The first step, as some of you will recall, was to liquidate some surplus inventory (Thank you, Craig's List!). Once that task was out of the way, it was time to survey they remains and begin to ACCESSORIZE.
In keeping with our mid-century Danish aesthetic and my desire for surroundings that are a fun and a little funky, we've been mixing nicer pieces from the likes of Room & Board (I keep their catalog under my mattress like porn) with modern accessories from favorite online shops and treasures from a few local flea markets. It's beginning to come together, into a look I think one might call "intentionally eclectic." A few of my favorite finds so far:
Cross-stitched "Bargello" pillows by Jonathan Adler
Vintage hand-shaped child's chair by Pedro Friedeberg
"Sun" Mask Fabric by Room & Board
The only decor issue we've had trouble agreeing on is the matter of a rug. I picked the last one, a black and white faux zebra number that was the bane of Ben's manly existence. Having unloaded that on an acquiescing co-worker a few weeks ago, we've been living with a bare floor in the living room. Which has caused two problems: 1) I can't kick Ben off the couch and force him to lie on the floor while I stretch out, and 2) Frankie can't get enough traction to jump up unto her favorite napping spot, which has forced her to suffer the HUMILIATION of sleeping on a dog bed.
How are such things to be borne?
Picking out a new rug we both can live with isn't as easy as it sounds. I promised Ben that this time we could do something without any kind of pattern. Something simple and neutral. (Fair enough...I have my garishly fabulous pillows). But he also insisted that it couldn't be too scratchy, too sheddy OR too shaggy. And then there was the issue of size. Given our long, narrow room, we needed something about 11 by 7 feet, which isn't exactly standard. And, with an anxiety-ridden dog, a scabby-kneed preschooler and a baby on the way, I pointed out that it needed to be completely cleanable AND impervious to urine, vomit, breast milk and pepperoni pizza. Tall order. We were stymied.
The solution came to me one day, quite miraculously, in the form of an unsolicited catalog. Flor!
Flor's modular carpet squares give you the freedom to custom-build an area rug in any color, texture or size by simply ordering and assembling a series of square-shaped tiles. And if the baby pukes on a square? Gross! But not a major problem. Just detach that square, clean it, and put it back. And if it's not cleanable? For less than $20, you can replace the single, ruined tile without needing a whole new rug.
After perusing about 19 different samples, Ben and I actually settled on the SAME one (Lamb Cord in "Suffolk White"...a soft, all-natural woolen number with kicky corduroy ribbing for her pleasure). Proving that we will, in fact, make it to our 10-year anniversary later this month.
And, like Ben, the new rug is just what I needed....rugged, snuggly, durable AND it doesn't look half bad in my living room, either.
People...I'm flor'd.
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