I didn’t…until recently. I gotta give it to 2020. Travel had to come to a complete standstill in order for me to dive deep into making a house a home. And ya know what? It’s been a lot of fun 🙂

I prefaced this blog with my nomadic status, and that’s important to note because I’m not kidding when I say this: I’ve never bought furniture until NOW, aside from a dresser and some chairs back in LA. I still don’t really know what I’m doing. My attention has been on airline tickets and short-term lodging options rather than home furnishings in recent years. Listen. I thought it was a big deal when Alex and I split a washer/dryer last year because our LA rental didn’t come with one. Talk about domesticity! HA. Little did I know what this year had in store…

Turns out I do have a bit of forethought, though, because I’ve been saving funds for this exact reason. I knew someday soon my attention would turn towards putting down roots. I just didn’t know that day would come slightly earlier than expected due to a pandemic. Ahhh, the twists and turns of 2020. Instead of crossing continents for a wedding, we’re doing things a little differently. First comes love, then comes a carriage, then comes a lovely Kavanagh marriage (when we can all gather safely, etc etc).

After lots of questions this week on the IG reveal, I thought I’d create this blog post. Let’s get down to business. I’m the kind of person who needs to see every single piece before committing. A coffee table is no different to a wedding dress is no different to a toilet paper holder. It’s annoying. I’M annoying. I desperately wish I could change this flawed personality trait, but I got what I got! Here’s the (somewhat) finished product – ALL from small, local businesses aside from the floor mirror + pink chairs. A few bits and pieces still need to be ordered like accent chairs once the Christmas tree is removed…but all in due time 🙂

SOFA

Can we all agree that the world needs to slow its roll on the sheer number of sectionals, sofas and couches available?! And if not…at least make it easy to choose one! I would start committing to a beautiful sofa with chaise lounger and then…dive into the horrendous reviews. Back to square one. After going cross-eyed, I finally walked into J Parkey, a local store in Little Rock and designed my own piece. From the legs to arms to back to color to fabric to length, I chose it all with help from fab owner and operator, Jonathan Parkey.

I was able to sit on a very similar sofa in the store which put my mind at ease because ya never really know what the internet will send you…let’s be real. This lovely lady came in 5 1/2 weeks! In a pandemic! She exceeded expectations, even though a couple of cushions came dirty…but they were cleaned in a few days. Speaking of dirty, I know there are a lot (A LOT) of people out there expecting this thing to be a different color once the baby arrives, but let’s just see what happens! What can I say, the heart wants what the heart wants.

RUG

My second purchase for the space was the area rug. I knew it needed to be quite sizable (honestly could’ve gone slightly bigger), and I wanted to bring in a pop of color. Say hello to the Nora Turkish Knot Rug from Scout Design Studio!

COFFEE TABLE

I knew I wanted to bring in a natural aesthetic with the coffee table. I was focused on wood elements of any shape/size, but when I saw this burl beauty gleaming in the sunshine, I knew it was the perfect match. This table with beautifully crafted rounded edges is from Cobblestone & Vine.

SOFA TABLE

Our living area is very spacious, so it was a bit challenging to set the scene and stick to a layout. We could’ve gone many different routes, but we ultimately wanted to leave the windows open for our viewing pleasure instead of backing up a couch to that side (i.e. no couches facing each other). That meant we’d either face the sofa directly towards the river or towards the TV. With the back of the sofa exposed, I wanted a sofa table to block off the space and be a source for more light (hello, lamps!). I LOVED this unique design found at Cobblestone and Vine.

LAMPS

Cute lamps are hard to find. I must have looked through hundreds when I walked in a saw this pair sitting tall and fierce inside Cobblestone & Vine. I love the earthy yet luxe vibe to them, and the navy hue ties in nicely with the area rug. We were able to camouflage the cords behind the table and underneath the couch, running to the outlet on the lefthand side of the room.

MIRROR

THIS. This this this! I love the elegance and old-world flair that this amelie floor mirror brings to the room. It’s probably my favorite piece in the whole house and makes for extremely fun holiday decor 🙂

END TABLE

Speaking of old-world flair, I live for repurposed old trunks. They make me think I was born in the wrong decade, but at least I have them now. I was shopping for bedding one day and instead, came out with this Ludlow Trunk End Table. Swoooon! This was one of the few pieces that came with us from our teeny space in LA.

PINK CHAIRS

A touch of pink is always welcome in my book. If you’ve been a follower of mine for awhile, you know these beauties came with me from LA. I was on the hunt for pink chairs for a loooong time. I came across many styles, shapes and sizes…and then fell in love with this pair of upholstered side chairs! The elephant side table you see between them was my grandmothers. No link, only fond memories 🙂

RUG + FARM TABLE

Scout Design Studio strikes again! When I bought the Nora rug, this one (I believe it’s the Gwen) was also in stock. Knowing I didn’t have to wait 90 days for this custom-made rug? Sold to me! As for the farm table, I have no link. It’s decades old and has traveled from Little Rock to storage to LA and back again, finally to be placed in its forever home – or wherever we go next. She’s a relic, but there are many reclaimed wooden tables out there to choose from if you’re in the market!

DINING CHAIRS

We searched long and hard for chairs that would go well with the farm table, and while many beautiful options presented themselves, I landed on these gorgeous rattan chairs from Cobblestone & Vine!