I love it! It looks really cozy and functional. Thanks for sharing. Also, can you tell me about those chairs? They're beautiful.

I love that light fixture your looking at.

Ooh, we have a very similar setup in our "dining room" with a round table, sofette/settee, and chairs. At the time I bought my settee, the only one I found with the right seat height and other dimensions was at Pottery Barn, and it came only in light neutral colors. I still like it, but the cream color is starting to show more and more dirt and really, I'm finding that the quality of the "everyday suede" is not so hot after a few years of daily light use. So I'm trying to decide if I should have it reupholstered, slipcovered, or maybe just buy new. (Since reupholstering can be as expensive as buying new!) So that's my long way of asking: where'd you get yours?

LOVE your sofette!!!!

Great space. The sofa fits and looks perfect in front of your window.

I love everything about this room - built-ins, rug, the light fixture you chose, the round table with those chairs and sofa....

I'm not an expert on design... but there is a lot going on with the books in the book shelves -- I'm saying this partly based on your window treatment choice. I love those panels from C&B - but the vertical stripes and the vertical books may be too much visually.

You can stack some books in the cubbies and also consider grouping the books by color (I've seen this done and it looks really cool)

Just a suggestion - and easy to play around with. You don't have to buy a thing!

Here is a link that might be useful: Accessorizing book shelves

I love it, especially with your two chairs. It looks like the perfect fit for that room.

I am no help. I like everything youve done, and everything you are thinking of adding. I think the striped drapes will look much better then the current pattern, which is too mousy for the rest of the room IMHO.

I love your room. One, because it is different. Two, because it looks like it would be so pleasant and comfy to use. Brava

I love, love, love your blue velvet. In fact, the whole room is looking like an inevitable family favorite, with its wonderful combination of coziness and energy.

I also like everything you're doing. The dainty scale of the hanging general light you're considering is charming, and it should be a nice echo for the orbits of the rug.

Since you're doing so great I hesitate to question anything, but I love the rug in there and wonder if it and the bold horizontal stripe will work well together. Also the spacing of the horizontal lines of the white shelves and those of the curtains? This is where my ability to visualize fails me. I like the curtains themselves a lot.

Reading light(s) for the gloomy months?

May I ask where you got the sofette?

Love what you have done. Are those yoyo's on the white pillow? Love the colors there.

It is gorgeous! I must echo "where did you get it?"

Thank you everyone. I'll try to respond to everything. Such great feedback.

pricklypearcactus - the chairs are the Safavieh Becca Side Chair in grey linen with nickel nailheads. There are a lot more options. I found them at Wayfair and then shopped around and found them cheaper at Target online.

madeyna - now I just have to wait for it to go on sale or to get a coupon

sueb - your room was what got me thinking to try something similar in this room!

sueb, kswl, Janice742, and holly-kay - the sofette is the Elton Settee in Ink Blue from West Elm. It comes in a lot of different colors. I also really liked their Sutton Sofette (where I got the word), but it was too short for table seating. My sister-in-law has the Elton in Moss velvet and it has held up great to three kids under five so I figured it would work for us too.

Janice742 - I know exactly what you mean about the "busyness" of the bookshelves. But both my husband and I are voracious readers and the books are arranged by subject and in alphabetical order. I think we would both have fits if they were arranged any other way. :-) I also tried to stack them and arrange them in a more artful way, but we have so many that I ran out of room. We had to donate a bunch as it was (and that was ok, it was time to purge some of them).

mtnrdredux - It is already a very popular spot and it's a comfortable place to help the kids with homework. Plus, it's not the kitchen table so we don't have to pick everything up when it's time to eat.
Mousy drapes, that's a good description! You can see the pattern up close in the first picture. I liked them because of the color and because they brought some of the circle theme up to the square part of the room without being actual circles. I did really like them in the summer months, but I'm thinking the winter Northern Midwest winters require something a bit more substantial.

rosie - glad you mentioned reading lights. I'm thinking this
needs to go next to the sofette.
I see what you mean about the striped curtains. I have them in my master already (when you find something you like...) so I can bring one in and see what it looks like.

natesgram - I love that little pillow too! They are actually little cords of fabric wound into circles. It's from Crate and Barrel.

I really didn't mean to go with a circle and square scheme. It's just what I found that I liked in the colors I wanted. The square bookcases were a necessity because they were the only off-the-shelf option in my budget that fit the space. My dream is built-ins with a ladder (sigh), but every extra dollar spent on built-ins in this house takes away from the budget in our future country house.

This post was edited by geokid on Wed, Oct 9, 13 at 15:41

Oh, that's funny, I was at West Elm just the other day and actually looked at that sofette, thinking hmm, would that work in my room? It seemed quite a bit deeper than the one I have so I didn't think it would work. But now I wish I had looked more closely!

Is that a RH light? I just ordered two of their floor lamps during a sale and I'm in love with them both.

Just noticed your throw, too. That's great. Love it.

Geo...
I was going to order that settee in the Lagoon - but when I recv the swatches it read more charcaol than blue. When I just looked at the WE website and saw your color - the swatch on the monitor looks so dark. The "real" settee, as seen in your photo is such a pretty blue.

I get what you are saying about your books -- and truly - the only reason I suggested that was how the window panels would look in the space. Since you have them in your BR I would for sure put them in your den to see how they'd look.

I'm envious of your space. I've been working on my office for over a year now. Unfortunately, we need storage, so it's more function over form. I'd really love a pretty place to sit...

And I hear ya about built-ins. I had them priced out and nearly fell over. Instead, I went for free-standing pieces. I hope to be finished by Thanksgiving...

Again - beautiful room.

I was thinking a velvet for a sofette or love seat in my library if the Harper sofa is too big. Geo, thank you for the inspiration and the tip that velvet is wearing well for your SIL! I am anxious to follow along with the rest of your changes.

OK, this might be crazy, but I just received my signed copy of this piece of artwork today. It's of the Overlook hotel from The Shining by an artist that does a lot of artwork for Stephen King's books. I think I want to hang it on that wall space between the window and the bookcase. All of those books above the window are my Stephen Kings, including signed copies, so it would definitely fit. I don't think it's too creepy, but what do the non-SK lovers think?

Maybe this should go in the "Art that speaks to you" thread.

Your library space looks so wonderful and inviting - I'd love to have a space like that! I need to check out the website for the sofette because I've also been looking for one to use with a dining table.

Omgosh....love the word sofette and it lives up to it's word- it's darling! Love the whole space, including that light fixture that you are looking at.

I also vote for the stripe curtains! They add just the right amount of weight to the windows, and the color is neutral even if the pattern is not.

Also, I just love saying "sofette!"

Okay, I didn't expect that, but it's a enjoyable surprise. Absolutely it belongs in there, given your enjoyment of his books. I've read that some believe every room should have a surprise.

very pretty. my cats would love the blue velvet -- too much.

and, I have to say I have never heard the term, "sofette." I'd call that a loveseat -- is there a difference? Or maybe a regional term, like "davenport" for couch?

Rosie- I'll get it framed and see if it works. Otherwise I'm not sure where I'll put it. I bought it because it was definitely one of those pieces I had to have!

Violet- West Elm has a loveseat they call a sofette and I loved the term and started using it. They call this piece a settee though. I'm not sure of the difference between the three terms although I've seen sofette used other places.

Geo, I would absolutely use it. What a wonderfully interesting piece. I was a huge SK fan at one time. Have you ever read any of Tabitha King's books?

Another update. Here is the most recent pic with the antique table restored and refinished, a reading light for the sofette, my artwork hung, and new curtains. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do for a light fixture. I still like the orb one above, but I obviously don't love it if I haven't ordered it yet. Any ideas or suggestions?

This post was edited by geokid on Sat, Nov 30, 13 at 23:57

It looks like a completely different space. I really like your new window treatments. I think the Orb light would look great. A new light fixture (for me, anyway) is a big commitment. Maybe that's why you're unsure?

Beautiful! I actually like the orb light fixture you picked out. It looks "libraryish" and I think the shape would complement the round table.

I like the orb fixture a lot, but it may not throw enough light for a working space.

You might try using bronze rub and buff on the current light fixture in the mean time. If you could bronze it up a bit it may save some $$.

Your library is looking like an inspiration picture from Houzz; great job!

I really like the orb too so decided to photoshop it. Of course, I have no idea of scale. Now, I'm not so sure it's the right choice.

Hmmmm, in that pic it looks a little bit too large, but I like the shape and how it mimics the rug. Maybe it won't be that large in actuality or perhaps there is a smaller option.

I love the settee. I am looking at using indigo for a chair, but had to nix the velvet idea because of the puppy dogs and hair. Nice to see the color in action though.

Thanks for the photoshop, oldbat2be! The one I would purchase is the small version which is 24" wide and tall. So a little bit smaller than the one in the picture. For reference, the table is 55" in diameter.

Julie, I have definitely thought of just painting the light fixture. But I have to get it moved so it is centered on the window and I figure I should change it as long as I'm doing that. The window is off-center to the room and the light fixture is currently centered on the room. This doesn't really make sense. It's like they made the window off-center in order to allow a table in front of the window and a buffet along the wall. But then they put the light fixture in the center of the room so centering a table under it causes the buffet to be crowded and the window to look out of whack.

This is another option. I like how the three arms rotate so the fixture can be configured in many different ways. Kind of funky and unexpected. But the room is turning out to be that way.

Nothing to add except to say you are Very talented!

I just noticed you have the SK picture up! I am a huge fan. Crazy how many times I have deprecated the man's talent (perhaps because of the genre) and then been drawn back in and completely absorbed into his world. I live off of I-95 and think of his novel Cell - with people traveling North on I-95 - at least monthly. Ditto probably Black House. The man is a genius.

I don't think the orb adds anything to the space; almost, I think it detracts. There's something about the whighter light which works better. If you have to move the ceiling outlet anyway, suggest you do so with the current fixture (which doesn't detract).

Smaller version of the light.

And here is Sputknik :)

Whoa. Sputnik is out. Even though it's smaller in real life than in the pic, I still don't like it in there. Thanks for the help!

I still like the orb, although I don't love it in here either. I saw it in this photo originally and I want to use it somewhere though. Maybe it should go in my dining area instead. Hmmmm. Back to searching. I really want to get rid of the fixture that's there now. Our entire main floor has different variations of this same fixture (5-light, 3-light, pendant, semi-flush, etc) and they are definitely not my style. We are slowly changing them all out.

Thank you, jterrilynn! This board has helped me so much with this room and in teaching me how to think about decor in general. I love it here!

Maybe I should just K. I. S. S. and go with something like this. I like this style just fine too.

I like the orb! And like the smaller size that oldbat2be photoshopped in. the one above would look fine as well, but to me, there is nothing to love about it. But I guess that is keeping with the K.I.S.S theme!