Let's Talk about my white sofa

I've received a bajillion emails and messages with questions about my new white sofa so I thought I'd share some details & info on it.

{My tiny guy & my new white sofa}

It's from Restoration Hardware and it's the Belgian track arm sofa.  It was a bit of an impulse purchase... one we thought long & hard about (is it weird to talk about the purchase of a sofa for hours over the course of a couple of weeks??) but an impulse purchase nonetheless because I didn't really think it through the way I should have.

With my clients, I keep them safe...  In my own house, I take the hits.  We're the guinea pigs.  We try things I would never be comfortable recommending until I'd tried myself.  Case in point: a white sofa.  I have never recommended a pure white UPHOLSTERED sofa to a client.  Washable slipcovers, yes, but nonwashable, no neva.

So... before I ordered the sofa, I got the sample of my fabric- the Indoor-Outdoor Perennials Linen Collection in White- and I trashed the thing.  I smeared a greasy gob of tomato from a pizza on it.  I let it sit a while and then I worked the stain out.  It came out perfectly clean!!  You could basically just hose this thing off and it came out perfect!  Over the course of a few weeks, I'd take the memo out and shake my head that there was no residue from the nasty stain I'd made and that's really what sold me.

{And the fact that it's totally gorgeous}

I thought about using my usual trade sources but I was impatient and had already seen the magic of the fabric, so I went with Restoration Hardware.

But I'd forgotten my own previous experience with a nonwashable white sofa which is- it's not the stains that get you because they can usually be worked out, it's the daily dinge and grime that kills the sofa.  We've had a couple of times where I've had to work out stains from the sofa and it's done really well, but it's when we have lots of people over and there are lots of blue jeans and bare legs and feet on my sofa that really mess it up.  I've tossed a pretty blanket over the back rail because it's in a major walkway of the house where people tend to lean on & touch so there's no problem there but the bottom seat cushion itself didn't stay  looking good for very long.  It started looking a bit gray and just not fresh at all like the rest of the sofa.

I started thinking of my back-up plan...  (This had secretly been in my head all along but I hadn't wanted to go there.)  The indoor-outdoor fabric isn't supposed to be machine washable.  But I took a deep breath one day and threw it in the washing machine.  I couldn't take looking at the dinginess anymore.  I put it on cold & gentle and used a ton of spray & wash and it came out perfectly white.  I let it air dry.

My sofa looked so good again!!  I only washed the seat cushion and am dreading having to wash the sofa slipcover itself (and may never have to- at least for a long while) because things can tear and get messed up in the washing machine if they're not meant to be washed and I've got to worry about the shape--- but I'm definitely going to keep washing the cushion covers.

The perennials fabric itself attracts little bits of lint from people's clothing and so it looks a little pilly.  The washing didn't get rid of those and so to get rid of them, I literally have to pick them off like lint on a sweater.    It is what it is.

It's super-comfy, really pretty and a bit of a pain to deal with.

So- would I recommend this sofa?  Sofa itself, I like.  Perennials in WHITE??  Not so much.  I know that when I'm washing it, I'm getting rid of whatever is on it to make it bullet-proof.  (Washing treated fabric also washes away the treatment.) So if you HAVE to have a white sofa like I did-  I'd really recommend going washable.  At this point, I'm just telling myself I own a sofa with a washable white slipcover and I'm forgetting that it had any magical stain-proof qualities.  As a washable white slipcovered sofa- I like (and kind of love) it.

So for me, it's a "yes."  For a client?  I'd still have to say "no" because it's pretty risky.  If it was in another color other than white (the natural, for example) it would probably be great because even a slight color off from white hides the daily grime although the fuzz/pills would still slightly bug me.  (We have a very light- almost white- "natural"-colored twill slipcover upstairs and have had it for 5+ years and it still looks amazing.  (Also by Restoration Hardware!)

I will probably keep washing mine for a few years and I do plan on having an alternate slipcover made some time (way) in the future to be able to switch it up.

Anyway, hope this helps!!




If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Our kitchen Island...

....  Is ALMOST there!!  

 {our antique pulls}

I want to show you more pics but my computer is still being evil and only allowing me to put upside down and sideways pictures on the blog!!! (ahhhhhhrrrg)

But here's one sideways one to give you an idea of how they look:

 {Drawer pulls make life so much easier}

I was planning on gluing pretty old nailheads on top of the screws but now that the pulls are in, I'm not really feeling like I need to do anything to make them look better... but what do you think?
We're a bit short of wood so need to wait for more before doing the sides and I'm so excited!!  It's such a big piece in the room and so when it's finished, I really think it's going to make our home feel so much more "done."
Would love to know your thoughts on the screws!!


If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

So you know how I feel about cleaning...

...But it actually just got a little better.  

And if you don't know how I feel about cleaning:  Although I love a clean house, I STRONGLY dislike the act of cleaning itself.  A lot.  I mean, like buying the better-looking cleaning supplies they now offer and I'm okay with a little here & there, but when it comes to vacuuming and mopping & all of that... ugghhhh.  There's something about doing the same thing over and over that feels futile to me.  No thinking required in cleaning really, just doing.  The same thing you did yesterday.  (Or let's be honest... with me, a couple of weeks ago ;) ;)

A few months ago, I was contacted by someone from Black & Decker about doing a post on a product of theirs with an emphasis on showing how I "embrace the luxury in cleaning" with their product.  (With the way I feel about cleaning, I thought this was laughable...  Cleaning has never been luxurious for me and usually involves sweatpants and a ponytail.) I often say no to product pitches, but when I saw what is was, I said, "send it to me!!!"...   I was definitely seeing how this product could make cleaning more luxurious for me...

It's a dust buster.  But seriously the best dust buster ever.  It's from their Platinum Lithium Series.  

What I liked about it when I saw the photo was that it's small and light...

There were no cords to worry about...

 (Do you see where I'm going yet??)

It arrived and we charged her up.

It can be used effortlessly.  

"Hey boys! Look at this machine we got in the mail!!"

"What is it mommy?!!"

"It's your very OWN vacuum!!"

{Merry Christmas Christian!!!}

"And it's for you too Justin!!"

"But you have to promise me you boys are going to share it."

I have really embraced the luxury in cleaning with the Platinum Vacuum because I can literally be sitting as my house gets cleaned!!

The boys use it to clean up their messes almost every day (why does it seem like we could feed a small army with what falls on the floor under their chairs??) and we keep it right in the kitchen.  It's so light & powerful that they literally just have to walk around with it in the right general area and it sucks up all the crumbs.

But in all honesty, I use it a lot too.  I love it because I can just grab it from the kitchen drawer to clean a quick mess...  which usually leads to an entire floor vacuuming (It's addictive!!) but what I like about it is that when I take it out to vacuum something, I'm not committed the way I am when I take out the big vacuum.   This way, I can stop whenever I feel like it.  And I don't have to deal with the plug.  I've used other dust busters over the years and haven't really been impressed before.  But I've had it for a couple of months, it's still going strong, and I love this thing.  (And especially how it involves my kids in helping with free labor chores.;)

If you want to check it out, here's the link to it: BLACK AND DECKER PLATINUM LINK
Feel free to embrace the luxury of cleaning too ;) ;)



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Visiting Sadie + Stella

I'm over at my blog friend's Lindsay's today to be a part of her "Favorite Room" Series...  Lindsay writes Sadie + Stella and she's fun and sassy (yes I said sassy...  do people still use that word?? ;) and talented...

I shared more details on a favorite project of mine- the DC Row House that was recently featured in Small Rooms Decorating Magazine:

I'm thrilled & honored to be sharing over at Sadie + Stella today- thanks Lindsay!!  Click here to visit!

On another note, I've got some really exciting things in the works with the fabric line & I will share with you as SOON as I can!!!




If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.