Tufted Sofas with Fitted Seats

Before I get into today's post, let me thank everyone who commented on Tuesday's post on the "New Domesticity" phenomenon. Your comments and perspectives were so smart, and gave me a lot more food for thought that I had to respond to each commenter by email. You never disappoint, dear readers. Anyway...on to the topic of sofas!

Almost one year ago (on Valentine's Day, to be exact), my husband and I brought a vintage velvet tufted sofa home from the thrift store. The piece was solid and the price was right, even if the color wasn't. In the last year, I've given a lot of thought to reupholstering the sofa, which will be the cornerstone of our living room design.

Well, almost 365 days with it, I think I've come up with a plan for our tufted sofa and it involves abandoning its detached cushion. Let me show you what I'm talking about...

Homeward Bound: Why Women are Embracing the New Domesticity

Don't let the title of this post scare you. It's not my own, but the title of a book I received for Christmas and recently finished. Its topic--the resurgence of the DIY lifestyle among Millennials--generated a lot of ideas that I've been dying to discuss with you, my dear readers.

So, let's talk a little about this book; but, really, I'd love to chat about the larger topic at hand: the revival of all things domestic and what it means for women in our society.

Changes to the Guest Bedroom {A Preview}

Hello, friends. Have you missed me? I can't believe it's been nearly two whole weeks since we've chatted. I've certainly missed each and every one of you!

I've been a busy little bee lately and have made the most of frigid temperatures and 14+ inches of snow by working on various spaces around the house. If you follow me on Instagram (which you should, btw), you'll know that I spent a snowy morning last week repainting our guest bedroom and reworking the room with pieces I [mostly] had on hand.

Though the space is about 95% there, I wanted to share a couple of sneak peeks of the room, now swathed in a relaxing minty-blue ("Palladian Blue" by Benjamin Moore). The wall color echoes the tones in the accent pillow resting on the bed (Parlor Textiles' "Winter Floral" pattern).

(all via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

Adding a healthy contrast to the soft wall color are the rich oxbood lamp and walnut furniture, most of which I had before I started this little redo. There are just a few more details left to put into place--namely, pictures to be hung and a little styling--before I show you the rest. I can't wait!

Happy Monday, friends! I've missed you.
How have you been keeping yourself busy this crazy-cold month?

P.S. Be sure to come back tomorrow--I want to chat all about a book I received for Christmas and devoured in a few days--it's all about blogs, homemaking, and the DIY lifestyle. 

How To: Revive a Cedar Closet

In November, just when the weather turned to regular sweater weather, Adam and I made a terrible discovery: one of his cashmere sweaters had a nasty little moth hole right in the center of the chest. Never again, we vowed! And this past weekend, we got to work reviving our 50+ year old cedar closet to prevent the loss of any more clothing.

Today, I'm going to show you how it's done.

New Year, New Items in My Etsy Shop {+ 30% Off}

(rug / pedestal planter / bluebird print / Swedish candlestick pair / chinoiserie plate)

Before the week is out, I wanted to share a few of the awesome vintage finds that I've added to the Meet Me in Philadelphia Etsy shop. Time to use those holiday cash or Etsy gift cards on a unique piece or two!

Plus, today through 1/15/14, take 30% everything in my Etsy shop with the code 'NEWYEARNEWDISCOUNT' at checkout. 

(gilt mirror / Mr & Mrs pillowcases / brass bow sconces / star paperweight / floral platter)

On another note: thank you for all of the comments on this week's posts, especially the topic of my 2014 home goals. All of you gave me a lot of food for thought (and always do!). You, my faithful readers, are the best!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Happy shopping!

Out With the Old {For Sale}

I firmly believe that, in order to move forward, it's important to start with a clean slate. In that vein, I've got several items I'm selling to make way for things that I won't be able to live without.

So, here's to clean slates. Maybe you'll find something you like!

Home Goals for 2014 { + Thoughts on My Own Expectations}

So, I know I started the week dedicating the posts to progress made in our finished basement, but there's been a change in plans. The über-cold temps have kept me away from that cold, underground space. Can you blame me?

Instead, I wanted to share my home goals for 2014...and to talk a little about handling my [often overblown] expectations with projects around the house. Let's chat.

Anna Spiro-Inspired Tasseled Curtain Panels {A DIY Project}

The holidays are over and done with, resulting in a fresh wave of excitement for new DIY projects around the house. In the next few days, I'll share the progress we've made in our finished basement. I'm looking forward to continuing progress we started in 2013 and sharing the details here throughout the coming year!

Today: it's all about a tasseled curtain panel project inspired by that tremendously talented Aussie Anna Spiro.

Reflections on 2013 { + A Happy New Year to You!}

Hello and Happy New Year, dear readers! I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends while I took a bit of an unceremonious blog break to do the same.

The past year has been a tremendous one for me (and for this blog) so, before I can turn my attention fully to 2014, I want to offer a few reflections on the year that just concluded.