Saturday, December 30

Loco Bianco!

I'm still having this mad love affair with white. Maybe it's just me taking on a whole new clear, pure, unadulterated outlook on 2007. Hmmm, I doubt it, but I'll try. Anyhow, I digress. Some of you may freak, but I sold the big farm table and went with the faux Saarinen Docksta Dining Table from Ikea. You make think of this as a 'step down', but I really like it. I think it's got really nice clean lines, a very sturdy base (much more so than I thought) and a pretty good knock-off - with the exception of the top which isn't as curved (or sloped) at the edges as the real thing. And it's about a 10th of the price. One day the real one!



And continuing on this 'loco blanco' theme, unless someone talks me out of it, I do believe I'm going to pull the trigger on this Jasper Slipcovered Sofa from Room & Board. I just love the tapered legs and the fact that it doesn't really look slipcovered. And I love very much the fact that I can throw the slipcovers in the washer & dryer after Cooper takes his first leap onto it (to be fair, he usually asks first).


I wanted to go for Crate & Barrel's Petrie, but I'd probably be certifiable to do that with Mr. Hairy Cooper in the house, right? I've also been vacillating between those two, and then this Room & Board André in Linen. Oh, gosh and now that I look at the André again, I really love it, too. Help.


And then, out of nowhere, I went totally nuts for the R&B Jasper Studio Sofa in Lynda Licorice Leather. Thankfully they are plum out or I might have done a very naughty, impractical thing! And it's black so I don't know where that fits in, although of course it would compliment white very well, no? It is so beautiful, but doesn't seem to be in Room & Board's '07 line. Pity, that. I do suppose it's really more of a showcase piece, for after you buy your first really nice sofa, huh? Man, oh man, I love this piece. If anyone has any sage advice for me or experience with any of these sofas, please weigh in. But, please, be quick - I'm antsy!


*Upper left corner pic courtesy of lem.o.nade.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really like the look with the docksta table!

sfgirlbybay said...

Oh, thank you Kate. Bless your heart, I was a bit nervous about this move, but for $150, how can I lose, right?

:)

Anonymous said...

Hi Victoria. Hope you've been enjoying the Holidays and your time off. You probably won't remember me. I worked at Chiat/Day from '99-'01, while you were there freelancing in Production off/on. I was tickled to have stumbled upon your blog through Apartment Therapy. Beautiful digs by-the-way!

Condolences to Casey Mooney. Am sorry to have read about that in your blog. You wrote a lovely acknowledgment.

Great job/congrats on your blog. Looking forward to reading more.
p.s. The faux Saarinen is a nice change.

Maria E.

sfgirlbybay said...

Hi Maria,

Of course I remember you! How are you? Are you in L.A.? Thank you for your comments about Casey - I'll be sure and pass them along to her. She'll be touched.

I hope you're doing well, happy new year,
Victoria

Anonymous said...

Faux Saarinen looks well. I, too, am craving white lately, which is completely out of character. What's going ON?

Anonymous said...

I recentltly settled on the lennox sofa from Room & Board after months of Petrie lust. I couldn't be happier, I think they are all great choices...but my vote is on the Jasper. I found your blog through apartment therapy a few months back, just curious if you have any advice for a first timer to the Alameda flea I'm thinking of going next weekend.

** Terramia ** said...

Oh, beau blanc...

Symbolises purity, cleanliness, and innocence. Perhaps a subliminal connection with the New Year just right around the corner? Just peut-être... (;

I adore blanc aussi.. and all shades:

Snow, pearl,ivory, milk white, lily, smoke, seashell, old lace, cream, linen, ghost white, beige, cornsilk, alabaster, whitewash... the list goes on and on.

As for your choices de furniture ... white as the driven snow. J'adore...

Perhaps someone somewhere will have a White Sale just pour vous?

Have a very merry New Year brimming with white dreams and wishes...

/Terramia (:

Anonymous said...

We use the Docksta as an art table in my daughter's room, and I think it was such a great buy -- fab looks, incredibly useful, and fantastic price. I'd love to put one in our breakfast nook, too, if we had the room for a round table there ...

As for sofas, we agonized for months before ordering the Troy in a light fabric from Crate & Barrel (very similar to the Jasper, except it has blockier legs: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=931&f=8658&q=Troy) -- and now I'm really regretting it.

I like to lay down on the couch to read, but the seat depth on this is so shallow that I have to throw the back cushions onto the floor so they're not bearing down on me. Same thing when we're sitting on the sofa the regular way -- if you want get really comfortable and cross or tuck your legs under you, the back cushions have to be tossed off.

So unless you're physically tiny or only ever sit on a sofa the proper way, I'd vote for the Petrie or the Andre -- the tight backs on these provide a bit more seat depth than a sofa with back cushions.

Another alternative is to look for a deeper sofa. Restoration Hardware's Easton (http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1145065) is nice-looking and fairly clean-lined and has an incredible 44-inch depth (vs. the standard 36 inches on most sofas, which translates to about 21-22 inches of actual seat depth). Problem is, it's pricey ($2,900 and up, depending on upholstery choice).

As for us, we're thinking of selling our Troy at a big loss, and have been haunting craigslist and the C&B outlet store in Berkeley for an affordable Petrie (though now I'll have to consider that great-looking Andre, too ... ).

Anyway, good luck with your decision. I'm sure whatever you settle on will only make your beautiful apartment that much more envy-worthy!

Anonymous said...

Bonjour from Switzerland! I stumbled upon this site last month and all I can say is well done! Beautiful, creative, inspirational, friendly..brings a smile to my face everytime I log on! I'm a mother and also a JR lover, the doggies names are Cooper a.k.a. Mr. Coops and his lovely partner in crime, Bitchie a.k.a. Baby Dauph! My time is limited, but I simply have to check this page once a day! Here in Swissland, we have a special trash day, once a month, for large domestic objects such as household appliances, etc..to my surprise, I have acquired many beautiful things, old mirrors, armoires, tables and chairs. Some sand paper, two coats of paint, and some elbow gease and violà! Objects discarded and unwanted and given a new lease of life! My home resembles a bazaar, but I love it. All this to say, I too am a huge fan of WHITE! When in doubt I say, paint it white. Thank you for great ideas and look forward to seeing more in 2007. Bonne Année.
Sincerely yours,
Squirelly Nuts

sfgirlbybay said...

Thank you so much everyone for your comments. Choosing your first pricey sofa is tough and I appreciate every one's input. At this moment (and I mean up to the minute!) I am leaning towards the Petrie. They assure me it is very stain resistant and Cooper is off limits. He's all over my bed (thus, I own about 5 white duvet covers), so that will have to suffice. Poor thing.:)

*Susie* - advice for Alameda. It is big, really big. So first, comfy shoes. Hip, ones, of course. :) And stop beforehand for your own coffee - the line is crazy and it's not that great.

Take your time - you don't have to get there too early, in fact if you're not hunting down the perfect object and just browsing, you can often get a better deal later in the afternoon - no one wants to pack up all their stuff and they'll be up for bargaining.

I start at the back - walk straight through all the aisles and begin at the end - you'll be in front of most of the people in front for the good stuff in the back.

PARKING - ignore the parking attendants who tell you to park WAY back there. Just breeze past them and go to the front - there's always lots of spots left by the early birds.

If you find something large and don't want to lug it around - buy it, ask them to hold it and and make note of the booth number (you don't want to forget where you found your treasure). At the end of your day, they have large carts you can borrow at the front of the flea market entrance - go gather your stuff and bring it back to the front. There's also a side gate way in the back you can drive around to.

Don't be afraid to ask for a lower price - they can always just say no and they're used to it. Have fun!
Victoria

Anonymous said...

That's a great memory you have! Am doing well. Moved back to the Bay area this past May and am working at a shop in SF. Still in the clutches of the ad biz.

Am drooling over the pics from your post on 12/31. Very inspiring.

As for the sofa dilemma... I own one similar to the Petrie. I was drawn to the tufting in the cushions, which gives it a more retro-in-a-good-way feel. However, I've found that there's a drawback with tufting. Your clothing, elbow, fingers, toes, etc. get caught on the buttons and they loosen. The problem is mostly in the tufting on the cushions you actually sit on, not the cushion backs.

If you're attracted to the tufting on the Petrie, maybe the Andre from R&B would work? There's no tufting in the seat cushions only on the tight back.

It's a tough decision. Buying the big ticket item usually is, right?

I don't envy you, but I envy you. =)

Good luck with whatever you decide. I'm sure it will be the right one.

Happy New Year to you too!
Maria

Anonymous said...

Hi there,
I've had a crush on the RB Jasper foreeevver...I was dismayed that it wouldn't fit into my tiny apartment, so I went with another sofa from RB. I'm sure you're on top of this already but, if you have any doubt that it will fit into your place, I definately recommend having a RB fitcall in advance. I did and the delivery folks told me that, not only would the Jasper not fit, but the size of a sofa that would fit. Good luck! Sam

Chelsea said...

I've finally decided on the Andre myself. I wanted the Jasper for awhile but then swithced to the Bantam from DWR and then moved onto the Andre and haven't wavered yet so I'll soon be parting with my savings acount but I've never been so excited about spending that much money.

sfgirlbybay said...

Thanks Sam - my doorway is fairly wide @ 32" so I think per my calculations it should fit.

Thanks again everyone - I'll let you know what I end up with. It could be a surprise I haven't even shared yet.;)

sfgirlbybay said...

Chelsea - ain't it the truth!? I've gone from the craving the black Jasper lounge to the white slipcovered Jasper to the André to the Modern; back to the Jasper and now am considering the Petrie. I was in Room & Board for I think two hours, going up and down all three floors trying to decide. One last trip to Crate & Barrel to look at the Petrie and then I am making a decision. I swear!

Anna Spiro said...

I adore white - a perfect canvas for beautiful things.

Anna