What style ottoman to go with our black leather couch?

I am thinking of getting an ottoman instead of a coffee table, for our family room for a few reasons. Firstly, I like facing forward while lounging and watching movies... So I need an ottoman to put my feet on :)

Secondly, I want to discourage eating and drinking in the family room, since the kitchen is right next to it. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on what style of ottoman would best suit this sofa. Something modern, with same legs as the sofa, or not necessarily?

Our Black Leather 3 seater

Would any of the ottoman styles below work with our space?

The TV unit that faces the lounge.

Our kitchen is right next to the family room.

B

Rustic, round, timber coffee table. To buy or not to buy?

I've decided to purchase the parquetry dining table from my previous post, and am now wondering if I should also get this timber coffee table. It would probably go in our formal lounge, but the seating furniture in there isn't sorted yet :S

Do you think this coffee table would suit the furniture we've currently got? It's 90cm in diameter. Would love to hear your thoughts :)

 Here are some photos of the furniture, and kitchen which forms a part of our extra long open living space.

Family room.

Family room. Our brand spanking new custom made leather couch.

Currently in the formal lounge, along with the 2 armchairs.

Between the dining room and meals area windows.

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Last Week's Links

If you follow me on instagram (@kirstenkrason) you are aware that we spent the weekend in Sunny California! We had SUCH a good time. Spending time with my family in the sun was so good for the soul. I still managed to catch up on some of my favorite blogs and Pinterest while I was gone. Here are some of the links I loved most from last week. 

1 || Someone buy this chair! I seriously love it. 

2 || I never thought I'd have a kid with curly hair but now that I do I loved this article on how to embrace it.

3 || My new favorite fabric find.  

4 || Mark my words, I will find a way to use this amazing lamp somewhere. 

5 || This looks like such a cool and comfy dress. 

6 || I just bought this cute top for Jane. 

7 || Every time I read Allegra's blog I want her life and her kids. (and her kid's wardrobes) 

8 || I adore these Halloween printables. 

9 || I LOVE this jacket. 

10 || This Nursery reveal makes me think I'll never get over my love for striped walls. 

11 || This month is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This video brought me to tears and inspired me so much. 

top photo - Wayfair / bottom photo - Max and Ruby

DISCLOSURE: COMPENSATED AFFILIATE LINKS USED

Rustic, vintage look, pedestal dining tables for our dining room?

These are the dining tables I am considering for our dining room. Do you think they are timeless, or not quite right for our home? 

I like the rustic look of them both but am not quite sure what dining chairs I would even pair them with. I mean the upholstered ones look fantastic and would be very comfortable especially since our dinner parties are mainly spent at the dining table ... but with we have too many young nieces and nephews whose hands always seem to be in the wrong places, and I don't think I could deal with the stains :(

Would love to hear your thoughts on the dining tables below :)

B

Deciding on my Desk Chair

For the next few months I'll be sharing in the Fiesta Movement by tackling design projects in my home and community. This months' theme is Style. This month I've decided to tackle finishing up my home office and I need your help! 

If you remember I've been working on redoing my office for awhile now.  My initial color scheme for the office came from this fabric combo that I pulled from my fabric showroom. 

I knew right away I wanted to incorporate Schumacher's Birds and Butterflies fabric. 

However I'm having the hardest time deciding where to put it in my office! My first thought was to do it as a roman shade. 

But then I fell in love with  Schumacher's Vientiane Ikat Print for the roman shade. 

I think the coral will be a really great contrast to the black walls. 

I've been wanting to get a new desk chair for awhile now so one thought I had was to reupholster a chair in the fabric. 

Chairs can be pretty expensive to reupholster so I had an idea to have a custom slipcover made for an Ikea chair. 

I would use a basic Henriksdal chair because I love the shape. Then I was thinking to have a custom slipcover made from this etsy shop. This idea would probably end up costing quite a bit of money when all is said and done so that is my one hesitation with this option. Another hesitation I have is that I would worry the fabric would get a little dirty after all the use it will get. It's also a pretty stiff fabric so I worry about it getting wrinkled.  

So that brings me to my next option...

I thought I could buy one of these World Market dining chairs and then just reupholster the back in the fabric and leave the seat green. This would enable me to still get to use the fabric but I wouldn't have to worry about it getting dirty and wrinkled all the time.

Should I choose option one or option two?

I'll be revealing which option I chose later in the month so stay tuned!

disclosure: This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation. The opinions expressed are my own.

Last Week's Links

1 || I am kinda obsessed with Giuliana and Bill Rancic so I was drooling over their home tour.
2 || I totally agree with this post and perspective on blogging.
3 || A girls' room design for $150!
4 || I'm loving my latest desktop wallpaper.
5 || I LOVE this black bootie.
6 || Finding pretty new fonts makes me happy.

7 || This is my latest ottoman obsession.  I came this close to purchasing it for a client this week.
8 || I'm pretty excited that West Elm has already released their Holiday decor.
9 || Does anyone have Sorels? I'm thinking of getting some.
10 || My friend is selling her amazing curtain panels. Snatch them up while you have the chance!

Also congrats to the winner of the Home Decorators Collection Giveaway! 

DISCLOSURE: COMPENSATED AFFILIATE LINKS USED

What style feet for our black leather sofa?

So, we've decided to go with a black leather sofa in the style pictured below. But what style of feet should we go with? I am thinking brushed aluminium? Or perhaps we should go with dark stained timber ones? We've got a timber floor, but might be putting a rug under/around the sofa, if that makes any difference.

What shape/height feet would you recommend? I am thinking of some low, but not too low ones, so I can still get a duster/vacuum underneath. Would love to hear your thoughts, as always.

Warwick Furniture Hardware

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Am I crazy to be considering a black leather sofa for our family room?

I am seriously considering a black leather 3 seater for our family room, which is a part of our huge open living.  I mean, a black leather sofa is not the most inviting and warm piece of furniture... but any way I look at it - it comes out on top in terms of meeting our PRACTICALITY needs.

Do you think I am crazy? Or do you think it will look ok?

This is the sofa style we are looking at:

The family room layout:

This is the TV unit which will be in the same room (family)

Our White kitchen is right  next to the family room

This buffet is in between the family and dining room:

Our walls are Whisper White, we are also getting plantation shutters in Whisper White... and this is an overview of what the large open living space looks like at the moment (the family room will be where the sliding doors are and where you can see the antique sofa:

Family room - Is it ok for the TV to NOT be in the centre of the sofa?

Considering the layout of our family room in relation to the rest of the large open space, what is the maximum sofa length you would recommend?

• 2.7m to match the wall where the TV unit is, meaning that the TV would be in the centre of the sofa (first pic) - (width of the room is just over 5m)

OR

• 3.6 to match the length of the wall where the TV unit is plus the door next to it, meaning that the TV would NOT be in the centre of the sofa (second pic) - (width of the room is just over 5m)

I am trying to weigh up the aesthetics versus extra seating, but struggling to make the decision. Help!

B

Buffet and some progress

Firstly, we've had some teeny tiny door painting progress, and the cabinet maker has finally installed the pantry door handle. Here are the glass doors MrB painted and installed the door handles on.

Kitchen to foyer door, sitting room doors, and the kitchen to foyer door again with the new pantry door handle in view :) - our pantry is under the staircase.

And this is my lame attempt at styling the buffet *shy*. I desperately need your help with this one. Any generic or specific product recommendation you've got I'd love to hear from you. If I was go go ahead with either of the two sets of frames I would paint them black and obviously change the prints. What do you think?

And finally, I mentioned in my previous post that the wall above is one where the portable gas heater point is. Although we haven't yet purchased the heater, the plan is for it to be against this wall for the colder winter months. Also, MrB isn't overly keen on the buffet along this wall ... he things it looks strange being next to the dining table. What do you think? Below are some photos of how fits in with the large open living space we are working with.

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Three months late but here at last!

Remember my buffet and tv unit post? Well, they were 3 months late but are finally here. Mr B picked them up this week so we've finally got some furniture now :)

I must say I am really disappointed with Nick Scali. Firstly the items were meant to be in Adelaide by the end of February, and then when I emailed them asking what was going on they kept ignoring my emails until I asked for a refund. They then told me the items were here and ready to be picked up. When we rang the warehouse, we were told that they are not ready for pick up but are instead in Sydney and yet to be forwarded to Adelaide... Then there was drama over not being able to pay the remainder of the balance at the warehouse... When I asked if I could transfer the money via netbanking, they sent me their account details, but not the exact amount remaining... I gave up waiting for their response, so we went to the nearest store and paid the remainder prior to picking up from the warehouse. I am yet to receive a reply from them. LOL. Very sad really.

We like both items but I am unsure if we will be able to mount the tv unit to the wall, on top of the skirting boards... even though we've added bracing to the steel frame in place where it's meant to go. The unit is extremely heavy, and deeper than I thought it was... But we will see.

We've put the buffet along the wall where it can be seen from the kitchen, in between the dining room and "meals" area. MrB is not happy with it being there, and besides this is the wall where a portable gas heater is meant to go... I hope to take some photos of them both in place so you can hopefully provide me with some advice. I've pathetically styled the buffet, and am looking forward to your advice on that too :)

B

Obsessed with white :|

The other day I realised that most of the furniture we bought over the past year has been white. I guess I might have a slight problem *shy*

Take a look...

Freedom Bedside Tables

Freedom Computer Desk

IKEA Dressing Table

A couple of IKEA Book Cases where we keep our everyday clothes, until the walk in robe is fitted out...

Freedom Stools

Nick Scali Buffet (yet to arrive)

Nick Scali TV Unit (yet to arrive)

Bunnings lamps (ok not exactly a furniture item ...)

And we painted our meals table White!

Should we quit it with the white yet? *shy*

B