CDLV Garden Progress

Ok, so I had to do something to get the heat off that terrible sofa idea. My gosh, I didn't know you all loved the existing sofa so much. I love it too! I don't know what I was thinking ... chock it up to a temporary moment of insanity. Everything is back to normal.

In the garden however, things are growing ... but no blooms yet. Figured I'd show you a few things that are just about to open up ...

Adjacent to the circle garden, just off the back porch is Scott's lily garden. Here he's got every friggen' lily known to mankind planted. Ok, so that's a gross exaggeration ... but you get where I'm going with that, yes? My favorite are the tiger lilies, which are very tall and open up to be quite colorful. I'll show you when they open up ... but I think they're beautifully architectural just like they're shown here. Don't you?

In the center peninsula, I had to pull out just about all of the sun-loving plants since the trees have gotten so big. So, I replaced them with hydrangeas, and in the center, asiatic lilies that are so beautiful in pink and white. Can't wait to see them bloom!

I've since pulled the weed collar that was surrounding Earl, but I thought it made a pretty fun photo. As if having this big ole' head in the garden wasn't quirky enough, having a Shakespearean type collar of green just made me smile. The "pots" are chimney liners that we picked up from Buffalo Re-Use. I'm a fan of the look of terracotta in the garden. In fact, I only have concrete and terracotta planters. I always looked for height and couldn't find it, until of course, I saw these and repurposed them.

The roses have really started going bonkers! I'm so happy I cut them back to almost nothing. They seem to be pretty happy about it, too!

The climbing hydrangea is really starting to go bonkers. I didn't realize that it would look like this when blooming, I thought they flowers would be more like bush hydrangea, but I'm so happy with this firework like burst. So interesting.

I plan on getting out in the garden on Sunday and really busting out a lot of work. The roof progress (if you're following along on instagram) is supposed to finish up next weekend, so while they're up there getting their hands dirty - I'll be getting mine dirty in the garden ... and painting the porch! I'll share it with ya on Monday.

Why that was a bad idea ...

Ok, so the sofa isn't happening. Here's why:

Terrible right? I can't decide if it's because the pattern of the Jamil fabric is too large; or if I just can't get far enough away from it in my room, but it just looks bad. This is exactly the reason I suggest to everyone that I work with that they should take a fabric out on approval and see it in the room before they spend the money!

Sorry folks ... onto my next hair-brained, but hopefully better idea.

Change on the Horizon ...

I don't know if anyone who knows me personally reads the blog but, if you do, you already know that I said I wasn't spending another dime on my living room or dining room (or foyer or sunroom) until I finished my blah and uninspiring upstairs spaces. Still, somehow, perhaps because they're the rooms that are "finished" and therefore easiest to change, I always find myself hemorrhaging shelling out cash that benefits the living or dining rooms.

When I got home today, I took this snapshot of my living room ... and the box in the foyer that I apparently decided that I didn't care if you saw ... let's play where's Waldo, shall we? Scott's I'm sorry flowers are there, too! That's a story for another day ...

I pined over that gorgeous antique French sofa covered in the most beautiful vintage rust colored velvet ... and saved and saved and saved until I could afford it. Then I had pillows made from fabrics that seemed inexpensive until it all added up ... then went and spent a fortune on chairs, only to spend another small fortune having them slipcovered in the lemon grass waxed linen by Kravet. I love the room, it's fresh and colorful, and still tugs at that little old man inside of me. It also "fits" my house, far more than white slipcovers ever did ... although I tried, and tried, and tried! Oy, the money I've wasted!

Anyway, recently the sofa has been throwing me off. Perhaps because it's summer and I walk in and want something that's lighter, a little more fresh than the rust ... which is perfect in the fall and winter ... something more neutral perhaps. So, I came up with an idea. Actually, I was inspired by this room, and decided to just shamelessly copy on a much less expensive scale emulate this sofa:

photo via Architectural Digest

Trey Laird's townhome in New York City decorated by the amazing Jeffrey Bilhuber showcases a custom sofa with cushions covered in Scalamandre's Tigre Stripe Velvet. That fabric is delicious! (No, I didn't taste it ... I'm channeling my inner Martyn Lawrence Bullard) And expensive! But the room is so inspiring and totally my what else could you possibly fit in there, it's so cluttered aesthetic! So I'm going with a much less expensive option from Calico Corners, called Jamil.

You've heard me talk about it before, I'm sure. In fact I did a whole post comparing it the the Scalamandre print here. I think it'll give me exactly what I'm looking for ... and I can feel good about changing out the cushions seasonally because I didn't spend all that money!

My sofa, which is a sort of manipulated chesterfield, is going to be slipcovered in a canvas twill neutral that's a little vanilla in tone. It has just the right bit of yellow to it that it won't stick out like a sore thumb. The chairs are staying the same, but the stripe silk pillows will also take a break, and the sofa will get some neutral and fun pieced together ikat pillows.

I'm buying the fabric Monday, and Michelle Hook, my amazing slipcover maker is coming over sometime next week to make the pattern for the sofa and talk about ideas in covering it. I'm ok with the slipcover taking this piece to new heights. Something that isn't fitted, or stops at the upholstery ... we're going to explore pleats, taking the hem to the floor, ties and tabs, maybe some scalloped edging ... who knows what we'll come up with. But it'll be a little less fall and winter when we're done, and give the CDLV living room a refreshing dose of spring and summer.

Wish me luck!