Decorating Dreams...
If you have a chance to get furniture with slipcovers, it's a great idea! I love the fact that I can change the covers to get a new look without buying a whole new piece of furniture. The two chairs and ottomans in my living room are from Ikea. They were originally intended to be in two different rooms, but have found a home here together in the living room. As you can see from the before and after photos, one had a navy cover and the other one was tan, which was fine, but not the best. Cool thing is that I found these white slipcovers at Ikea for CHEAP. I forget exactly what they were but somewhere around $20 each or something. I wouldn't even be able to buy the fabric for that price. Anyway, normally I wouldn't choose white, but since we don't have kids at home anymore and since I can just throw them in the wash, I thought it'd be worth a try. I had the yellow print fabric from some that I had bought to make pillows (which I never got around to) so that helps where people's feet go. I like the white since it's more summery.

Now the red Pottery Barn sofa was bought at a yard sale for a third of it's normal price and I was so excited. Red isn't one of my favorite colors, but I've made it work over the last few years. I would really love to get a new slipcover for it though, because it definitely dominates any direction I can go for the room's color scheme. I think a denim would be nice or a blue ticking stripe or even white or a cool slate blue. I've even thought of black, but I'm afraid it might fade too easily...not sure. Mainly I want something that's somewhat neutral so I can change out the accent color easily. They're pretty pricey at PB though. I was trying to see if the Ikea sofa slipcover would work on it, but so far no success...I still haven't given up though.

Anyway, I've been having visions of a new beautiful color scheme of black, tan and white (with punches of another color changed thru-out the year). I would hang black and white print (maybe toile) drapes (nothing too frilly) and add a few black & white checked pillows and other accessories painted black. I think it would really dress up the room, but still be comfortable. I could even paint my dining room chairs black to tie in that room. I've seen examples in bedrooms and bathrooms, but not much in the living room yet. I just need to do more searching. Picture the comforter below as curtains and the pillows as throw pillows on the white and black (or tan) furniture.

I even saw some amazing black and white print dishes similer to the ones below that I could put in my white hutch that would be very cool as well. Of course it would be a work in progress and I'd be bargain hunting all the way...

The back part of the house would still be more beachy with blues and greens, but I think there's enough separation between the two...not sure about the whole thing. Just mulling it over. I think it would go well with all the white and tan that's already there though.

What do you think?