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An Easy Solution for Mixing Pillows

November 24, 2020 by jessica 2 Comments

This post is in partnership with Pillow Pops.

Pillow Pops Review

You know how sometimes you’ll fall in love with a new throw pillow only to purchase it and realize it doesn’t actually go with the pillows you already have? There’s a solution for that. Pillow Pops is a brand that allows you the opportunity to purchase individual cushions for your home or a curated set to take the guesswork out of revamping your space.

I recently had the opportunity to partner with the brand to try their signature decorative pillows. I opted to mix and match pillows from the brand’s Sundown Scene and Africa collections to create a trio that complements our mid-century-meets-traditional home.

Pillow Pops Review

From top to bottom: Bronze Bareness, Mulungu, Copper

Pillow Pops Review

Pillow Pops offers two options for their cushions: untrimmed pillows for $59 each or trimmed pillows for $89 each, each in a variety of textiles with an included insert and a hidden zip enclosure. I picked out a variety of textiles for my set, including the two linen options above. The one on the left is a matte linen in an autumnal copper hue and the other is a foiled linen blend that has subtle shimmery tones of copper and gold.

Pillow Pops Review

The third pillow I chose is this gorgeous textured option in a creamy white. It’s made for winter with a snow-like finish. Seriously, consider this your holiday pillow without succumbing to something with “Joy” or “Cheer” written on it. I mean, look at this texture:

Pillow Pops Review

These are absolutely beautiful pillows and well-worth the price, especially when you compare them to other better-brand retailers. The rich textiles are much nicer than your Target acquisitions and are well worth adding to your home, especially if you’re looking to refresh your space. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want any close-up photos before making your selections!

Pillow Pops Review

SOURCES

Paint Colors: Extra White & Sea Serpent by Sherwin-Williams
Pillows: c/o Pillow Pops in Bronze Bareness, Mulungu, Copper
Side Table: West Elm
Curtains: West Elm
Curtain Rod: Pottery Barn
Sconces: Schoolhouse Electric
Leather Chair: EQ3
Sofa: Younger Furniture
Wishbone Chair: Baxton Studio
Rug: Loloi (also here)
Credenza: Ekais (no longer available)
Record Player: U-Turn
TV: Sony (and TV stand)
Soundbar: Sonos
Brass Coasters: Schoolhouse Electric
Throw Blankets: Faribault Mills, Stumper & Fielding
Mini Christmas Tree: CB2
Marble Bowl: Crate & Barrel
Mirror: Target
Thermostat: Ecobee

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This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Home, Living Room Tagged With: living room, Pillow Pops, product review, throw pillows

Review: Loloi II Layla Rug

November 19, 2020 by jessica 1 Comment

I thought I’d update you on my search for a new living room rug that I mentioned back in September! In a perfect world, I would have sourced a high quality, vintage number. But in a COVID world, going to antique and vintage stores to shop for rugs didn’t seem like the most responsible decision. Plus, my budget didn’t allow for an investment rug at the time. So, we went in a different direction and purchased a vintage-inspired rug from Loloi.

You probably recognize the brand name since they’re an Instagram darling as of late with influencers touting gifted rugs fairly regularly. So, I thought I’d give you some honest insight into the rug I purchased to guide your decision if you have your eye on one of the brand’s affordable rugs.

Loloi II Layla Oriental Blue / Spice Printed Area Rug

Let’s start with the pros:

  • Clearly, the main selling point of these rugs is that they have a vintage look for an incredibly affordable price point. I purchased the 7.5′ x 9.5′ size and it’s currently selling for $161. It’s an absolute steal for a rug at this size. I bought mine from Walmart due to the ease of making in-town returns. It’s also available on Amazon. Both have free shipping.
  • The design has variation in the vibrancy and saturation, giving it a more authentic worn-in look.
  • There’s a lot of colors in the rug and an interesting design, which you don’t always get with a cheaper rug. The colors are muted, too, so I think this rug would play nicely with actual vintage rugs in your home.
  • I really love the whipstitch edging.
  • It has a flat weave instead of a tufted construction. I prefer it since a traditional rug would be flatter than those with a dense fabrication.
  • It feels smooth underfoot.
  • It’s incredibly easy to vacuum and clean. Our cat, Oliver, threw up on it and it completely came off and didn’t leave a stain. The busier pattern also hides pet hair well.
Loloi II Layla Oriental Blue / Spice Printed Area Rug

And, the cons:

  • The design is screen printed rather than being woven like a traditional rug would be. It’s hard to tell how well it’ll hold up, but so far so good. As per the label, I don’t use the beater bar when I vacuum it.
  • It’s on the thinner side. Not so thin as it feels flimsy, but you might want to consider a rug pad underneath it. We didn’t opt for one because our coffee table is heavy enough to anchor it and we don’t have children who would be playing on the floor.
  • Since it doesn’t have a thick, tufted construction with deep piles, you might want to vacuum more regularly as you’ll see any crumbs on top. (Which is also a pro, as far as I’m concerned. I’d hate to know what got stuck in our previous rug!)
Loloi II Layla Oriental Blue / Spice Printed Area Rug

All in all, I’m really happy with this. It satisfies my desire for a traditional rug, but at a fraction of the price. And while I’ll still keep an eye out for a vintage one that’s an actual investment piece and heirloom-quality, this is the next best thing.

Loloi II Layla Oriental Blue / Spice Printed Area Rug
This photo is unedited right from my iPhone, so you can get the most true-to-life look at the colors.

SOURCES

Paint Color: Extra White by Sherwin-Williams
West Elm curtains
Pottery Barn curtain rod
Target pillows (sold out; other plaid pillow options here)
Schoolhouse sconces
EQ3 leather chair
Younger Furniture sofa
Loloi rug (also here)
West Elm coffee table (will probably replace it next year)
Ekais credenza (no longer available)
U-Turn record player
Sony TV
TV stand
Sonos soundbar
IKEA planter
The Elements of a Home book (would make a great holiday gift)
Schoolhouse brass coasters
marble coasters (similar)
duck bottle opener (vintage; similar)
Tramp Ceramics bowl
Tory Burch flats

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This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Home, Interiors, Living Room Tagged With: House, living room, Rugs

Help me choose a rug

September 9, 2020 by jessica 4 Comments

Living Room Rug Options
rugs one, two, and three

Hey, I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend! We spent Saturday in the Milwaukee area going to a county park, having an outdoor lunch at a brewery, and swinging by IKEA. The latter of which didn’t feel nearly as safe as the other activities of the day. While IKEA is usually a madhouse, it felt more claustrophobic in the midst of a pandemic — not exactly what I was hoping for during my first retail outing since March, aside from Target and the grocery store. I definitely scratched that in-store itch that day, but a couple of hours of looking at home decor inspired me to continue making upgrades around the house before winter sets in.

As far as exterior projects are concerned, I finally painted our front porch railings matte black (see the before; progress photos to come). Inside, I started looking for a new living room rug. We’ve been using this wool rug that we purchased when we lived in the apartment. It’s nice and all, but it’s too small for the space and doesn’t really work with the direction our living room is moving in. We really want a vintage rug, but affordable ones are hard to come by and we’re not exactly frequenting antique stores to find one. So, we’re going the cheap route for the time being. I’ve read good things about the Loloi II line (they’re often cheaper here with the option for in-person returns) and narrowed it down to my three favorites above and put them into a collage with some of our other living room pieces. (The coffee table is also from the apartment and I’d like to replace it with something that better fits our mid-century-meets-traditional aesthetic. Possibly this one.)

Of the three we narrowed it down to, I really love the second one. However, in the up-close view, I don’t like the tufted look for a vintage-inspired rug as much as I like the thinner woven look of the other two. So, here’s what we’re looking at:

Living Room Rug Options

Dave is leaning more toward this one and I think I’m in agreement. I prefer blues and greens over warm hues and the background of this one has more of those cooler tones. That said, I don’t love the center medallion, but the coffee table will be over that. My biggest hesitation here is if the geometric patterns of our throw blankets and pillows will look out of place with the rug. Clearly I’m no stranger to pattern mixing, but those just seem so dissimilar that I’m pumping the brakes a bit.

Living Room Rug Options

Then there’s this rug that has a lot more red than I’m necessarily on board with. However, the pattern of this one doesn’t compete with the plaids and stripes as much as the other one does. Plus, I like that the border has a lot blues in the design.

Which one do you like? We’d be opting for the 7.5′ x 9.5′ size, so it’s only around the $160-170 mark and returnable at Walmart. I could always order one and see how it looks, but I’d really rather avoid the hassle and nail it on the first try!

Sources
Credenza (by Ekais; I don’t think they’re in business anymore.)
Artwork (c/o Minted)
Striped Pillow
Plaid Pillow (similar)
Leather Chair (ours has wood legs)
Couch (amazing quality; looks new after three years)
Coffee Table
Side Table
Throw Blanket

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Filed Under: Home, Living Room Tagged With: living room, Rugs

Spring Refresh with Cottage & Bungalow + 15% Off

April 6, 2018 by jessica 1 Comment

I swear that spring is on the horizon, despite this week’s snowfall, making it the perfect time to freshen up your living space. We’ve been cleaning everything, cracking open the windows whenever the mercury creeps above 50 degrees, and adding a few new home decor items to make our space feel new again. It’s so easy to get in a decor rut once you find a piece you love, but swapping out items (or moving them around your house) is one of the easiest ways to give your home a facelift, and items from Cottage & Bungalow are perfect for a warm-weather makeover. Established in 2004, Cottage and Bungalow offers coastal furniture and beach decor and accessories that are chosen for their design and quality. Their products have been featured in a variety of national design and lifestyle magazines, including InStyle, Country Living, Coastal Living, and more.

As I’m sure you’ve gleaned, we have a mid-century-modern-meets-traditional vibe in our 1920s house. Cottage & Bungalow specializes in coastal design, but don’t let that dissuade you if your aesthetic is similar to mine. There are plenty of pieces that can fit within any decor. One of the pieces I was most excited about was this gorgeous alabaster lamp. The shape is spot on for mid-century modern decor and the stone adds a welcome natural element to the space. In another area of the house, a Dash and Albert rug from Cottage & Bungalow adds a bit of global glam to the entryway. (I had a buffalo plaid rug down for fall and winter and I couldn’t stand the heaviness of the pattern this season.) Plus, the rug is made from polypropylene, so you can just hose it down and let it air dry when it gets dirty. Other pieces I love include this quilt, a macrame throw pillow, a bar tool set, and this gorgeous rattan chair.

You can save 15% at Cottage & Bungalow through July 6, 2018 with code BEDKNOBS. Some exclusions apply due to manufacturer restrictions.

Cottage & Bungalow review
Cottage & Bungalow: Dash and Albert Samode Navy/Ivory Indoor/Outdoor Rug
Cottage & Bungalow review
Cottage & Bungalow: Dash and Albert Samode Navy/Ivory Indoor/Outdoor Rug
Cottage & Bungalow review
Chevron Backdrop/Striped backdrops/Children Backdrop Vinyl
Cottage & Bungalow: Dash and Albert Samode Navy/Ivory Indoor/Outdoor Rug

Sources: Cottage & Bungalow lamp (c/o) | Dash and Albert rug (c/o Cottage & Bungalow) | Target mirror | West Elm lamp | West Elm bar cabinet | Minted art (c/o) | CB2 decanters | West Elm glasses | cocktail picks | West Elm planters | Kate Spade shoes

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Filed Under: Home, Lifestyle, Living Room Tagged With: Bar, Cottage & Bungalow, Dash & Albert, home decor, living room, Mid-Century Modern

Living Room Progress: Inspection vs. Today

March 7, 2018 by jessica 2 Comments

Living Room Before and After

We still have work to do in our living room in terms of accessorizing and styling, but I thought I’d give you a peek into where things are at right now compared to when we did our inspection in May. Obviously the before photos are on the dim side and that’s not an intentional editing choice to make you think it’s worse than it was. It was really that bad. Most of the light bulbs were partially unscrewed so they wouldn’t turn on and just about every window in the house was covered by fabric (men’s shirts and old sheets rather than window treatments). The paint was this awful creamy color that wasn’t quite as yellow in the images below, but it was as dingy and soul sucking as it appears here.

Living Room Before and After

The first thing we tackled (after removing kitchen cabinetry from the guest room and a random square of teal carpet in the coat closet) was repairing cracks in the plaster walls and painting as much as we possibly could before we had our floors refinished. We got through the living room, dining room, the wood-paneled master bedroom and office, the guest bedroom, and the tiny room that eventually became my closet. The far wall in the staircase was left unpainted at the time because I’d like to wallpaper it. I didn’t want to spend the time painting something I was just going to cover up eventually. At this point, though, we’re leaning toward painting it white and doing wallpaper next year for my living room. It’s such an expensive project and we have other priorities to take care of. However, painting everything else white and removing the window coverings opened up the space and made it feel brighter and more welcoming, so the cream wall doesn’t bother me too much at the moment. My plan is to paint the upstairs hallway, ceiling, and trim this month and get to the top of the stairs. We’ll hire someone to finish up the stairwell since I’m not graceful enough to stand on a ladder while I paint. We have pretty high ceilings there and I have no doubt that I’d fall or get paint all over the stairs.

Living Room Before and After

After about a month of painting every night after work and on weekends, we finally got a week-long break when our floors were refinished. The red oak floors were in awful shape (check out this pic of the floor in my closet) with patches in the floor that were different colors, and scuffs and scratches throughout. Upstairs, the stain was on the yellow side. I’m not sure if it was the polyurethane was showing age or if it was just a bad stain choice to begin with. Our floor refinisher said that the downstairs floors had likely never been refinished, which is great for future owners because you can only refinish floors approximately 10 times since you’re sanding off approximately .75 to 1mm with each round. We went with Minwax’s “Early American” stain. It’s lighter than the original color, but still felt traditional in the 1920s home. The biggest selling point was that it didn’t have red or yellow undertones. We paid $2.75 per square foot and ultimately came in just shy of $2,600. Worth every penny. (Pro tip: hardwood floors will eventually get scratched no matter what you do. Use a stain pen to camouflage the imperfections.)

Living Room Before and After

Replacing the sconces is next on the to-do list for the living room. We’d also like to find a better throw pillow, a larger rug, and redesigning the corner that we have that wood chair in the photo above. The side chair is great for putting on shoes and using for additional seating. However, a mid-century modern bench might fill the space better. I’d also like to find artwork to hang in that area. All that stuff is easy, though, and will fall into place as we find the right pieces. I don’t want to push anything and accidentally have our house look like the 2017/2018 West Elm catalog because I was too impatient to wait for the right item. Now that the living room is in a good spot, we’re talking about what room to embark on next. It’s a toss up between the dining room or kitchen. The dining room is definitely easier and really just requires furniture, a woodworker to fill in spots were the trim and crown molding is missing, and window treatments. The kitchen is a more adventurous project. It’ll all be cosmetic updates and not a true renovation, but there’s a lot to do in that room from skim coating the textured walls to replacing the linoleum flooring that has a gross river rock design.

Sources: Target mirror | West Elm lamp | West Elm bar cabinet | Minted art (c/o) | Braxton Studio chair | EQ3 leather chair | Younger Furniture sofa | Faribault Mills blanket | West Elm coffee table | Target vase | CB2 candle holders | Ekais credenza | CB2 decanters | vintage duck bottle opener | West Elm planters | West Elm rug

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Filed Under: Home, Lifestyle, Living Room Tagged With: house updates, living room, progress report

Hello!


Jessica Hamm
Hello there! I'm a first-time homeowner updating a 1920s house in Madison, Wisconsin. I have a penchant for travel and a love of costume jewelry.

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I’m challenging myself to get through a backlog I’m challenging myself to get through a backlog of travel photos before we book our next trip. First up, photos of the gothic York Minster. I’m not religious in the slightest but I can’t resist stunning architecture and the opportunity to climb hundreds of cathedral stairs for a city view. This one only had a single rest stop about halfway up the flight of 275 steps for a closeup view of the flying buttresses — and a waiver you had to sign before your ascent to promise you’re healthy enough to make it.
Can you hear meow? 😸 Lily is putting the phone Can you hear meow? 😸 Lily is putting the phone nook to good use.
Christmassy mornings. Christmassy mornings.
Thanksgiving Bake: Flourless Chocolate Wave Cake f Thanksgiving Bake: Flourless Chocolate Wave Cake from Dessert Person by @csaffitz

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Visiting York earlier this month put us in the Hal Visiting York earlier this month put us in the Halloween spirit. While it claims to be the most haunted place in Europe and is dubbed the city of a thousand ghosts, we only encountered the wire-mesh sculptures of Ghosts in the Gardens (@the_york_bid) and the family of souvenir ghosts I brought home from @yorkghostmerchants. 

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