My apartment is coming along! Slowly but surely. I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to home decor and it has taken me a bit of time, budgeting, and actual physical labor (not my greatest strength – ha!) to get everything pulled together. So far I’ve shared the inspiration behind my apartment and the DIY process behind my checkerboard floors.. today we are talking about couches! There is a lot more to do… but it’s definitely coming along!
My own style is pretty eclectic. I want my home to be a reflection of me, and (when it’s done) for people to walk into my space and immediately get a sense for my personality. Basically, I want them to walk in, and think… “Oooh… someone fun lives here.” The way I’ve done this (so far) is by starting with great quality cornerstone pieces (my dining table and chairs, my new couches which we are talking about today), and adding in a mix of vintage + DIY pieces, as well as some inexpensive steals. My personal opinion is that if you do the big stuff right, you can get away with some fun DIYs and bargain pieces. It’s kind of like putting an outfit together. If you have on nice shoes and a great bag, everything else will look expensive. 😉
But for the big stuff, quality is really important. I haven’t worked with very many brands on the apartment for that reason. I did reach out to the PR team at Room & Board (one of my favorite, favorite stores for home goods). Their quality is really, really good; their pieces last for years and years, and 90% of what they sell is made here in the US. My custom sofas were made to order (this meant waiting about ten weeks for delivery but it was totally worth it!!) If you’re wanting a faster delivery, they do offer a variety of options that are in-stock and ready for delivery right away. I proposed a trade and in all honesty was a little shocked when they said yes, so today I am highlighting two of their beautiful custom Anderson sofas. I can’t say enough good things about them… if you are in the market for a new sofa, they are the absolute best couches!
I first encountered Room & Board about six years ago when my ex-boyfriend was decorating his LA apartment. I got to help him with the process but he actually found Room & Board before I’d ever heard of it. He ended up furnishing the space nearly entirely with their pieces… but I was especially smitten with the L-shaped couch in the living room.
I think what I loved about it most was that it didn’t necessarily look comfortable, but once you laid down on it, it was so, so comfy. Know what I mean? Comfy furniture is not always the best looking furniture. These couches look sleek and modern and beautiful, but when you sit down on them, you don’t want to get up.
When choosing sofas for my own space, I immediately gravitated toward the Anderson sofa. I like that you can have it custom designed with whatever fabric you’d like, and I liked the clean, Scandinavian-inspired silhouette. I went with two of them (in the 81″ size) as I wanted something long enough to sprawl out on… but not too long – 91″ would be overpowering, especially with two of them!
I did a little bit of research (the fabric guide that Room & Board offers is fantastic – it will help you choose a fabric based upon your personal needs… i.e. stain-proof, cat-proof, etc). I probably should have gone with cat-proof but I’m pretty good about regularly vacuuming and Tyrion (miraculously) has no interest in scratching my furniture. My biggest personal concern is with stains. My old ivory colored couch got so dirty (mostly from denim rubbing off on the twill fabric), and I entertain quite a bit (and will never be one of those people who only serves light colored beverages… I love red wine way too much!!!) For that reason, I went with pale gray couches, in the velvet “View” fabric, which has (hooray!) a stain-resistant finish. Like I said earlier, it’s really important that all of the bigger pieces of furniture in my home last a long time. I learned my lesson from my last couch (it was an absolute disaster after four years) and I wanted a fabric that would (besides being pretty) also be durable and stain resistant!
I’m so happy with how the space is coming along, and so excited to share more with you. I’m still working on my office area, wallpaper for the bedroom and bathroom, and art for the kitchen and bedroom… but I’m hoping to have the whole space finished by the end of the summer and do a full reveal here… fingers crossed!
Thank you to Room & Board for my beautiful new couches… I couldn’t love them more!
photography by Trent Bailey.
Your apartment is like something straight out of a design magazine. It’s looking good so far. I really like the pile of books behind you, not sure if it’s meant to be like that or not, but hey if it makes you read more! 😉
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thank you Charmaine!!! That is so kind of you to say!
The pile of books is meant to be like that… it’s actually two bookshelves that I got from Amazon – they’re pretty cool as they look like stacks but they’re actually shelves… a bit more functional!
Hope you have a great weekend. xx
lOVING this room! It’s so fun and personal. I also love the books. 🙂 Good job!
Thank you Audrey!! xx
Love the couches and how the space is coming along! I’m shopping for a new couch myself and really trying to be thoughtful about it. I want it to last a long time so definitely looking for high-quality (even though it’s a big investment)…and definitelyyyy need stain-resistant fabric…I eat on my couch all the time (bad, I know). I really like how modern your couches look and also that they put them on legs – helps the straight lines to feel a little lighter and airier. Going to check out Room & Board now!
Yes!! I thought the same thing about the legs. 🙂 xx
Can you believe you waited as long as you did to move? 😉
The apartment is looking amazing!!!
Gahhhh thank you so much friend! So much happier here!!!
They look amazing! Definitely worth the wait! Our couch is not in great shape because the dog really loves it (and licking it) lol, but it’s so hard to find a high quality couch that isn’t crazy expensive. Will definitely have to check out Room & Board! Happy Friday!
xx
Sam
You should check them out. Really great quality!! Have a great weekend, Sam! xx
You’re apt. is looking super cute!!! Just as a heads up to folks who are looking at R&B furniture, my husband and I did not have the best experience with their pieces (esp. for how much the cost!!). Our couch came with a tear in it (which they wouldn’t take back??) and the cushions ended up not wearing well over the 6 months we had it (we ended up selling it). We also got 2 dressers from them which were supposed to be in the same color/finish but one was significantly darker than the other and the grain was off/really rough. Glad to hear you had a better experience with them than we did!
Oh my gosh that’s horrible to hear! I love all of their pieces so much – my sister has a ton of their stuff too and neither of us have had a bad experience.:(
Love the couches–your living room is the coolest! I also love those swirly pink/tan pillows. are those your sister’s design??? LOVE.
Yes, they are!!! Love all her fabrics!!! It’s the blush marble 🙂
Hi Grace! Love your apartment! who makes your side table and coffee table? The couches look great, i agree that comfort and style is hard to find! thanks!
Hi Sara!
Of course!
Side Table is Nate Berkus for Target – it’s called the Brass Hexagon End Table: http://shopstyle.it/l/b73b
Coffee Table is from Horchow: http://bit.ly/2tRQy8K
xx
Grace
I am loving your Hermes blanket! Fancy!
I agree that Room & Board has such nice furniture. I basically want everything in their entire store!
thanks Lauren! It’s a fun touch.
I agree – I love everything they sell!!!
First of all, the apartment is looking so amazing! Love the couches and also am loving those curtains. Definitely can tell a fun person lives there 🙂 And second, really appreciate your honesty in blogging and actually talking about how you reached out to their PR team. It’s nice to see behind the curtain so to speak. Happy weekend Grace!
Aw thanks Amanda!!
Have a great weekend. xx
Your home looks wonderful. Great job decorating.
aw thanks cathleen! hope you had a wonderful weekend! xo
Your appartement looks lovely ! I love the mini bar 😀
xx
http://www.caetera-moda.blogspot.com
thank you!! xx
It’s been so inspiring to see the transformation of your apartment! I’m moving to the city soon and am excited to make the most of whatever little apartment I end up in. Seeing all of your fun decor ideas really helps.
Briana | youngsophisticate.com
So happy you are enjoying the updates! xo
Where are the palm leaf print curtains from !?!
had them custom made using this fabric! https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/tommy-bahama-outdoor-island-hoppin-emerald-fabric-.htm
Love them! Great post!
thanks so much Jean! You need to come back and see the place with furniture! xoxo
I found your blog when I was researching this exact R&B light grey fabric. Love it in your room! How has it held up?
It’s great!!! Has held up perfectly.
I’m in the same boat… really loving that fabric but I have three kids… is it still looking good? Thanks for your great post too 🙂
Yes it’s held up extremely well! xx
I’m curious to know how your fabric is holding up on these couches after almost a year. Do you still love it? Does cat hair cling to it too much? Does it show much wear? I currently have a micro suede couch and it has worked nicely with a cat and has worn well, but am considering a new Room & Board couch with view fabric. Would love to hear! Thanks!
It’s held up great. Absolutely no complaints and completely love it. The fabric shows no wear and is great w/pet fur it doesn’t cling to it.
Bought this adorable little couch 6 months ago and I love it! Everyone always compliments it. Still comfortable to sit on and perfect length to stretch out on! The only complaint is I think my jeans have rubbed off on the color so some spots are darker?
Best,
B. Blitorn
That happened to me with my last couch! I got the stain resistant finish from Room & Board for that very reason.
Beautiful collection. Thank you so much for information.
I LOVE you post about your Room and Board Anderson sofa. I’m about to take the plunge and buy it. One question regarding the arms on the sofa. Are they comfortable? I’m worried that they look strange to lend up against when watching tv. Also, I really enjoy your book selections every month. 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Cyndi! Thanks so much! Honestly, I don’t really use the arms of the sofa! When watching TV I typically have a throw pillow or two propped up against the arm which is really cozy! I find these couches to be super comfortable. Hope that answers the question!
I love the room and your coffee and side tables. Could I ask where you got the coffee and side tables from? Thanks
Hey Rocky! The coffee table came from Horchow and it’s linked in this post: https://thestripe.com/small-space-makeover-nyc/
The c tables are old from Target but I just rounded up some similar ones! https://thestripe.com/the-best-c-tables/
Hi! I know it’s been a while but how has the view gray fabric held up? I was worried about it being a little light and how it does with stains. It looks a little different in my swatch and in your pictures. I’m guessing it’s because of the lighting?
I remember seeing this post a while back and came here to see if you have any updates on how the sofa/fabric is holding up after a few years. I am considering buying a R&B sectional in the View Gray and also have a cat, like you. Does cat hair cling to the fabric? Has it been easy to clean? Any grungy areas like on the arms or edges? Love your style!