Home & Garden Blog » Living Room

This is one of those rare occasions, when a picture (or series of pictures) speaks a thousand words! The images are striking and dynamic, describes the furniture far better than I could with pen and paper. But I shall give it a go, nonetheless.

Made from a single piece of red oak, the Loopita is covered in high density foam for comfortable seating. I am a big fan of grabbing a cushion or throw pillow from a couch and plunking down on the floor! So I find this design intimate and homey, which is not what people would automatically think of when they see the design, but I see the layers of “warmth” and “welcoming” possibilities.

The two opposing end points makes for a great floor level chaise. Add several Loopitas together to form interesting modular seating arrangements. I think the possibilities are endless and it’s truly an avant garde and dynamic living room furniture option. I confess here and now, that if I visited a home with the Loopita showcased, you would have to scrape my gaping chin off the floor! I love it.

To purchase or for further details please contact the designer Victor Aleman, click here.

To shop for more conventional living room furnishings, click here.

Home Decorators Collection Online Outlet is having an awesome storage sale with all sale items at 70% off! Check out some of my favorite deals:

Was: $229.00 Now: $67.99

Cadence 30-Bottle Wine Cabinet: This wine cabinet would go great on the side of your kitchen island or on display in your living room. It comes in dark walnut (pictured), light walnut, and antique cherry.

Was: $129.00 Now: $31.99

Amanda Laptop Desk: This laptop desk is great if you lack space in your apartment or if you would like your desk to be just as portable as your laptop. You can carry it from your bedroom to your living room so you can watch TV on your big screen while you work.

Was: $119.00 Now: $35.99

Rattan Set of Two Lift-Top Hampers: These are super cute for that island theme you have in your bathroom or bedroom. They come in honey (pictured) or white. I probably wouldn’t buy these for $119, but for $36….SURE!

Check out the other sale items here. This sale ends 9/30/07 so better hurry!

I have received a few emails and comments suggesting that I only like show pieces and do not highlight “functional/comfortable” furniture. The following post is my response to such allegations. I offer you the most comfortable sofa this side of the Universe.

LANCASTER LEATHER SOFA

So my bestfriend Michelle found this sofa from Restoration Hardware about two Christmases ago. She would not stop raving about it, she was hoping to buy the following floor model at a discount but alas it was betrothed to another (sheds single tear).

That’s her lounging on her beloved. So turns out this sofa is part of the Lancaster Leather Collection and it is currently on SALE at Restoration Hardware until September 16!

Was: $4365 - $4910

Now: $3965 - $4169

Now here is why the above price should not alarm you. First of all, great furniture is worth the investment. This particular piece is timeless, has that great broken in quality that stands the test of time. The leather is as soft as a babies tooshie and is the type of leather that looks better with age. It’s also pet and child friendly and smells great to boot!

Here are the official stats:

• Made in the USA
• Kiln-dried hardwood
• Eight-way, hand-tied spring suspension
• Double-doweled frame
• Corner-blocked joinery
• Sports a depth of almost 4′ and a length of nearly 8′
• Down cushions feature foam cores wrapped in premium, hypo-allergenic white goose down blend and sewn into a down proof ticking
• Dimensions: 94″W x 47″D x 39″H

My friend got hers in Madera Gold, but I personally prefer the Bourbon shade. Oozes Old Hollywood glamor and swankiness if you ask me. I can imagine myself smoking a smuggled Cuban cigar with Frank and the rest of the Rat Pack, whilst sipping on my Brandy.

It’s nice to dream…

More great deals on leather sofas here.

While living in my apartment in college, I needed a cute and casual chair for my living room. This Papasan Chair was perfect.

Chair - $49.99 & Stool - $14.99

Although only one person can (or should) sit on this chair at one time, it is perfect for lounging, napping, or curling up with a good book. I call this chair my “nest chair” because, to me, that is exactly what it looks like. A bird’s nest. It is so comfortable, and you sink right in when you sit down. The cool thing about it is when you get sick of the color cushion you bought, or the fabric is getting kind of dingy, you can simply replace it with a fitted sheet or any other material. You can match your color scheme or use a contrasting color to make it stand out in the room.

What I really wish I bought back then was this double papasan chair.

Lone Star Trading Company - $249.00

It fits at least two people, and it looks like it can hold a friend who needs to crash at your place. And if they can’t fit comfortably across the chair, they can easily remove the cushion and place it on the floor. Beats sleeping on a hard surface.

Not too keen on the wooden frame? Here is a papasan chair with a metal frame.
Stacks & Stacks - $120.00

What are these, you ask? Why it’s a pair of Slipper Genies ($9.95), the lazy person’s answer to chores. The description accompanying this odd looking footwear touts them as an easy solution to a “cumbersome mop,” while hyping the ease and luxury of cleaning the floor by just walking about the house in dusting slippers. The cloth bottoms grab dog hair, dust bunnies and dirt, which is great, but the only problem is the most obvious one: what about the areas that you don’t step on? Or are you suppose to walk around every inch of your living room? Maybe that’s what they expect you to do–I thought you were just suppose to inadvertently fight dirt while lounging in some comfy, lime green slippers.

Either way, I just don’t see the point of these. Just sweep the floor, already.

Oh no! I just found more while doing research:

Stainz-R-Out Moppers, $15.90

Dust Mop Slipper, $5.99

Source.

This is a coffee table. Isn’t it sweet stuff? It’s called the Swivel Coffee Table because that’s what it does, and I love the two-toned aspect of it. I’m sure it’s been discounted to $399 from its original price of $699 because few could see its potential. But this could really work if your living room had a modern decor, where simplicity was key.

I love it.

I’m a big fan of coffee tables and have been dazzled from time to time by aquariums, but a coffee table aquarium? I don’t know.

I heard about the phenomenon at Funniest Gadgets, where they promote this piece of, um, furniture as a “great add to any bachelor pad,” but I don’t think those poor fish would last 2 days in some of the bachelor pads I’ve been witness to.

Nevertheless, I’m not totally against this idea. Admittedly, I would have loved this as a kid, and aquariums in general have been proven to have therapeutic effects on people. In fact, watching fish swim has been proven to improve eating habits and reduce stress in people. That’s why you always see aquariums in doctor’s offices–they calm the nerves of jumpy patients. Maybe a coffee table like this would promote after-work relaxation.

You try it first, and let me know.

Aqua Octagon Coffee Table Aquarium, $699

Info Source.

Sitcom Style, $16.97-29.95

A coffee table just isn’t a coffee table without an eye-catching book two. As a guest, I always enjoy paging through a book that expresses the art interests or hobbies of my host. In that way, coffee table books always seem to lead to insightful conversations and perhaps even a realization of a shared interest. The most popular types of books for display seem to be about art, architecture, and photography because they’re visually stimulating, but you should pick what interests you and expresses your personality.

Here are some personal favorites:

Treehouses,19.67-29.95

David Hockney, $12.88-17.95

Cindy Sherman, $44.89-75

Chanel:The Couturier at Work, $2.60-29.95

Lightseed Hanging Candleholders, $9.99 (was $14.95)

Even if your backyard won’t be featured in Sunset magazine anytime soon, these Lightseed Hanging Candleholders will certainly charm things up a bit. Wouldn’t they look great illuminating your next summer night barbecue? They come with a cable and a tea light, so all you have to do is pick a spot to display them. Hang them from trees, or go all out and screw in a few hooks around your patio.

You might even like them enough to bring them inside after the party–hang one or three from your ceiling. Try varying the lengths of the cables for some extra visual interest.

Charles Rennie Macintosh

The Arts and Crafts movement is one of my favorites in art history. At its height at the turn of the 19th century, the artists of the movement (Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Frank Lloyd Wright and William Morris, to name a few) were reacting against the new era of industrialization by handcrafting furniture, home decor, and architecture.

Even if you’ve never heard of the Arts and Crafts movement, you’ve probably seen remnants of it. Craftsman houses, for instance, are and example of the Arts and Crafts legacy as is home decor labeled “Mission Style.” Although mission style home decor of today is only loosely based on the original movement, many pieces sold under that description have a hint of the refined, subtle charm of the Rennie Mackintosh designs above.

Here are some stylish ways to do Mission:

Mission Studio Mackintosh Desk, $2,795 (handcrafted)

L.L. Bean Mission Futon, $799

Mission Chest, $159.99 (was $399)

Quoizel Mission End Table, $113 (was $225)

Hinkley Lighting Outdoor Wall Lantern, $359 (was $498)

Home Decorators Mission Style Round End Table, $129