I need your advice. It’s not a big deal, but it’s something that’s been bothering me for some time and I have been going about it in circles trying to figure it out, and I could use a second opinion. There are two sofas in our house, and I love them both. They are both serendipitous Facebook Marketplace finds, both 78 inches wide and comfortable, which makes this decision hard because size-wise the two are interchangeable. I’ll explain: One is a soft green & cream plaid English roll arm sofa that folds out into a queen bed, and that is now our living room sofa (below).
The other one is a blue and white floral sofa that I found two summers ago and that sits between our builtin shelves in the family room. I found the blue and white sofa first, when I was working on the family room design and, although my initial plans were to look for a sofa bed (buying a new one was not in the budget at the time), this one looked beautiful and fit perfectly between the builtin shelves so I decided to use it instead. I loved the upholstery fabric, with its soft floral pattern and the blue and white, so it was easy to built the room’s color scheme around it, with the blue and pale yellow color story at the center of my plan.
Then last spring I found the sofa bed, which also happens to be 78 inches wide, and I used this one to replace our beloved Ikea sofa in the living room, which had seen better days. But because it is 78 inches wide, this sofa bed could also go into the family room and accomplish my initial goal of having that space multi-task as family room for all of us, home office for me, and guest bedroom for the occasional overnight guest.
Should I fulfill that program and swap the sofas? Even though that would mess up all the color schemes I worked so hard to develop? The Wythe Tan in the family room beautifully plays off the blues of the sofa (I think 🙂 ), while the Cooking Apple Green of the family room picks up the greens of the sofa bed upholstery. But we had overnight guests recently and they had to sleep on the living room sofa bed, which offered them zero privacy. I doubt they’ll come back 🙁
Also worth mentioning: the living room sofa bed is incredibly heavy, and there’s no chance we could move it without considerable effort, so I want to be 100% sure before we break our backs. What do you think? Would you leave well enough alone, or would you swap the two pieces and try to make it work? Am I overthinking this? Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.
And another question: We have people at our house helping us out with another project: installing shiplap panels in our stairway and kitchen. They reached a tricky spot above the dining room doorway and the front door, and I am stumped (image above and below). In the living room I used simple 1×6 boards instead of crown molding, and the 1×6 above the front door use to end at the corner (above) and I always felt that that looked strange, a bit off. I took the above picture in 2022, when we added the ceiling beams.
Above the dining room entryway there’s this fragment where the wall meets the ceiling and before the ceiling vaults into the stairway, and I thought adding the 1×6 board would be a way of completing the corner.
That piece is up now (image above), and the issue of the awkward corner is solved, but my daughter still thinks it looks strange. What do you think? There’s still time to remove the trim before I start painting (and for our contractor to give us a hand swapping the two sofas) but they’re wrapping up work this weekend and I’d love to make up my mind one way or another before they leave, and also be happy with my decision 🙂
Again, if you have any thoughts or suggestions about dealing with this tricky spot, please let me know. Thank you!
Wishing you all a fun weekend!
Swap ’em. I think they’ll look great that way, and function like you need them to.
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Thanks Dianne!
My 2 cents… I would swap the sofas. I think you can make it work color-wise with accessories in each of the rooms.
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Thank you Marcy!
Eva, from how your two rooms photograph it looks like the blue and white couch would look good in the living room with the apple green walls ( love blue and greens together!) and it looks like the family room color would complement the plaid sofa. I’m sure you’ve taken a cushion in there and held it up – what do you think?
It would be nice to have the sofa bed in your family room for guests to enjoy a private cozy room!
And I would not add the trim piece over the shiplap. I think having the shiplap there will make the other trim piece look more like a “beam ” piece ending into the corner.
Regardless I love your posts and your humility and appreciate you being on a budget like most of us are!!
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Thank you so much Lisa!
Swap them. And the new trim finishes the entry—leave it.
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Thank you Carol!
I’d swap the sofa’s they’re totally interchangeable. And I’d remove the trim pieces for sure.
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Thank you Cindy!
I would switch the sofas and keep the trim. Thank you for sharing!
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Thank you Laura!
Definitely think you should swap them! Not only to give guests more privacy, but also I think the color scheme would work with only minor changes (pillows, etc.). Also I would leave off the trim above both doors if it’s possible to end it before the entry doo without it looking strange.
I love your home and your decorating style. We will be needing to downsize sometime soon and I’d love my smaller home to have the cozy vibe yours does. Good luck, and I’m sure whatever you choose will be just right for you.
Marsha
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Thank you so much Marsha!
Swap it sofas see that your guests will want to come back. The trim board finishes the entry off nicely. Leave it!
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Thank you David!
Remove the cushions from both sofas, then cover the sofas with white sheets. Put the cushions from the living room sofa onto the family room sofa (now covered with a white sheet) and vice versa.
Live with it for a couple of days and then decide,
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Thanks for the useful suggestion, Diane!
Another vote to swap the sofas to fit your need. I agree with others comments that you have the eye for styling the rooms and color palates to pull off a polished effect. I’m team removing the trim as I think it “squashes” the height above the two doorways.
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Thanks Pamela!
I’d go for the swap. I love apple green and blue together. I also love things that are just a little imperfect to create energy and wimsy. Your blue and white sofa will look stunning in the living room. 🙂 I think the shiplap can run from door trim to ceiling without the added board. It’s a little busy as is.
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Thank you Susan!
If you swap them you gain function (YAY!) but you will lose IMO much of the quirk and charm of the current set up, especially in the library. The current mood of the united two spaces ,where the casual sofa is at front, will turn into a more predictable arrangement of front room and den. Myself, I’d leave it and save for a new sofabed (or whatabout an air mattress??) for the library and move the blue sofa then. Hopefully before the next round of guests.
And since you asked, I’d leave the plank over the door but not do it over the shiplap.
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Thank you Varya!
One more vote for swapping! Love your home and the fact that you have taken time to make it cozy.
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Thanks Annette!
Swap….it will be lots of work….but worth it.
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Thank you!!!
Hi Eva,
I think your initial plan was a good one, so for function, I’d swap the sofas. I think both would look great in their new locations. As for the trim, I really like the quirks and imperfections of older homes. It makes one question if it was “always” there. However, you can’t go wrong with extending the shiplap, so that works, too. I guess I’m torn on that one. I know you’ll make the best decision, as your entire home is just lovely!
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Thank you so much Sheena!
I would swap sofas and consider possibly repainting or reupholstering later if fabric is not perfect in the new room.
I honestly cannot give an opinion on trim not seeing the whole space. Right now it looks “off” to me, but maybe just angle of picture. Sorry.
I truly appreciate your down to earth honesty and being open about having a budget to stick to.
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Thank you so much, Lynn!
Hi. I don’t think you should swap the sofas if you love the color scheme as is and what you’ve worked so hard to create. You can always find alternatives for the occasional guest, like foldaway beds. Your house has to be for you and you’ve worked really hard to create this beautiful environment.
As for the trim, what if you tried adding one vertical piece after the cornice to end the opening? A white trim piece from floor to ceiling. I think that the opening is what makes it look unsettled. Adding the vertical piece would complete the line and allow you to keep the trim above the door. You’ve made your home exquisite!
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Thank you, Morgen!
I agree to swap them. That’s the benefit of having a cohesive color scheme, you have the flexibility to move pieces from room to room and it still looks good! I adore that blue and white floral sofa, and giving it a more prominent place in the living room is a good thing.
Are you planning anything for the red/pink chairs?
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Thank you for the advice, Diana! The chairs will be slipcovered at some point, but I have yet to decide on fabric and timeline.
Your home is so lovely, Eva! I think swapping the sofas makes a lot of sense and, from the photos, the color schemes would work just as well with the different patterns. I think I might remove the trim over the dining entrance for a cleaner look. It’s these small decisions that sometimes cause the most deliberation!
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Thank you so much, Lori!
Definitely swap sofas.
Take the 1 x 6 trim off, but make certain the vertical shiplap is perfectly aligned where it meets the ceiling. To quote Mies van der Rohe, “Less is more.”
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Thank you!
I’m late to vote but for what it’s worth…swap them. I think the plaid will be very “study” like in the room you use as an office sometimes, and the floral is so pretty, and I believe it will look great in your living room. Both are very English and reflect your style. No clue about the trim. Sorry. Anyway, I know you’ll make the right decision because I always like your decor plans.
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Thank you so much, Karen!