The Elephants in the Room

Ok, they’re not quite elephants, but our new couches are certainly on the heavy set side. With a textured greige fabric and chunky arms, one could say that our couches have a good case of elephantiasis going on. I actually never would have picked a set like this on my own. We sort of happened upon them after my mom bought them from a trendy danish modern decor store only to find out my father wasn’t too thrilled with them. Being the great mom she is, she swapped us her never-been-used couch with ottomon set for the proceeds we got from craigslisting our old sofas. To say we got the deal of a lifetime is an understatement (Thanks Mom!!).

Not only did this work out perfectly as I have been DYING to get new couches for a long time now, but I’m really happy that I didn’t have to toil about what style to buy. I do have serious design ADD and given the opportunity to choose from so many sofa styles would have probably taken a year. Last summer, I fell in LOVE with this beauty (ironically I bought it at the same time at the same store when my mom but my little ellies- who’d have known they’d be mine half a year later!)

Isn’t she purty? Oh yes she is. Her name was Pearl and we had an affair. I didn’t tell the Hubs that I bought her, and although he was somewhat supportive of our illicit relationship, I was the one who actually ended it. I found Pearl very difficult. She didn’t play very well with others, so she was quite hard to find friends to go with her. I hunted down occasional chairs, but she didn’t really like them. I tried to match a loveseat to her, but things just didn’t work out. In the end, Pearl found a new home via some online dating website (craigslist), and she is now very happy and likely not sharing the spotlight with any other upholstered lovers.

In the end, I am over the moon happy about our new set. It’s a style I might never have chosen out for myself, but the chunky lines break up a lot of the feminine touches I’ve showcased around our home. I think it’s good to have a piece or two that grounds the whole space and neutralizes some of the girly stuff for my hubby. So in love with Ellie and Ella! And because we need a good before and after to understand the impact, here we go:

Before: Blah Blah Big Box Store Furniture

And After: Ellie and Ella in all their glory!