Happy New Year everyone. As I write this the first blogpost of the New Year I’m wondering where the last couple of months have gone? It’s been a crazy time for our family and I’m only coming up for air now. Life took us down a path I didn’t see coming and we’re still trying to get our bearings. Here are some updates.

In the middle of November as the hubby and I were finishing up our bathroom for the One Room Challenge, he started feeling unwell. We were to later find out that he had suffered a bleed in his brain that was causing stroke like symptoms. After weeks of hospital stays, constant monitoring, a brain drain and risky brain surgery, he’s now in a rehabilitation hospital focusing on getting well. It’s been such a traumatic and exhausting time for our family and we’re looking forward to better times ahead.

There were so many friends and family praying for us and if you’re one of those people, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. We could feel God’s grace along with the love and prayers, it held us up and helped us through many tough times.

After spending long hours at the hospital, we wanted nothing better than to come home, shower and rest. My daughters, son in law and I would cozy up in this room with blankets and the fire going and a  cheesy Christmas movie playing in the background. It was simple and it refreshed and refuelled us providing us with some shelter from the proverbial storm. My home really was a place for us to find some peace, rest and to recharge, I’m so grateful for it.

My children are gone back to their own homes now, the Christmas trees are down and I’ve made a few little changes to transition from Christmas to winter decor. I added some twinkle lights to the ladder to help add some warmth and there are lots of blankets and pillows to cozy up with. It’s been my little haven while my husband’s been in the hospital.

Before my husband got sick I had decided to get another ragdoll. I had sworn I would never get another cat after Jack died, but I was missing the pitter patter of kitty feet in our home. In the midst of his sickness I had second thoughts about getting the cat as the future seemed so uncertain. My husband told me I had to get him as it was going to be his Christmas present to me. I couldn’t refuse that!

Here is the newest member of our family as he makes his first blog debut. His name is Baloo and he’s a fourteen week old, blue bicolour ragdoll and we’re smitten. He’s added a lot of life to our home!

I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot more of him on the blog.

If all goes well, my husband should be home at the end of the month where he’ll continue with his therapies on an out-patient basis. We know that the journey of healing has it’s up and downs, but we’re remaining hopeful and praying for a complete and speedy recovery for him.

Thanks so much  for bearing with us during our absence. Your support has meant so much to us and we’re looking forward to sharing some great content with you this year.

Blessings,

Kim

Custom Slipcovers For My Ikea Armchairs

I partnered with Bemz for this post. As always, all thoughts, opinions and Ideas are 100% my own.

Last spring I was on the lookout for a couple of armchairs for my living room, I never dreamed I’d be getting custom slipcovers for them! We had already replaced my ten year old Ektorp Sofa with a new one and I was about to replace my one Ektorp armchair  for two new ones when I found this, the Farlov! It wasn’t even in the showroom yet but it was in the catalog. I loved the clean lines and it came with a white slipcover..so, I bought two, without actually seeing them in person! I was a little surprised at the size of these chairs as I was assembling them (they’re big), but the bigger surprise came when I opened the box to get at the slipcovers. Not to offend anyone who has these and love them, but I was so disappointed! I had expected a white cotton similar to my sofa slipcover but these had the appearance of a creamy polyester tweed..not the look I was going for at all. That’s when I decided to try out a company I had heard of who make custom slipcovers for IKEA furniture called Bemz.

I went on their site to see if they were making custom slipcovers for the Farlov yet, seeing how it was fairly new. I was so happy when they were and when I saw all the fabric choices, over 25o+ colours and prints to choose from, I was doing my happy dance! This is just a small sampling of what you’ll find on their site.

Bemz will send you 5 free samples to help you to decide on a fabric of your choice. This process may take a bit of time because there is so much to choose from.. and you may change your mind.. a few dozen times! I placed all my samples on the chair to see if that would help me to decide. I eliminated the greys and charcoals, as much as I loved them, they wouldn’t go with the rest of my decor. I also eliminated the stripes, it would have been too much pattern in such a small space. It also would have made it difficult for me to change/add different colour pillows with the seasons. I needed something a bit more neutral.

I ended up with these six, but I knew the denim floral would be too much in my small space.

I came up with a mood board using colours and textures I have in the room. Wood, white and brass together with my favourite blue and white paisley pillow covers.

I finally made it down to three and this is where I had to ask my friends on Instagram to help me! I asked everyone on IG stories for their top pick and most people chose the “brera lino duck egg” linen (the sample on the left). I decided I’d go with that one since it was in keeping with my coastal farmhouse/beachy vibe I love. But…you guessed it, I changed my mind! At the last minute I realized that although I do love the colour, I wasn’t sure how it would look come fall and then Christmas. How would I style it and work other colours around it? I decided to stick with my trusty neutrals and I went for this beautiful 100% linen called “brera Lino-natural”.

I love the natural linen! The custom slipcovers fit perfectly and are so comfortable to sit in. For those of you who want to try living with neutrals but the thoughts of crisp white slipcovers are a little scary, this is a great option. They come pre-washed and are machine washable. If you’re looking to cover a new or existing sofa, chair etc., they have something for every style.

The farlov comes with a lumbar pillow and they made a cover for that too. I also had them make a couple of throw pillows in the” brera lino duck egg” fabric that I had initially chose. I think they look great!

I think the slipcovers on my two farlov armchairs turned out beautifully and I’m loving the fabric choice…although I think any of those fabrics would have looked great! I’m kinda rethinking my sofa cover now..hmmm.Lol.

Blessings,

Kim

If you’ve followed along with me for a while you’ll know that I’m an avid fan of the Coastal Farmhouse look. There’s just something about the light, bright airy and sea washed look that calls to me. Whats not to love about coastal shades of  blues, sandy whites and  taupes interspersed with gorgeous faded driftwood and dreamy hydrangeas. For whatever reason, Coastal  with the right touch of Farmhouse is my first love when it comes to decorating.

For those of you who have wondered how to go about achieving this look, I’ve created a roundup of some of my favourite Coastal Farmhouse go-to’s. All of these items can be found on Amazon and I’ve provided you with affiliate links below so you can shop the look!

(Below are affiliate links.)

Coastal Farmhouse Finds from Amazon

1.Ektorp 3 seater replacement slipcover in white | 2. Indigo blue throw pillow | 3. Wooden candle sticks | 4. Large seagrass basket | 5. Jute Rug  | 6. Artificial silk hydrangeas | 7. Wood coffee table | 8. Blue floral ginger jar | 9. Blue ticking throw pillow

I have all these items (or very similar) and they have been the basics that help me create this look in my own home.

• Neutral furniture makes it easy to throw on any colour and style of pillow, while slipcovers give a relaxed feel and they’re easy to clean.
• Pillows to pile on and add colour, coziness and comfort.
• Candlesticks with pale wood that reminds you of driftwood you’d find along the beach.
• Wicker baskets and jute rugs that bring in a relaxed feel and texture.
• Hydrangeas whether real or faux especially in blue reminds me of gorgeous houses in the Hamptons.
• Coffee tables with more pale driftwood like wood.
• Blue and white anything, especially these gorgeous ginger jars.

I hope this has made it a little easier for those of you who are trying to achieve this look. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll get back to you.

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Blessings,

Kim