Embracing the Dark Side

Before we updated our home this past winter, I started my own mini-makeover of things around the house, largely because, as a stay-at-home-mom, I was really bored with the way things looked.  I wrote about researching slipcovers, eventually settling on these, which have been an amazing, affordable alternative to buying all new furniture.  They are really durable, fairly easy to use (though fitting three cushions into a giant pillowcase is kind of like THREE pigs fighting under a blanket!), and truly do bring a new look to our living room.

But while I still dream of French settees upholstered in Belgian linen, my reality is far, far from that.  I live with two preschool-age boys who are incredibly active and dirty, and they will only become dirtier and more active as they grow.  So, my dreams of ivory and beige have to take a bit of a backseat to their couch diving and stinky feet.

And also, I’ve become bored with this.

While first researching slipcovers last year, I became convinced of their transformational powers after seeing the very set I wanted on the sofa of  lovely Texas designer Amanda Carol.  Her review sealed the deal for me, so I ordered the slipcovers and lived happily with them for almost a year.  But things have started to feel a little too beige for me, and I’ve been craving small doses of color, like hot pink and purple.  And flamingos.  (Because I believe you should keep a sense of humor when decorating, and what is more hilarious than a silk pillow cover with a flamingo on it?  Oh wait, a silk pillow cover with a seagull!)

And then I read Amanda’s recent post, in which she is throwing caution to the wind by embracing her couch’s original color, and I realized that maybe I should do that, too.  So, I spent an afternoon searching for ideas, wondering how to combine my dark green couch and loveseat with my new neutral decor.

Then I remembered Karl, of Young House Love fame, and realized that maybe I was on to something here.  Of course, Karl the Sofa is more charcoal grey, but he is still quite dark, and looks absolutely lovely in the Petersiks’ light living room.  So I took the plunge, removed the covers in record time, and welcomed my old “new” couch and loveseat with open arms.  I’m pretty sure I heard an audible sigh of relief from both pieces as they stretched their legs and breathed again.

(Well, hello there, color and texture!)

(Nice to see you again, piping and structure!)

I was pleasantly surprised with how well it works, at least for now, and the color is a warm addition for fall.  The temperature is still hovering near triple digits, but the calendar says September, and I love the extra coziness the green furniture brings to the room.  I cashed in some West Elm points and bought a few velvet pillow covers, so those will definitely add some autumnal flavor to our favorite space, too.

And who knows, maybe by next spring, I’ll feel up to wrestling with pigs, I mean slipcovers, again.