The New George Smith Jules Sofa is in My Living Room! (parts 1 & 2)

Hi Everyone,

This is a relatively short update to Sunday’s post so I can better explain the living furniture layout. If you’ve already read part 1 please click the link below to read part 2. If you’re here for the first time, please begin from the top of the page, so the post makes sense.

 

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Hi Everyone,

Quelle surprise, it snowed today! It often catches us off-guard.

Anyway, I’m sorry to leave you hanging the other day regarding my new sofa.

Between the dim light, my camera that I’m trying to fix, and the dark sofa, I’ve been struggling more than usual to capture it, but like husbands, all one needs is one.

Usually. ;]

Friday, I took some photos but forgot something:

 

I didn’t primp anything, like pillows, or remove the paper cup from my kitchen counter.

Okay, and there’s an open drawer, and the dishwasher door is open. I do that to air it out.

Oh, and my handbag is on the floor by the far arm. However, the lighting of the sofa is the best of them all.

Below is a more tightly cropped version.

You will notice that I decided not to do any nailheads. The legs are dark walnut, and the casters are antique brass.

 

See what I mean about the pillow?

 

Plus, I’m having trouble removing a kink in the rug. I might try dampening it and putting a book on it for a day.

 

I got my new old poker in this one. That is all I need for when the fire is going. With one of these, I can poke the logs and move them if necessary. As I said recently, I get my best ideas by stealing them from the masters like Gerald Bland. I knew he’d have the answer on his Instagram account.

 

Above and below, you can see where I got my inspo.

 

By the way, I found my tool on Etsy, and it was under 50 bucks!

 

 

The photo above was taken today. I had a late start, and it was cloudy. I turned some lights on downstairs, but maybe too many.

Incidentally, thank you to the folks who recommended U-Ship. I had a good experience.

When the guys delivered it, I had them put it in the walk-behind position, which puts Jules about 18″ closer to the fireplace than in the photos. It was okay, but everything felt cramped. Fortunately, it’s super easy to move because of the casters!

 

There is plenty of room to walk between the coffee table and the fireplace, and it isn’t any bother to take another three steps.

 

I just put the image above on my Instagram. Please follow me on Insta if you haven’t already.

I reckon Jules is a nickname for Julie, and her middle name is Georgette. So, Georgette is my name for her.

Yes, she/her. ;]

Men don’t have curves like that, for the most part. :]

 

Laurel, please tell us about the coffee table.

 

Yes, I got it on Chairish for less than half their original asking price!
It’s the real thing with a gorgeous lacquer finish organically crackled with age.

 

It’s probably about 60 years old, so I am pretending it belonged to Billy Baldwin or Albert Hadley. I think they’d both approve.

 

Above is Billy Baldwin’s home in the 1960s. This is from my “human scale” furniture post, “Does Your Living Room Furniture Need to Go on a Diet?”

 

The proportions of the George Smith Jules sofa are deceiving.

 

Most Americans who know furniture would freak out if they knew that the back is only 30″ high and the seat is only 15″ high. American sofa seats are never below 18″, and most are at least 20″high with 35″ high backs. Some companies, like Lee, will make a 34″high back, but that is not typical.

Where Jules is big is in her depth at 44″, but a good two inches of that is the beautiful scroll back.

 

Well, Laurel, how the hell do you expect people to get out of a seat so low?

 

I will provide grappling hooks in a discrete spot near the sofa for guests who forgot to bring their walkers. ;]

Seriously, knock it off, you Farbissinas!!! 

I mean it. You have to use your leg muscles. Now, don’t say a peep about slipper chairs, stairs, and cool low seats. If I can do it, so can you!

But really, the sofa is incredibly comfortable. The tight seat is firm enough that getting up from it is a breeze. Sitting there and looking straight at the gorgeous fireplace mantel is so much fun.

 

With the old spiral, putting a sofa in this location was impossible.

 

Above is my virtual George Smith Jules sofa from last month. The real one is pretty close.

Okay, I’m still working on my art and will report about that again soon. The owner, David at Romantic English is incredibly accommodating. I’m working with him to do something new in his line.

xo,

 

 

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Part 2 Begins Here

 

January 14, 2025

Hi Everyone,

As I said at the top of the page, this is a short update to Sunday’s post so I can better explain the living furniture layout.

But first, to keep my blood pressure on the lower side, some beautiful music by piano prodigy Alexandra Dovgan. She was a virtuoso by the age of six, and she’s 14 in this video. Please enjoy the heavenly sound of Alexandra’s playing.

 

While most of you are kinder than kind, I’ve been getting a lot of snarky/condescending comments recently. Please don’t.

 

At this late date, I am perplexed that anyone would say something like, “Well, maybe you should’ve done such and such. Or have you considered?”

 

What??? The sofa is here! It was ordered last September. There is nothing to consider. I can’t erase it and go back to the drawing board.  I already did that, exploring every possible solution repeatedly to the point of absurdity. If you only knew, you wouldn’t say a word; you’d be calling the guys in the white coats to cart me away.

 

Okay, I don’t want to make a big deal out of it because it’s the minority of people commenting.

 

But then, before the sofa came, there was the window fabric, where there were way too many patronizing remarks.  These aren’t suggestions; that’s fine as long as it’s not too late. No, they have a bossy or “I know better than you” tone. And they’re based on limited information.* These kinds of comments feed on themselves and encourage others to jump on the wrong bandwagon.

*If you’re commenting on one element, like the white shade, for example, please be sure you know what else is going on in the room, and surrounding spaces before rushing to judgment.

 

If it’s something you wouldn’t say to me if you were standing in my living room face-to-face with me, then please don’t say it in the comments or emails.

 

While I don’t expect everyone to read every post, we discussed the living room layout in this post and this one, too.

However, there isn’t a lot to discuss.

There’s a sofa and two chairs. It is not a large living room. One-third of it is a dining area. The first four feet by the entry/kitchen are a wall-less hall towards the bathroom.

 

 

The sofa was always going to block part of the guardrail, as that’s the only way it can be in this room. I’m thrilled to finally be able to put a sofa in here!

 

 

The only question was whether the path would be in front of or behind it. While I was hoping for behind, I was 90% sure that in front was a better option. It’s not a big deal. And as you’ll see in the upcoming video, the navigation is logical and comfortable, too.

 

Couldn’t I do two smaller sofas facing each other?

 

No, because there’s a settee behind the dining table, and then three sofas would be lined up like church pews. It’s important to look at the big picture when doing space planning.

 

We can’t put this sofa facing the kitchen because:

 

1. It would be facing the kitchen, which is odd when the focal point is the beautiful marble mantel and mirror.
2. The sofa would also be facing the same direction as the dining settee. Bad Design
3. And the most pressing issue. It doesn’t fit as there’s only 12″ of space between the front of the sofa and the top of the stairs.

 

I made a short video showing you why walking behind the sofa, while possible, is not the best idea and that you can still see most of the guardrail.

 

But first, this is a photo of the living room as seen from the kitchen’s entrance. I did not show this view because I didn’t want to show a big empty wall behind the sofa. I am working on that right now because it really doesn’t look good, and I also want to get my Gracie panels up!

 

It will look much better when the window treatments are in and the artwork is up. I can’t wait to show you what I have in mind.

 

And now, for the video.

 

 

In closing, there is seldom only one way of doing things.

 

My way might not be your way, and vice versa– and that’s okay. What a boring world it would be if we all did everything the same.

However, for today, all I ask of people is two things:

1. Keep an open heart and mind.
2. Be kind.

I love you all!

xo,

 

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