Forgot to add that you need to scroll down to see our sofa. It is the first one on the forum.

Holly-Your sofa is gorgeous.

Tufted does work in my home's style, but a tufted Chippendale, not a tufted Chesterfield, for example.

I'm so torn. I love the simplicity of the Chippendale. I like the Sheraton, but don't love any of the Hickory Chair leathers. I'm going to look at their fabrics tomorrow just in case there is something (not velvet) that would work.

I too want pretty, not masculine, in this room. We have many more masculine rooms in the house.

I had the sofa that Holly has linked. I think it is a nice sofa but I just did not feel that my ladies for tea felt comfy in that sofa. It was comfy for my days of leisure and reading, but not for ladies in high tea outfits. I gave it to a DIL whose main social event is looking for parents of rescue pets.

Patricia, I agree that it is an extremely comfy sofa for curling up with a good book or lounging but not a comfy sofa for sitting straight up. It is a very deep sofa and I have short legs so only sit on it if I am reading and want to stretch out using the arm for a back rest. DH loved it and it grew on me also but a Chippendale or Sheraton would definitely be more fitting for a ladies tea.

I am so enjoying this post and watching everything come together!

No states anywhere near ours has the Sheraton available for us to sit on. The salespeople all remind me it is not a popular look now and none have actually seen one themselves. So, I have no way to "try before we buy," unfortunately.

It is so difficult to know about a sofa's comfort level even when in person. My DH sat on the Teton and said it was fine. I curled up on it but didn't try sitting upright on it because I strongly prefer a chair and knew I would almost never sit on it. He seems very pleased and doesn't complain about it but then he loved it so much I think he would have rather left the store without me than without the sofa!

Threeapples, this was the sofa I had chosen. It has a bench style seat with tufted back. I saw it up close and personal, it is beautiful and is the sofa I wanted but DH prevailed. Would this possibly be a style that would work for you?

Here is a link that might be useful: Sanctuary

Maybe I should call this a formal living room to reiterate that I am not looking for furniture that my kids can jump on or lay on to watch tv (we won't have a tv in that room).

Holly, that sofa is very handsome. If the back were a slightly different shape it would work in my room (barring it's nice cognac color).

Forgive me if I missed it, but have you posted photos of this room? I've tried searching to get a visual of the space but haven't found it - of course that doesn't mean it isn't there IYKWIM :)

Would this HM sofa work?

No I have not. It's a long rectangle with an opening at one short end and at the end of one long side. :)

I'll take a photo after I get my children to bed.

Fireplace between two windows

Long view

Opening to hall

I don't know why you insist on hiding all of the good pictures. That fireplace is incredible (especially the herringbone brick).

Have you thought about just buying a solid frame and getting it reupholstered. You could even live with the color for a while to see what you think you might like.

Here is a link that might be useful: Like these two Georgian sofas

:) I'm not hiding them, I was just planning to lump them all together when the house is done.

I'm really happy with the fireplace. I need to paint it and the overmantel after I learn proper technique regarding caulking, etc.

The price for frames minus and fabric is outrageous. It's ridiculous!

I hesitate to buy used upholstered pieces that are not leather because I'm hugely phobic to bed bugs and dust mites.

Kevin,

We talked about doing COL (customer's own leather) but the particular problem with leather is that you have to buy the hides and then if something happens, even if the company pays for it you still have to supply more hides. It's not quite the same as customer's own fabric, because hides come as a piece, it's not like getting a few more yards from the same dye lot (and a lot more complicated than just picking from their selections).

I think buying old furniture and reupholstering is often preferable to buying new (It's what I tend to do). With fabric it often tends to work out less expensive than buying new, but with leather it tends to be expensive and complicated, Including getting the hides to begin with.

Such a pretty room! Seeing the space, especially with the black and white in the front, I really do not like the red. I could see a dark coral color or a cranberry in there. I also do not really like a light green, but maybe a light teal or peacock blue would work with some coral or pink. I like the colors in the petticoat that Pal posted, if you pulled out some of the colors form the flowers and leaves they would look nice in your room.

Thanks, at home.

Cranberry has been my goal, but only Hancock and Moore has a leather in cranberry. The sofa (Sheraton style) I am now heavily considering, is made by Hickory Chair and they do not offer a cranberry leather, only two bright reds and a deep brownish mulberry, which I like, but not for my room. I am going to see the fabric they offer today and there is potential I might find something in non leather that might work.

Why does the black and white steer you away from red--too much like a theater or diner? ;)

Came across this website and the "Geranium" sofa might interest you-

Here is a link that might be useful: John Derian furniture

Narrowed down fabric options

Here are the ones I narrowed it down to in my actual room. The small swatch is the fabric for the keeping room settee

I think the green looks stupendous next to the color you have chosen for your keeping room sofa, but realize they will not be in that close proximity. If you do use the green I would consider having a pair of chairs in that same rusty pink color in your family room. You could do an additional pair of chairs or even a pair of smaller settees in slate blue leather, and bring in the cranberry, pink, blue and green in one or more oriental rugs.

This post was edited by kswl on Fri, Feb 28, 14 at 14:04

I emailed you.

What do you think about the colors though, Palimpsest?

Threeapples- Which one have you liked the most in the room so far?

At home, I like the darker green velvet the most in the room. The red velvets are slightly too rust based. If they were more like the sofa in my inspiration photo I feel like it would be easy for me to choose. I think a dark wood frame with the red velvet would not be pretty (if I did the Sheraton), so I would do a gold wood frame in that case, and maybe even for the green velvet.

I'm feeling uncomfortable about straying from my inspiration photo if I do green sofas and worried on how to navigate drapery options (I really want solid with multicolor tassel fringe).

I think the green velvet would look nice with the drapery, it appears that there is a good deal of the dark green in the mural of the inspiration room.

another view of your inspiration room-

Arapaho--how did you get that?! So fantastic.

I decided I've narrowed it down to the dark red and the dark green. I'm not sure yet between Chippendale or Sheraton. If Sheraton I do t know Mahogany or gilt frame.

three3apples, I looked at your inspiration photo again and noticed the name Anne Fairfax. Did a search and up came her blog- if you scroll down far enough you'll see the photo.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Enchanted Home

Very clever. Thanks so much!

Take a look at this. Leathercraft was the other company highly recommended to me by two local furniture places.

You may be a le to get it without tufting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chippendale sofa

a Sheraton available in leather here-

Here is a link that might be useful: Richard Rothstein

This post was edited by arapaho on Sat, Mar 1, 14 at 10:16

Some interesting links that may be of help:

"An online book about Colonial furniture"

"Look at the chair fabric in the portrait"

"Furniture style guide, includeds info on typical fabric"

A more accurate image of the two colors I am deciding between:

Thanks, At home. I am very familiar with that portrait. :)

Still undecided for profile and color over here......!

Been following this with interest...good luck!

Just some visuals.... I think either cranberry or green would be very pretty.

I'm in the green camp. Green is the color of nature - goes with everything.

three3apples, you mentioned the poppy/rust settee currently in your keeping room. Do you think you'd rather stay away from sofas in a similar color?

I read what kswl said re: green sofas and bringing the poppy/rust color into your room for chairs - I do agree. It would be a lovely way to tie the rooms together.

I think your original choice for drapes - blue/slate/gray - in the right shade would look beautiful with green sofas.

Agree with homersmom that green can really be seen as a neutral.

I LOVE those photos!

Here is an accurate image of the keeping room fabric with the potential red for the family room to give you all an idea of their tones.

Came across this post - Georgian colours from Henrietta Spencer-Churchill's book on The Georgian Style

3apples, you *need* this William Morris Kerastan rug! It looks to have a variety of the colors you've chosen in the palette, and would finish off the room beautifully.

I started with the rug first, actually choosing the same WM but in black~still love it after 7 years of looking at it every day! It's in the greatroom, which I use as my 'formal room', somewhat like you. There hasvto be ONE room in the house for adults! Choosing a rug first seems to allow everything else to fall in place so much easier. If you were thinking of adding one as a 'secondary' option, move it to the forefront for ease in decision making.

I see grey is a historic color in Henrietta Spencer-Churchhill's book The Georgian Style. Who knew?

Here is a link that might be useful: WM rug

That looks like a lipstick red, not cranberry. A cranberry would be more desirable, IMO, because you could also then use pink in the room with it. It would be difficult to use pink with the color red you are considering from Hickory Chair.

That is a very beautiful rug!

I am not sure what kind of red lipstick red is. I have lots of red lipsticks, all a touch different from each other! :)

It is not cranberry, but warmer. I think pink looks pretty with it. I too wish it were more cranberry.

Lol you are right, 3apples, I guess I equate that vivid true red with my mother's lipstick. There's also a Benjamin Moore paint called Lipstick Red that is just that color, so the combination of those two is my frame of reference :-) The room is certainly large enough to take any color or combination beautifully, but the red in the inspiration photo does look softer.

A big vote for the green -- totally yummy shade! :)