Coming soon....

photos of our work in progress (aka: the den we have been re-decorating for the past 2 weeks).

I managed to convince Mike to go back to Home Goods (after a nice brunch on the patio outside BJ's Brewhouse in Glendale & a few beers in his belly -- best fried mozzarella sticks in town, BTW). We were on a mission for a pair of side tables, possibly 2 new lamps and an arm chair. Shockingly, we found it all! The side tables were way more money than we wanted to spend....but they were perfect! We needed something "open" at the bottom so as not to block our AC vent, which is near the floor in the den. The side tables are black with 2 open shelves on the lower portion & a small drawer up top, which will be nice to hide the various remote controls we all seem to accumulate! Each drawer has a brushed nickel knob. They were not cheap at $79.99 each, but they were perfect & frankly, Mike was tired of shopping for them. We found a pair of inexpensive lamps ($20 each) complete with shades that were nice & tall. They looked good on the side tables....although one of them had a crooked shade, I am hoping it can be "squished" back into shape! *wink* (My man is sick of hearing me whine about the crooked shade!)

Lastly, we stumbled upon a chair. It's armless, which is the opposite of what we intended. It's a blue-grey faux suede with espresso legs & silver nail-heads trimming the fabric. The back has a unique shape that I cannot describe & it's tufted, which I love lately! It's really comfy, considering it's armless look & shape. We have affectionately named the chair "Edith". If you are a fan of the old Archie Bunker TV show, you will get the reference...as Mike lounged on the sofa & I sat in the upright chair. :) Those of you that know me are probably puzzled by the "blue-grey" color. We painted the room a warm medium yellow. The trim is Swiss Coffee White. The floors are super dark brown. The drapes we went with are a silvery-blue-grey faux silk with a brown diamond stitched pattern (looks like they are tufted). So, the chair could not have been more perfect as luck would have it. It's far smaller than even the smallest arm chairs, so it also takes up less space, which is another added perk. The grand total for our Home Goods adventure was a tad more than we had hoped....but we could not be happier with the stuff we found!!

The area rug is off-white with a diamond "tufted" pattern woven into the yarn. I think it's actually a carpet remnant. The sleeper sofa we purchased the week earlier is a tan/mocha color faux suede, with espresso base & feet. It's far more contemporary than our usual style. It has some square-patterned tufting in the cushions. We found some faux silk silvery-blue-grey pillows to toss on board. All of the framed art & a giant mirror have black or espresso wood-tone borders. We are contemplating adding crown molding eventually.

So, the bulk of the design is done & in place. I am on my own for the fun part, which is the set-dressing of the room with accessories, as I find them. It's coming along even better than we had envisioned & once it's more "done" I will share photos, I promise! I know I keep using the word "faux" with my fabrics, but I assure you, they don't look cheap or cheesy. ha ha! And, when the drapes are drawn closed, the room illuminates in a soft, cool blue that makes you feel like you are in a cool swimming pool (oh how I wish!!!). It's wonderful and we are really pleased with the outcome, the added space & the general clean look.

If you have not shopped Home Goods for your home furnishings, I highly recommend it. Most of the stuff is reasonably priced, but know your merchandise so you don't end up getting ripped off. Anyone can put a "compare to" price on a tag, but it does not make it true. I know a lamp for $20 is a steal...try finding one at Target for that price WITH a shade! You won't. The Home Goods we frequent is in Glendale, a stone's throw from the Americana. Check it out!

And, Happy Shopping!