It's been a few years since my living room makeover and in recent months, I'd been feeling a major itch to make some updates. Also, when you live with two kids under four, there's no denying the wear and tear your poor (and expensive!) furniture endures. While we have pretty strict rules against food and markers in our living room, the truth of the matter is that it's our most used space in the house. Despite a few broken rules, upholstery starts to look its use over time. Enter Well Made Home, the full service custom furniture and home furnishings workshop that recently transformed our guest bedroom into an absolutely dreamy chamber. Naturally, I reached out co-founders Melanie Mount and Kelly Willrich to help guide me through my desire to reupholster . . . everything.
right: co-founders Melanie Mount & Kelly Willrich; left: Well Made Home's Cushion Shop in Marin
It all started with a visit to Well Made Home's studio in Marin - which I must admit, is the best, most enjoyable part of the design process. Perusing through Melanie and Kelly's meticulously curated library of stunning fabrics is utterly gratifying. But with all the incredible choices, it felt overwhelming, even for me! Thankfully, the experienced design duo was there to hold my hand, bringing me back to reality and practicality.
First things first. Choose what pieces you want reupholstered. The light blue linen slipcover on our sofa was starting to wear thin and actually ripping in certain areas. And arms on our swivel chairs, which were upholstered in a textured, off-white fabric, were . . . well, not so off-white anymore. Also, our pair of ottoman stools, which were covered in a purplish grey hue, simply needed an update.
When choosing new fabrics, I knew I wanted to stick with the same indigo color palette. So the jumping point was this gorgeous linen indigo fabric from Lisa Fine. Perfect for the swivel chairs - dark and sturdy. For the upholstered stools, Melanie and Kelly suggested that I broaden my scope to include some warmer hues, like browns or greens. This is where a pretty patterned fabric from Carolina Irving took me by surprise. The unexpected color and pattern forced me to step outside of my comfort zone, which totally excited me! Then, they pulled out a white linen fabric as a suggestion for my sofa. Gasp. White?! Were they crazy? I've got two little rugrats, remember? Not to fear, they insisted. The fabric is stain treated and washable. I was all in.
left: fabric options. right: getting closer to my final picks
And drumroll, please . . .
A few weeks later, my sofa, chairs and ottomans came back recovered, looking better than ever. The craftsmanship was excellent - perfect, actually. The piping and seams were aligned flawlessly with the patterns of the fabrics and they even replaced the sad, deflated cushions of my swivel chairs. I love the way the brown breaks up the blues in the room and how the hints of green in the patterned cushions compliment the palette perfectly, giving the room some much needed warmth and life. I can't tell you how happy I am with the way the room turned out and how truly addicted I am to pattern mixing. It does wonders! And that white sofa? It's actually held up wonderfully and so far, stayed stain free. Thank you, Well Made Home for helping me along the way. Now, what should I reupholster next??
photography by Andrea Posadas
Very Nice Living Room.. Nice to be there..
REgards,
That room turned out so beautiful, wow!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Thanks, Michelle!
Love your choices. Take a look at my little items.
Wonderful! I love to change things, even a little bit! Nice results!
Thanks, Tala!
Lovely ❤️ Where did you find those wonderful brass bugs?
They’re from 31Bits!
Thank you
What a great update for your living room..especially the colors…so beautiful!
Thanks, Susanne!
Thank You so much for using and posting my fabric!!
I love your blog and I also adore Well Made Home.
❤️Lisa