Goodbye shabby. Hello lovely!

So, we are redoing a room or two in our house due to a minor mold issue. We got rid of the 5 year old well loved brown microsuede sofa, some rattan chairs, an ottoman and a few other odds and ends. It's actually turned out to be a great reason to redecorate! We are going from 5 years stained and cleaned (but still stained) carpets with kid and dog marks to beautiful brazilian cherry wood floors! Am I spoiled or what? Hee hee.

So, now we are in the furniture exploration process... My new favorite furniture website is http://www.arkitekturainsitu.com/

No, we can't actually buy anything from there, but it's like a museum! They have beautiful furniture by amazing brands like Armani Casa and even if we can't afford a $15,000 couch for the kids to puke on, we can get ideas and inspiration for the layout of the room and knock offs ;) Gotta love knock offs! Getting a semi Eames looking sofa is similar to buying a Prada purse at the alley in LA, it just feels good to get the bargain!

Today, we purchased some pieces from the Room and Board store on Townsend Street and they were very helpful. I LOVE the Eames Herman Miller plywood chairs we got. I also love the Jasper sofa and studio sofa. They have cool fabrics to choose from and Luita, our design associate was the BEST! She was very honest and direct in helping to diffuse the husband and wife tensions that can arise when making these types of decisions. We left happy and satisfied, but it could have gotten downright ugly! I am happy to report I really like everything we got. Now, we still have other pieces to acquire, but, we have a good foundation going.

Lastly, I feel like I am telling the world something that ALL paretns should know here... and I am so happy to be the one bringing you this information! There IS a solution to the spills, ground in dirt, red wine stains and life markings on the rugs! And it is...
Flor carpet tiles. They have the COOLEST patterns, textures and color choices! You can design your own rug! And, although they claim it is virtually indestructible and stains are easy to remove, if you can't get it out, buy a couple extra tiles (just in case). They are only like $15 a tile! For an 8x10 rug, it is something like $550! Not bad for a designer look!
Check it out! www.interfaceflor.com You can also find it at Design Within Reach.


So, if you are looking for more places to shop for chic home furnishings on the web, try these on for size:


www.dwr.com (great stylish classics, check out the outdoor furnishings!)

www.eq3.com (another cool choice)

www.crateandbarrel.com (good basics, great stores)

www.westelm.com (cool designs, won't break the bank).

www.interfaceflor.com