Get the Look: 60 Modern Grey Sofas

Monage: 54 Living rooms with Gray Sofas is by far the most popular post on this blog, with twice the number of page views as the second most popular, Montage: 57 Plywood Rooms. Although I’ve recently updated the links for its companion post—Get the Look: 22 Modern Grey Sofas—it’s been over two years since I originally created it, so another post on modern grey sofas is in order.

We have a modern grey sofa in the family room, and although it may not be as fashion forward as I’d like, it’s got clean lines, durable fabric, and big comfy cushions. It’s so long all four of us can watch television on it. We actually kind of built the room around it, insisting to our designer that the door to the study be extra narrow. (He wasn’t happy but obliged.)

Since everyone still seems to want to buy a grey sofa, here are 60 modern grey sofas you can shop for at 27 different stores (some StyleCarrot partners), from minimalist modern styles to more classic tufted chesterfield sofas, with a few gray sleeper sofas thrown in. Price points vary, with ten styles under $1000 and many falling in the mid-range.

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1 Carmichael Loft Sofa by Gus*Modern, $1,999 at 2Modern.

2 Jacksonville Convertible Sofa II by Gold Sparrow, $360.99 at AllModern.

3 Sterling Sofa by BD Fine, $1,985 at Burke Decor

4 Boyd Sofa by Pinch, $5,110 at The Future Perfect. 

5 Avec Tweed Sofa, $1,399 at CB2.  

6 El Rey Sofa by Haute House, $4,399 at Horchow

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7 Livingston Sofa, $1,299 at West Elm

8 Morgan Sofa by Bensen, $3,811 at Lekker. 

9 Folding Sleeper Loveseat, $479 at Urban Outfitters.

10 Bryson Sofa by Klausner, $928.37 at PureHome

11 Bram Grey Leather Sofa, $3,799 at Room & Board

12 Bradley Loveseat by International Design, $919.99 at Wayfair.

13 Capri Convertible Sofa by Lifestyle Solutions, $599.99 at Bluefly. 

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14 Alicia Charcoal Velvet Sofa, $2,792 at Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. 

15 City Gym Sofa  in Faribault Wool Blankets, $6,100 at Matter.  

16 Vera Sofa, $2,898 at Lillian August.

17 Madison Sofa by Moe’s Home Collection, $793.99 at Wayfair

18 Larkin Sofa, $2059 at Ballard Designs. 

19 Lampert Sofa, $3,895 at Jonathan Adler

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20 Rue Apartment Sofa, $999 at CB2. 

21 Finn Sofa, $899 at West Elm

22 Spruce Street Sofa, $2,450 at Serena & Lily.  

23 Swept Sofa by BluDot, $1,899 at YLiving

24 Spencer Sofa, $2,234 at Ballard Designs. 

25 Ploum Sofa by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec at Ligne Roset.

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26 Patrick European Velvet Button-Tufted Sofa, $1,839.99 at Overstock.

27 Sophia Sofa by Moss Studio, $3,198 at PureHome

28 Anderson Sofa, $769 at Urban Outfitters.

29 Hunter Lounge, $1,912 at Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams.

30 Kensington Sofa, $3,795 at Jonathan Adler

31 Arden Sofa, $2,800 at Jonathan Adler.

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32 Chester Tufted Sofa, $1,199 at West Elm

33 South Beach Sofa, $1,877.99 at Overstock.

34 Foliage Sofa by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell, $3,850 at YLiving

35 Archive Sofa by Gus*Modern, $2,413.95 at Burke Decor

36 Velvet Settee Loveseat I by Skyline Furniture, $556.99 at Wayfair.

37 Belem Sofa by Didier Gomez at Ligne Roset.

38 Parlour Sofa, $1,699 at CB2

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39 Grey Leather Tufted Chesterfield Renaissance Sofa, $3,359.99 at Wayfair.

40 Silvertone Sofa, $2,499 at Horchow

41 Limbo Sofa by Pianca $3,596 at YLiving

42 Halsten Sofa, $3,850 at Serena & Lily.   

43 Mikayla Granite Grey Stone Wash Linen Sofa,$1,288.79 at Overstock.

44 Carol Grey Velvet Sofa by BD Fine, $2,050 at Burke Decor

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45 Ciudad Sofa, $1,199 at CB2.  

46 Nolee Folding Sofa Bed, $699.99 at World Market

47 Twilight Sleeper Sofa by Flemming Busk for Softline, $2,100 at DWR.

48 Pennie Sofa by Bethan Gray, $899 at Crate & Barrel.

49 Wireframe Sofa by Sam Hecht for Herman Miller, $5,149 at YLiving.

50 Miramar Slipcovered Sofa, $3,750 at Serena & Lily

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51 Chateau d’Ax Positano Leather Sofa, $4,200 at Bloomingdale’s. 

52 Bonnie Studio Sofa by BluDot, $1,399 at 2Modern

53 Brooklyn Grey Suede Nailhead Sofa, $2,099 at Pottery Barn

54 Pacific Heights Sofa by Zuo, $2,490 at Bluefly. 

55 Oslo Sofa by Muuto, $4,195 at YLiving.  

56 Playground Daybed by Eilersen, $2,499 at YLiving

57 Hanover Sofa, $3,550 at Serena & Lily

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58 Nyle Sofa, $899.95 at Pier 1

59 Windsor Sofa by Irving Place, $3,995 at ABC Carpet & Home.

60 Harbord Sofa by Gus*Modern $1,999 at YLiving

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Get the Look: 20 Modern Doormats

In true New England fashion, the Boston is not quite sure whether it’s winter yet. There were a few really cold days, including a recent Sunday when my 12-year-old went to a Patriots game in the rain and snow. I don’t mind the chilliness (I’m a tights and boots girl for sure) as long as there’s sun. That day did incite me to unearth the ice scraper and transfer it to the car. Not looking forward to using it.

Since we live in an apartment, most of the slush (and there’s plenty of it), gets left in the lobby. But still, we have a good doormat outside our door, and a more decorative one inside. Come snowy times, additional rugs get spread across the foyer, so as not to completely destroy my Jill Rosenwald gray area rug.

I know this is all kind of mundane, but I live in Boston, in the city. That means messy weather and no mud room. Even if you have a house with a white picket fence in a tropical clime, you still need a doormat, right? I’ve rounded up some door mats today, mainly coir and natural coconut fiber doormats; mostly modern doormats, many colorful doormats, plus neutrals, some in adorable silhouettes.

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S H O P P I N G 

1 Roam Sweet Roam Mountain Range Doormat, $34.99 at ModCloth.

2 Chilewich Stripe Shag Floor Mat in Mineral $50 at Burke Décor.

3 Multicolor Leaves Coconut Fiber Doormat, $19.99 at Amazon.

4 Cape Cod Polypropylene Doormat, $69.99 at Hayneedle.

5 Hedgehog Doormat, $39.95 at Crate & Barrel

6 Multicolor Flip-Flop Doormat, $16. 99 at World Market

7 It’s Cold Doormat, $24.45 at Wayfair.

8 Haute Habitat Coir Bear Doormat, $34.99 at ModCloth.

9 Computer Keyboard Coir Doormat, $26.97 at Amazon

10 Harvest Striped Doormat, $24.95 at Pier1 Imports

11 Green Chevron Coconut Fiber Doormat, $39.99 at Hayneedle.

12 Nautical Anchor Floor Mat, $28.95 at West Elm.

13 Chilewich Bold Stripe Shag Outdoor Floor Mat, $50 at Horne.

14 Camouflage Deer Doormat, $17.99 at Wayfair.

15 Oval Knot Woven Coco Doormat, $16.99 at Amazon

16 Dahlias Handwoven Coconut Fiber Doormat, $32.30 at Wayfair.

17 MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check Door Mat, $160 at Horchow.

18 Natural Chevron Coir Doormat, $29 at Pottery Barn.

19 Nautical Rope Doormat, $49 at L.L. Bean.

20 Herb Garden Doormat, $68 at Terrain. 

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   s h o p    o u t d o o r   d e c o r  at  t e r r a i n >

Get the Look: 48 Pendant Lights Perfect for Hallways

Following up on yesterday’s post Montage: 28 Hallways With Pendants, I’ve rounded up 48 pendant lights that are perfect to use in succession in long (or short) hallways. Good lighting definitely works to improve home ambiance and helps keeps moods lifted, especially in these dark winter months. (As much as I loved Copenhagen, I suppose it’s best I don’t live in Scandinavia.)

I tend to refer to our downstairs as a dungeon (we live on the parlor and lower levels, so to speak), but at least the lower levels house the bedrooms. Thankfully the living room, where my desk (and work sofa!) is has a large bay window that looks onto a lovely urban view of historic buildings, and right now, trees with  lingering red and gold leaves. The ceiling is also rather low, so likely I’ll have to go with flush or semi-flush mount fixtures, but I wanted to provide you with an array of pendants that would enliven more prominent (or humdrum but high) hallways.

Cuing off the styles in yesterday’s post, you can see that pretty much any style of pendant can work. I think I’ve sourced a few of all the examples shown: wicker pendants, copper & brass pendants, schoolhouse pendants, industrial cage pendants, colorful and all black dome pendants, classic lanterns, geo faceted pendants, simple drum pendants, glass pendants (including swirly Murano glass styles), capiz shell pendants, Moroccan style star pendants, globe pendants, and the ever trendy bare bulb fixtures. Inspired yet?

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S H O P P I N G

Shop modern pendant lights from StyleCarrot partners and others. 

1 Udaipur Jute Pendant

2 Cabrillo Wicker Pendant

3 Basket Pendant

4 Beehive Pendant 

5 Axis Collection Mini Pendant 

6 Tiered Lukas Pendant

7 Tamburo Pendant with Stone Copper Foil Glass

8 Baltimore Pendant

9 Rose City Classic Schoolhouse Pendant

10 Buenos Aires Pendant

11 Academy Large Pendant

12 Silver Wire Barrel Pendant

13 Watch Out Pendant

14 Industrial Pendant

15 Work Lamp

16 Unfold Pendant Lamp

17 BB1 Aluminum Pendant

18 Spinning Pendant Lamp

19 MiniSun Curva Dome Ceiling Pendant Light 

20 Tom Dixon Beat Light Pendant

21 BL9M Pendant 

22 Fitzjames Lantern

23 Lucy Collection Pendant

24 Savannah Pendant

25 Knox Frosted Glass Pendant

26 Satori Collection Pendant

27 Tenley Faceted Pendant

28 Penelope Collection Pendant 

29 Fisher Island Merlot Bronze Drum Pendant 

30 Oilo Cylinder Pendant

31 Leone Metallic Glass Pendant

32 Flux Smoke Glass Vintage Pendant

33 Long Lafitte Celadon Seeded Glass Pendant

34 Traditional Shape Glass Pendant Lamp

35 Mulinello Pendant

36 Belle Opal Fusion Jack LED Mini Pendant

37 Meg  Murano Handmade Glass Pendant Lamp

38 Mini-Monty Blue Mini Pendant

39 Capiz Shell Globe Pendant 

40 Fun 1DM Capiz Shell Pendant

41 Star Capiz Shell Pendant

42 Mirrored Star Pendant

43 Battery-Powered Paper Lantern

44 Coral Light

45 C-U C-Me Globe Pendant 

46 NUD Pendant Light Cord

47 Bosonic Ceiling Lamp

48 Plumen Bulbs

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Get the Look: 27 Black Home Furnishings

Since black is *the* color for decor, and I’ve done plenty of posts focusing on black decor, including black kitchen pendant lights and rooms with black walls for LampsPlus and black bedrooms for the Matouk Bedding blog, I thought it was time to do a roundup of black home furnishings and accessories. From black flatware to black seating, there are 27 choices, all with distinctive details or in interesting silhouettes. (Come to think of it, though, I may never have done a roundup of rooms with black walls here. . .  perhaps I owe you one!)

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Black Home Furnishings Decor Accessories

 

S H O P P I N G

1 Kelly Wearstler Tracery Mug, $49

2 Verner Panton Pantop Pendant, $350

3 Artek Baby Rocket Stool, $300

4 Geometric Wall Decal, $59

5 Mesh Bowl, $38

6 Black+Blum Loop Hall Wardrobe Stand, $495

7 Hand Jewelry Stand, $15

8 Jonathan Adler Menagerie Camel, $98

9 Rio Desk Lamp, $32

10 French Bulldog Figurine, $34

11 Mid-Century Desk, $599

12  One45 Wall Clock, $139

13 Animal Shot Glasses, $28

14 Ensign Woven Stacking Chair, $610

15 Kubus Candle Holder, $165

16 Sääpäiväkirja Mug, $20

17 Faceted Vase, $15

18 Cutlery Set, $100

19 Tucker Chair, $158

20 Petersen Leather Sofa, $2,499

21 Loop Candle Holder, $38

22 Pizza Peel, $34.95

23 Noir Ferret Hand-Rubbed Bed, $2,304

24 Revolver Acrylic Side Table, $6,900

25 Piper Brass & Wood Box, $180

26 Faux Sheepskin Rug, $114-$199

27 Diva Watering Can, $50

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Design Diary: Stephanie Sabbe’s (Big) Small Style

I’ve been acquainted with Boston interior designer Stephanie Sabbe for a while, but just recently got the chance to formally collaborate with her. (I did run into her outside my apartment one day—we recognized each other from our blogs!)  I wrote  “Made To Measure” about one of her projects, a 1,000-square-foot South End condo, in the newest issue of Boston Home magazine. Doesn’t she look great? Can you believe she was really, really pregnant in this photo? Stephanie had her baby last week. Congrats!

700 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA; Stephanie Sabbe Interiors

Stephanie Sabbe

Doctors Christine Liang and Andrew Bond, who purchased a1,000-square-foot South End condo in the summer of 2011 after considering a larger house in Jamaica Plain, knew that in order to make their urban choice work, they’d need to be efficient. That they’d also be frugal was a given. Interior designer Stephanie Sabbe, who spent seven years designing commercial office space, immediately understood the couple’s mindset. Sabbe points out, “Corporations pay rent by the square-foot, so efficient space planning is key. Similarly, city apartments are too expensive for people to not be utilizing every square foot to its maximum potential.” Working with a few pieces they already owned, including the living room sofa, Sabbe balanced thrifty buys and cost-saving, crafty solutions with custom designs and a few well-placed splurges to create a space with an effective floor plan and a look that’s anything but big box.

700 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA; Stephanie Sabbe Interiors

The main challenge was to create a formal dining area without overwhelming the space. After “a lot of studying with masking tape on the floor,” says Sabbe, they realized they’d need a dining table that was narrower than standard ones, but not as skinny (or high) as a console. Striking out on the retail front, Sabbe convinced the clients to spend a little more for a custom piece. Sabbe commissioned Jim Sears to weld a metal base and Cambridge-based Harvard Glass to cut a 30-inch wide by six-foot long glass top.

The couple requested a reclaimed barn wood table, but Sabbe convinced them that glass was the smarter choice, being less of a “visual space eater.” Bond says, “She was firm about the table, and totally right. We love its airiness.” Sabbe assembled an eclectic mix of seating options around the piece that all but disappear when not in use. A pair of chairs from IKEA stand at either end, while two ottomans, also from IKEA, and a handmade bench by Providence-based Darn Good Barn Wood, spotted at the SoWa Open Market, tuck under the long ends of the table. The low profiles keep the line of vision towards the city view free and clear.

In the kitchen,  Sabbe recommended just a few enhancements. She used magnetic blackboard paint on the side wall so things could be tacked up there rather than the fridge, which faces the main space. They added a pair of  Vintage Farmhouse Caged Pendants by  Junkyard Lighting, doing the work themselves. Also, a new industrial style faucet scored on Overstock.com. At the kitchen counter are machinist stools, which swivel down from bar to table height, and allow two more people to squeeze in when needed. The copper wall clock is from Pier 1.

Stephanie Sabbe Boston Interior Designer

Sabbe created semi-custom hybrid slipcovers for the IKEA armchairs in the dining area by attaching the long skirt from the company’s HENRIKSDAL slipcovers to its NILS seat covers. Excess fabric became lumbar pillows for each chair. The ottomans are SOLSTA PÄLLBO footstools (only $15!), with leg extensions added on, and slipcovered with IKEA curtain panels.

Stephanie Sabbe Boston Interior Designer

 

You’ll recognize the West Elm chevron rug, a steal on sale that Sabbe snapped up knowing the homeowners would be psyched, along with some throw pillows. They already owned the sofa, which works just fine. They added the trio of ceiling lights from Barn Light Electric, which cast pretty shadows on the ceiling. The concrete style Elements coffee table is  from CB2 and the table lamp is from local design shop Lekker.

700 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA; Stephanie Sabbe Interiors

Bond spent a month priming and painting a vintage Dansk credenza in their garage parking spot. “The BMW owners on either side of me were definitely nervous when they saw the chartreuse paint,” he jokes. The couple, who are huge Craigslist fans, found the piece on the site for just forty bucks. The floor lamp is from IKEA, the black leather armchair they already owned, the artwork around the TV is mainly from the SoWa Open Market, and the used books are from the Brattle Book Shop in Cambridge.

Stephanie Sabbe Boston Interior Designer

Sabbe is the first to admit that she used a number of mass-market retail pieces here, but her expertise lies in her ability to pair them with other budget-friendly finds to create a space that hums with personality. “We wanted a collected look,” she explains, “so it was important to set the tone right away, in the foyer.” Luckily, the grass cloth wall covering was already there, costing the clients nothing but supplying plenty of hearty texture. In need of a super skinny table to fit the narrow space, the homeowners tapped Darn Good Barn Wood for a reclaimed wood table. Above, Sabbe hung another piece of Americana, an eagle-topped convex mirror in order to break up the linearity of the hallway. A framed painting, a sketch from an antique shop, and the “I Love This Town” print from Etsy complete the tableau.

700 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA; Stephanie Sabbe Interiors

The couple purchased a new bed, a floor model from Crate & Barrel in Cambridge, but—and Sabbe agreed—saw no need to throw out a perfectly good, if not dull, plain white duvet. Sabbe asked a seamstress jazz it up with a solid chartreuse border, and also had her make matching drapes. Custom coordinating Schumacher pillows add extra polish. The sconces, which the homeowners installed themselves, are by Visual Comfort.

The black and white photos above the bed, which make a punchy, graphic statement and pick up on the gray tones in the striped West Elm bedding, are photos that Liang and Bond took on their travels. Sabbe used Photoshop to make them look like Polaroids, then spent $30 at Kinkos to have them printed and laminated. She used wooden trouser hangers to hang them on the wall. Crafty girl!

Photos 1, 2, 5, 6, 7  by Bob O’Connor

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Does someone in your house often misplace the remotes? Think about getting extra replacement remote controls to have hand, just in case. Store them nearby in the credenza or bookshelf, with the DVD player and such.