A New Sofa -Week 2 – ORC

One Room Challenge- Week Two

Thanks so much for joining me in Week Two of the One Room Challenge. If this is your first time here- Welcome! My name is Jackie, of the Can’t Blog. I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of woman- who love Tacos, thrifting, a good DIY/ Craft, my family and my Puppies. Not necessarily in that order. This will be the second time that I am participating as a Guest in the One Room Challenge. It looks like there are over 200 of us this time around. That is a lot, so however, you found me- Thank you!

What is the One Room Challenge?

The One Room Challenge happens twice a year- every April and October. It is hosted by Linda of Calling it Home and Better Homes Gardens is the media partner. How cool is that? I have been reading BHG since I was a young newlywed way back in the early ’90s. The One Room Challenge features 20 designers and has a special link up for the 200+ Guest participants just like me!

Check out my post from Week One here- Spring is here, and so is the One Room Challenge

A Blank Slate

Time for a change

Here in Michigan, we have hard cold Winters. It’s a time to stay indoors and cuddle up on the couch. Well, this year, I got sick and tired of that couch and I started dreaming of changing up the Living Room Decor. I needed more space in our space and decided that some of our large pieces of furniture weren’t working and they had to go! All of the pieces went up on Craigslist and I have already sold our sectional couch and our china cabinet. Then the One Room Challenge came along and it was time for a full-on makeover!

First- A little story about a Loveseat

What were we going to sit on?

***This is NOT a sponsored post. Just my opinions of products that I have paid for and used in my own home*** Please see my disclosure policy here

Above is the shell of a loveseat that has been in our basement. It is a Pottery Barn Basic Slipcovered loveseat. I purchased two of them in 2002 for our old home. Where they sat in our almost never used living room with the twin loveseats sitting facing each other. After my divorce, we sold the house and I took both loveseats. The loveseats sat in this room for the first couple of months that we lived here, but they were just a little too small. Great for sitting on, but you couldn’t lie down to watch Tv or read a book. That was why we purchased the sectional. But the sectional was too big- so it had to go!

Use what you got!

After the sectional sold- very quickly I might add. Maybe I should have asked for more for it? I pulled this one loveseat up from our basement. The plan was to use it for a month or so until we could get a new sofa. The beauty of a slipcovered couch or loveseat is that you can wash the slipcovers. Which I have done multiple times over the years. Well, the slipcover gave out this time around. Rips and small holes appeared where they had not been before. Okay, let’s make a Plan B. I decided to go and get a cheap slipcover to make this loveseat presentable for the next couple of weeks.

Before I left for the store I put the down back cushions in the washer- which I had also done a million times in the past. When I got back home and went to swap out the washer- I opened it to find it filled to the rim with feathers. Oh WTF! The material holding the feathers together for the back cushions just fell apart. I think that after years of being used and washed they just gave up. Alright, on to Plan C.

Well, what now?

Well, after the back cushions gave out, I needed to find another solution. I may have been pretty frustrated and sad- so I went to the bedroom and sat on my bed. And there was the quick no-cost solution to get me through a couple of weeks until a new sofa arrived. Three large Euro size bed pillows. I grabbed all three and a light bedspread from the closet to throw this little set up together. All of the gray and blue colors worked well together- they had been on my bed after all, and the loveseat looked pretty cute. Now, this is something that I could live with for a while.

UNTIL This happened…

We all can have a hard time finding our decor style. I, myself have tried many different styles over the years. Trends and personal tastes can change. The “hot” style that is in now may not work for you. It can be fun to try it out and see just to switch things up. For me lately, I have been embracing a more modern bohemian style of decor in my home. And I have been wanting a sofa that reflected that style. A classic style of sofa that could translate to other decor styles later- if and when I change my mind again.

I searched, found, and maybe for lack of a better word- stalked the perfect sofa over at Article. I present to you the 72″ Sven sofa in Charme Tan leather. A classic modern shape with a rich caramel brown leather. A grown-up-sexy sofa as I have described it to my friends.

All the reviews were positive

I looked at this sofa for months online. I read about 100 of the reviews of this sofa- to this date, there are 275 reviews of this Sven 72″ sofa. All of them raved about the quality and construction. They loved the style and comfort. Article even has Instagram photos posted from customers of the Sven in their homes. I looked at them all. Then I took it one step further- I messaged a few of the owners on Instagram. I asked if they were still happy with the sofa after having lived with it for a while- each one told me to buy it, I wouldn’t regret it. So, we did buy it. And I couldn’t be happier. The whole family loves it, including the puppies.

The day after I posted the above photo of our new sexy sofa to Instagram. My best friend from junior and high school days sent me a photo of her sofa. It is the same one! Can you believe it? Her’s is the longer true sofa size-88″. While mine at 72″ is the loveseat size- but the same Sven in the same Charme Tan. Even after all these years she and I are so in sync. As I messaged Jenni- “No matter where you go, there you are!”

Then this happened…

But that my friends, is a story for another day!

Check out what all of the other Guest Participants have been working on for Week TwoHERE on the One Room Challenge site.