as many of you know we spent a good 6 months looking for a sofa last year. the combination of our tiny doorway and narrow (v-shaped) hallway meant that practically everything we looked at was too big to get through. now that we’ve settled on one (room and board’s andre), i thought it would be fun to compile a guide to sofas made up of models i tested during our search. i’ve included groupings according to style (mid-century, classic, sleeper, etc.), designer (mitchell gold + bob williams are a favorie) as well as price (there is a roundup of sofas under $1000, too) so hopefully there will be something in there for everyone. this isn’t a definitive look at the entire market but rather groupings that i’ve personally found to be great models depending on price and style. hope you enjoy!

[image above: Ochre's Velvet Snooze Sofa]

[image above: When I started searching, I wanted something classic—a modern design that would never go out of style. I settled on five top designs. Isamu Noguchi's Free Form Sofa (Center: $9,145 at DWR.com), with its undulating curves and soft upholstery satisfied the need for comfort and style. Sadly, the price was out of my range. Moving on to Eames, I liked the Case Study Day Bed (bottom middle, $1,850 at UnicaHome.com), Sofa Compact (top right: $3,145 at HighBrowFurniture.com) and the recently reissued Eames Sofa (bottom left: $6,998 at DWR.com). Only the Mogensen 2-seat sofa (bottom right) met the comfort test for movie-watching sessions, but its price ($19,205 at MossOnline.com) was a no-go. The Nelson Marshmallow sofa, top left, at Design Within Reach, on the other hand, wasn't nap-ready as I had expected but, if you need something for party seating, this mid-century piece is perfect ($2,825 at DWR.com).]

[image above: Reeling from the price tags on the classics, I checked out budget options, confining myself to $1,000 or less. I found a few in Ikea's collection more-than-suitable and completely liveable. Soft, white upholstery and fluffy cushions on the Ekeskog (top right, $799) make it the perfect starter sofa (though the stumpy wooden legs left something to be desired). The Kramfors (middle right, $1,158) came in a variety of colors, and though the fabric could have been a bit softer, I was won over by its clean lines. At Target, the Studio Couch (bottom right, starts at $299 at Target.com) and the Copenhagen Sofa (Bottom right: $629.99 at Target.com) were my favorites, though not as comfortable as I'd like. Despite the lack of cushioning, they'd be right for a dorm room or a child's rooms. Last but not least, I checked out Crate & Barrel's "$999 and Less" section. The Prado Sofa (top right, $999) and Troy armless loveseat (Middle left: $949) were great options that didn't sacrifice comfort for price. Their multiple fabric options were a big bonus.]

[image above: House & Garden's Designer's Best website was (it's no longer online) a great source for sofa resources. The magazine polled 20,000 designers and architects on their go-to brands, and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams were a big favorite for sofas. Their collection runs the gamut from traditional to modern, always with sophisticated flair. I'd be hard pressed to find a bad couch in their collection. If you don't have a lot of time to shop and have $2,000 to $4,000 to spend, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is a great one-stop. Shown (Clockwise from the top left: Baxter, Chester, Jackie, Nelson, Stephon and Coleman)]

[image above: Mid-century style sofas are still one of the most requested looks, and since it's a style I also favor, I collected a few options. Room and Board's Jasper Sofa (top left, $1,349-$1,399) is easily my favorite sofa on the market: comfortable, stylish, with multiple upholstery options. The Lenox Sofa (top middle, $849-$899) is an affordable mid-century look from Room and Board. Crate and Barrel's Rochelle Sofa (top right) has the adorable tapered legs that so many of us desire at a reasonable $1,499. The Bantam Sofa from DWR ($1,600), with its cute tapered legs and well-tailored tufted back, was a close runner-up. But my first choice was Crate and Barrel's beautiful Petrie. We measured, double checked, and ordered, only to find that our white Petrie would fit through our tiny door. Four flights of stairs and one removed-door later, the couch was sent back to Crate and Barrel without a home. If your door can handle this couch I highly recommend it.]

[image above: Though I didn't need a sleeper, they are indispensible for those without a guest room. The models above all provide either a fold out bed or convert easily to a cushioned surface for overnight guests. Clockwise from top left: Winston (starting at $2,099 at RoomandBoard.com), Twilight Sleep Sofa ($1,500 at DWR.com), York Slipcovered ($1,899 at RoomandBoard.com)]

[image above: Sometimes a traditional sofa just won't do, in which case I suggest a bold punch of color. These options from Anthropologie combine beautiful forms with bright upholstery options. The models above are lovely, but remember: you can always use a local upholsterer to re-do your own sofa in a bold fabric of your choice. Above, clockwise from top right: Ditte sofa ($3,998), Jayne Sofa ($3,498), and Piedmont Settle ($2,998)]

[image above: Jonathan Adler's line of upholstered furniture has clean lines and a classic look. Try adding your own custom upholstery look for a personalized touch. Shown (clockwise from top left): Bergman Sofa ($3,200), Woodhouse Sofa ($3,250), Lampert Sofa ($2,695) and the Butterfield Sofa ($3,200).]

[image above: After the heartbreak of the Petrie, I would have been happy with any of the one above: (clockwise from top left) Ditte sofa in Bottna ($3,498 at Anthropologie.com), Petrie in Cocoa ($1,499 at Crate and Barrel), Milo Sofa ($3,498 at Anthropologie.com), Snap Apt. Sofa by Todd Oldham for La-Z-Boy, Jasper Slipcovered ($1,399) and Andre in Navy ($1,499), both at RoomandBoard.com]

[image above: After the endless search, I finally settled on Room and Board's Andre ($1,499). The tufted back, a reasonable price and perfect dimensions sealed the deal. Perfect? Almost: I've decided to have it upholstered in Hable Construction's "Bead" fabric to jazz things up.]

i’m a sucker for this pattern- hable’s bead print notepads at see jane work ($16)

i’m loving this little jen corace wedding album from ifn books, via brooklyn bride. it’s such a sweet way to store your memories. and…vane also has an update on the brownstone bride story (see photo below) that was in the national news. such a crazy story- and just one block from our house!

one of the things i get asked about the most these days is the chloe sevigny spread H&G did last year. i’ll admit, i was majorly obsessed with her hallway’s wallpaper but i’d never been so beseiged with emails asking for full-sized photos, sourcing info and extra copies. thanks to my co-worker katy the full slideshow is now available online, with additional pictures that didn’t run online the first time. just click here to check it out- she’s got a seriously beautiful home.

when i get bored i like to do little craft projects around the house using leftover fabric or paper. one of my favorite things to do is use wrapping paper to line drawers, cabinets and closets. i thought my dresser drawers could use a little snazzing up to go with our new quilt so i picked up a few rolls of snow & graham gift wrap (on sale at loom) and cut them to size for my drawers. the best way to finish the project is to cut clear contact paper to size and use that to secure the gift wrap, but i decided to go for simple scotch tape this time because i didn’t have any contact paper around the house. and if you get bored? simply peel off and start again- always a fun project for a hot afternoon.

this beautiful new print from chris at pressure letterpress is too lovely to pass up. plus, it’s in that fabulous yellow hue that’s everywhere right now. you can pick up chris’ ‘bunny bush’ print for $15 right here. enjoy!

i’ve been having so much fun watching shayna and her boyfriend put together their new cabin house outside of san francisco. every week there’s something new to look at and i’m amazed at the speed with which they’re getting everything done. i’m also loving the bold paint color choices. if you enjoy checking out home decoration from the ground up i highly recommend shayna’s cabin house blog- and don’t miss the blue bedroom, it’s such a fantastic color.

i’m thrilled to post another sneak peek today, this one belonging to artist alena hennessy. alena’s home is full of beautiful artwork and i had so much fun reading through her descriptions to see who everyone was. as always you can click here to see full-sized (and several extra) photos of alena’s home, or you can read below for photos with alena’s text. thanks to alena for sharing her home with us!

["In the very top photo above Grace's intro is a giraffe from Jonathan Adler. The ceramic vase was made by Kim Westad, which I bought off her Etsy page", The picture directly above this is our bedroom. Above our bed is a painting of mine from several years ago. I used a variety of small glass beads and old photocopies of vintage looking floral motifs."]

["The framed drawing is by Alyson Fox, we did a trade for artwork several months back. The clock is our newest addition which we just picked up at Mxyplyzyk. We are really in love with it. And the furniture piece my husband, Andrew Bowers, made back when he was in school."]

["Shown here is a painting by Nina Surel, another fabulous trade!"]

["The small decoupaged plates are by John Derian, my Mom and I both adore his work so she bought those for me a few years ago. The month of July that is on display is a part of the letterpressed calendar I bought on Etsy last Christmas. The vase is from the Curiosity Shoppe, and in it are dried lotus pods."]

["Drinking tea is one of my favorite things to do in life, especially with my girlfriends out on our back deck. So I just treasure my tea cups and things. Those tea cups were a gift and they are hand painted from San Francisco... The cylindrical thing to the left is a princess's lunch box was a gift that my Grandmother received years ago when they lived in Japan. The above photos are mounted onto recycled barn wood are by another Asheville artist, Rebecca Tolk."]

["This is a photo of our dining room. The alabaster deer head is from The Curiosity Shoppe. On the table is a place mat from chilewich underneath the dried flowers.
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