion that goes where I sit.  

Be mindful that with a sectional like this (with the chaise), you can't have a very large coffee table in the middle.  There are about 70 inches inside, but you need to have room to walk around the coffee table, so the widest coffee table you can reasonably have is about 40 inches.  

I think this couch is popular- I've seen it in my friend Courtney's home (A Thoughtful Place).  I'm not sure we have the same fabric/color though.  And her cushions don't look as smushed.  :)

Balancing Home has the Pearce in Oat.  

If you have any questions about this sofa, let me know and I'll answer in the comments. 

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P.S.  I'm sharing a spinach and fruit smoothie on my health and fitness blog- Honey We're Healthy.  This one's surprisingly yummy!

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Head over to Babble for 12 "Real Mom" tips on how to stay organized.  

Have a great weekend!

Wisteria

I got the new Wisteria catalog the other day and pretty much flagged every page for items I liked.  I have never ordered from Wisteria, have you?  I'm surprised I haven't at least gotten this x-base stool.  I've admired it for years.  I could be sitting on it instead of the floor when I bathe my son.

I'm crazy over this Reclaimed Pine Bookcase.  I envision it in a dining room - it would be great storage for linens/serve ware with all those different sized drawers.

And this French Directoire Dresser is definitely on my list.

I like seeing the different ways they style it.

And those chairs.  They come in a variety of soothing colors.  

Wisteria's mirror collection is amazing.

If you don't mind a desk without drawers, this glass desk is pretty cool.  

Have you ordered furniture from an online retailer where you haven't gotten to see the furniture in person first?  How was your experience? 

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HomeGoods Blogger Party

We had a great time at the HomeGoods Blogger Access Party on Saturday morning.  The store associates were so friendly and put out a wonderful spread of breakfast pastries, fruit, and drinks for us to enjoy before we shopped.  The store generously gave away five $50 gift certificates and also $10 gift certificates to everyone who came.  THANK YOU HomeGoods and to all the beautiful ladies who attended!



Here are a couple items that came home with me on Saturday:  This global/geometric dark gray and white flat weave rug.  It was a steal at $49.99 for a 5x7.  They had several sizes and lots of different patterns and colors.

Since I moved the cowhide rug back downstairs to the living room, this new rug is perfect for my office. 

And I got a huge bottle of hand soap in a fun, striped bottle for $3.99.  I like how it goes with our kitchen rugs.  

Then, on Sunday, I visited the HomeGoods by my house and fell in love with these Drexel Heritage lamps.  They were only $80 each and so vibrant.  They really "wake up" the dining room.  

I adore the lucite base.

Have you been to HomeGoods lately?  What's your favorite thing you've found there?