“I know how to sew. What could possibly go wrong?!”
-Famous last words that I use way too often
We have a ton of renovation work left to do on White House, the rental building we own and plan to live in for awhile during renovations. I should absolutely be focused on finishing those projects instead of the furnishings that will go in the place when the work is done. But I can’t help feeling that once the baby comes, I won’t have time for projects for at least a decade, and if I don’t want to live with something that long, I ought to fix it now.
So I bought 15 yards of upholstery fabric online today. Gulp.
I’m not convinced I can actually reupholster the sofa we own, a hand-me-down from my parents. Then I found a fantastic sale on fabric, meaning the price of failure is lower than usual. At least, I have very little money in the project. I don’t want to think about what happens if we have nowhere to sit because I screw it up and can’t even reassemble the couch. (Another hideous plaid sleeper-sofa like the one Johann and I had in our first shared apartment?!)
My goal is to have a durable sofa that can withstand the first five years of kids. Obviously, my kids will behave better than anyone else’s (haha)… but I remember a time or two running across a room and then flipping over the back of a sofa in my parents’ house with my sister when we were small. I was convinced I was doing “real gymnastics.” And spills… it’s hard to blame a kid for an occasional mistake if Johann and I are both pretty clumsy ourselves. I found a poly/cotton blend that should be stain repellent and a color that should be dark enough to hide most issues, with a little fun texture to boot.
I have struggled with palettes since I started sewing my first quilt (incomplete, fabric donated – but I’ve blogged about subsequent quilts here). Some of the colors I love most in theory, blues and grays, feel too cool/sterile/depressing to me when it comes to home décor. But I love when other people use them, so I’m hoping that if I use warmer tones and pair them with bright pops of colors, I can find a happy medium. It might also help with the longevity of gray décor since I know warmer tones are on their way in and gray has already had its 15 minutes of fame. Here are some of the rooms that inspired my fabric selection and will guide other choices for the new living room:
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Wish me luck!
UPDATE: Hahahahahahaha… The remaining 4 months of pregnancy from the time I planned this project were not NEARLY enough time! I left the fabric outside my apartment with a “Free” sign on it and was relieved when it was carted off less than 24 hours later. One thing being a parent has taught me: be more deliberate about the DIYs I opt to try. For example, if you’re super pregnant and can’t bend over, don’t try to reupholster a giant, heavy sofa. (Although I am constantly AMAZED by mamas who somehow manage to “do everything”!)
Building Home & Family 