The one where I move the living room upstairs

Not the actual whole room, just the furniture.

We have a funny flat, which has what was the kitchen/living area on the ground floor, then a spiral staircase up the first floor. The staircase opens into what was designed as a living room, but for the last year has been Belle’s bedroom.

It all seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was really. It was just Belle and I when we moved in, so a two seater sofa downstairs was enough for us, and it didn’t matter if I walked through her bedroom to go to the toilet. Now though things are different. My fiancé lives with us, and he’s not small. Adding an extra body – a body that’s over 6 feet tall – onto the two seater sofa has been a bit of a squeeze, and after turning 13 this summer we felt that Belle needed a bit more privacy.

So here we are. I’m now sat upstairs typing this, in Belle’s former bedroom, happily ignoring the fact that downstairs is now some sort of dingy, empty basement kitchen. I shall fill it in due course.

What I’ve been wanting for ages is a really lovely armchair. I love that feeling of curling your legs up underneath you in a big cosy armchair, with a mug of tea sat on the arm and a magazine or a book propped up. The armchair of my dreams at the moment is this one from Arlo & Jacob:

Arlo and Jacob Wallis armchair

Let’s all take a minute shall will?

It’s a bit special.

Apart from the fabulous sweeping back, which would make me feel like I was sat in a shell, like a beautiful mermaid, I really love the colour. I have a bit of a thing for mustards and yellows at the moment, which probably means they were on trend in about 2008. It feels to me like the sort of chair you’d have for life, carrying it lovingly from house to house, never feeling quite at home until it was in its place by the fireplace.

Whilst I save up for the armchair, I am making do with a few Arlo & Jacob scatter cushions on my cheap sofa bed. The mustard is the same colour as the armchair, so everything will match up nicely when I finally do get my dream chair, plus they go rather nicely with my new lampshade. The quality feels excellent – you can tell immediately that they are built to last.

My new living room is a little sparse at the moment, apart from books, but once we get some pictures up on the walls, and I persuade my fiancé to let me buy a selection of massive pot plants, I think it will look rather lovely.

Arlo and Jacob

Arlo and Jacob

Arlo and JacobI don’t have little children any more, thank goodness, but as a brand, Arlo & Jacob are very keen on the idea that having small kids doesn’t mean you have to comprise on style. They’ve even made a handy infographic to help you child proof your home.

Arlo and Jacob

The cushions are a gift from Arlo and Jacob for the purposes of this post. I couldn’t convince them to gift me a chair.

 

 

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5 Comments

  1. 3 September, 2015 / 5:11 pm

    Ooooh, LOVING that armchair! I have a thing for mustards, too. Last autumn/winter, I created a Pinterest board for a ‘Dream Room’ competition, which featured gorgeous gold, almost mustardy crush velvet curtains and some mustard pillows, which I’m still contemplating buying. I tried to link to them, but I can’t include it in my comment, so I’ll tweet it to you :-)

  2. 3 September, 2015 / 5:19 pm

    Wow! That chair corner looks so nice! I love the blue wall with the yellow armchair.

  3. 3 September, 2015 / 8:12 pm

    Fabulous chair, fantastic for curling up with a mug of tea & hiding behind a book.

    You could always get a 2nd hand armchair from a charity shop or from freecycle & use tour saved up funds to get new covers made.

  4. 2 May, 2024 / 12:12 pm

    Fascinating read about moving the living room upstairs! It’s intriguing to see how you transformed your space and made it work for your needs.

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