15 of Our Favorite Sectional Sofas

I love sectional sofas. Mainly because I spend a huge chunk of my life on the sofa, working and watching movies and TV when I take a break. I’ve always preferred a super comfy sofa with plenty of room to stretch out, so sectionals have always seemed the like best of both worlds- they can still have clean lines and great form, but they also provide plenty of room for multiple people to get cozy. But what I love most about sectionals is the bold design statement they makes. Smaller spaces often seem like they require smaller pieces of furniture, but for me, one larger sofa will always be a great decision (if it can practically fit in the room, of course). Sectionals give you a chance to go bold with a huge swath of color or pattern (like the sofa above) or create a soft neutral space to balance busier walls or rugs. Today I selected 15 of my favorite sectional sofas, from class L-shaped designs to curvy velvet models and lime green tufted pieces. I hope they’ll provide some inspiration if you’re looking to update your living room style. xo, grace

Image above: Jessica Helgerson created a stunning custom corner sofa for a Brooklyn townhouse she designed. 

I can’t get enough of this amazing orange velvet sectional in this Crown Heights home. That pop of turquoise against the orange looks amazing, too.

This groovy California kitchen makeover includes an incredible tufted green velvet sectional. 

I rarely see more classic designs like this carried into sectional form, but this pale pink velvet sofa is basically my dollhouse dream come true.

This converted ballroom contains a HUGE all-white sectional sofa that provides a neutral backdrop for a colorful wall of books.

This hair stylist’s home contains a DIY sectional made from two beds side-by-side, which provides plenty of room for stylish lounging.

This Brisbane home has a deep blue sectional accented by an amazing gallery wall of art a patterned area rug.

This LA home uses a comfy grey sectional as a neutral backdrop to colorful textiles.

This Arizona home’s sectional sofa is one of my favorites because it has a double-wide chaise on one side!

This NYC apartment’s grey walls are accented by a deep grey sectional sofa and an upholstered armchair.

This San Francisco home’s blue sectional creates a cozy little nook in the living room corner.

A soft grey sectional sofa (which seems to be the go-to color for most modern sectionals) is right at home in this Nashville house.

This Colorado home’s bright red rug is the perfect accent to a sleek grey sectional sofa.

This Brighton home’s dark grey section gets an added pop of color from bright blue pillows.

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/06/15-of-our-favorite-sectional-sofas.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/162435349274

Muista: A New, More Evolved Way to Sit at Your Desk

There’s so much talk these days about how inactivity brought on by too much sitting at work can cause a multitude of health issues, which is why standing desks have become so popular. If you’re not quite ready to take the standing approach, perhaps you can change how you sit. Muista looks more like a stool, but it allows your body to stay more active by allowing for different sitting positions. Aurimas Lazinskas came up with the idea and brought in Saulius Sestavickas to collaborate on the design of Muista in hopes of improving workplace health and creativity.

The design allows for two different sitting positions – as a saddle or a bench – making it easy to switch back and forth between the two. While you’re sitting, the curved legs allow the seat to rock back and forth, thereby encouraging your muscles to engage for balance.

Muista is available in two sizes allowing you to work at a regular desk or a height-adjustable one.

Bent plywood forms a solid arc for its minimalist base, along with a rope about mid-way down for you to rest your feet.

The seat cushions are filled with buckwheat hulls, a sustainable byproduct of the food industry, which offers durability, ventilation, and a firm texture.

Interested? They’re running a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of bringing this workplace seat to the market.

Photos by Lina Jushke and Monika Pozerskyte.

from Design MilkDesign Milk http://design-milk.com/muista-a-new-more-evolved-way-to-sit-at-your-desk/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/162435328114

Friday Five with Mark Moussa of Arteriors

Mark Moussa is the founder and creative director of Arteriors, a Dallas-based company that specializes in luxury lighting, furniture, and accessories. He began in home furnishings working with his father on the family’s import/export business, which provided him with an international appreciation for design, which led to him launching Arteriors in 1987. The company has expanded to three showrooms (Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York) and more than 1,200 products by constantly evolving and staying ahead of the game, part of that being partnering with select designers, like Jay Jeffers, Barry Dixon, Windsor Smith, and Laura Kirar. This year marks 30 years in the business with a continued commitment to fostering designer relationships, traditional craftsmanship, and artisan techniques. Moussa shares a mix of design, places, and things in this week’s Friday Five. Check it out.

1. Jaipur
I’m inspired by India, a place I’ve been visiting for more than 30 years, and Jaipur is my favorite city. I love the vibrant colors that you see on the streets and in nature, the celebrated cultural traditions and most importantly the people. I’ve had the privilege of working with incredible artisans and craftsmen here, and I now find myself working with second and even third generations of the same families.

2. Eyeglasses
I wear glasses and have at least a dozen vintage frames in different colors, materials and styles. Many of my favorites are from Retro Specs.

3. The Hunt
I’m constantly on the hunt for vintage components that may influence or inspire a design – I love the process of looking at an object and thinking about how we can re-imagine it and give it a new future.

4. Espresso
A good cup of espresso can make my day! It reminds me of my trips to Europe where I pop in for a quick espresso to fight the jetlag. I have the “lips and eyes” espresso cups designed by Philippe Starck for the Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris. I love the ceremony of enjoying an espresso in the afternoon as much as I like the resulting surge of caffeine.

5. Travel
I regularly travel the world – in a recent three-month period I will have traveled to Cuba, the Philippines, Vietnam, Germany, India, Mexico and Italy (I highly recommend a stay at the Palazzo Avino (photo above) on the Amalfi Coast). In this global society, I find unlimited inspiration staying in unique and beautiful hotels, walking the local neighborhoods, and immersing myself in new cultures. More than ever before, this international wanderlust influences my designs.

from Design MilkDesign Milk http://design-milk.com/friday-five-with-mark-moussa-of-arteriors/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/162434021899

10 Modern Treehouses We’d Love to Have in Our Own Backyard

Does that childhood feeling of running away to live in a treehouse ever really leave us? The magic of escaping to a fantasy life high above in the trees sounds pretty great, but realistically we all have to grow up and be adults, but that doesn’t mean we can’t build a little getaway for some quiet time. We rounded up 10 modern treehouses that we’d love to retreat to when we need a little calm.

RPA’s Treehouse sits on a steep ridge in Los Angeles’ Nichols Canyon and is used as an office/studio and getaway, complete with a unique butterfly roofline.

Photo by Ricardo Oliveira Alves

The Tree Snake Houses were designed by Luís Rebelo de Andrade and Tiago Rebelo de Andrade in Portugal to resemble a snake sliding through the trees in a forest.

Photo by Johan Jansson

Snøhetta is responsible for the jaw-dropping Treehotel, located in a forest in Northern Sweden. Their latest elevated cabin is called The 7th Room and it’s a two-bedroom space nestled amongst the trees. You’ll do a double take when standing underneath it because they covered the bottom of the cabin with a black and white print of trees.

Photo by Henrietta Williams

Nozomi Nakabayashi designed this Hut on Stilts high off the ground amongst the trees. The cozy space can be used as a sleeping getaway or a writer’s office, safely away from all distractions you’d find on the ground.

Courtesy of The HemLoft

The HemLoft is a private house within the trees in Whistler, Canada, that’s located about a five minute walk from the closest road. The egg-shaped hideaway was built and completely self-funded by software developer Joel Allen.

In Calistoga, California, O2 Treehouse designed this two-story treehouse for overnight guests and play. An upper level, which is an enclosed room, cantilevers out over a long catwalk and is accessed through a trap door.

Courtesy of Treehouse People

Designer Takashi Kobayashi heads up a collective called Treehouse People and has built over 120 treehouses in Japan, including this one. The box-like structure features wavy planks of recycled wood as shingles on the exterior to achieve its unique look.

Photo by Greg Cox

In a suburb of Cape Town, Malan Vorster Architecture Interior Design designed this unusual, cabin-like treehouse in a clearing amongst a bunch of trees. The layout resembles a pinwheel with a central square that has four circles just off of it.

Photo by Cris Beltran

Daniel Cabezas, Rosario Velasco, and Joan Sanz designed and built Villa Ardilla as an artist residence on a hillside in Granada, Spain. The tree-surrounded retreat also ditches typical wood as its main material and instead uses corrugated metal that’s painted red and green.

Photo by Markus Bollen

Perched 11 meters off the ground, this treehouse by Andreas Wenning of German firm baumraum is a getaway for the owners whose main house is on the property. A small door in the roof of the garage is how to access the spiral staircase that leads to the treehouse above.

from Design MilkDesign Milk http://design-milk.com/10-modern-treehouses-wed-love-to-have-in-our-own-backyard/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/162403431174

Seeing Shapes in Terrazzo with Society6

Earlier this week I saw these images and they kind of took my breath away. The chips of pearl accented by golden brass were just too pretty to ignore and made me take notice of the different shapes of the pearl because of the iridescent reflections bouncing off the surfaces. These coasters and trays aren’t made of terrazzo but could be a close cousin, in my opinion. The beauty of terrazzo is that every slab is unique because of the different shapes and materials mixed in. Inspired by this, I checked to see if any artists on Society6 had made a print of this pattern because I could definitely see the jewel-like pattern framed in a living room or even a nursery. Sure enough, Society6’s collective of artists are two steps ahead of me. Here are some of my favorite prints of this fun pattern…

TERRAZZO COLLAGE art print by Clog

Natural Terrazzo Stone Structure Pattern Pastel art print by 5mm Paper

Time art print by Hanna Kastl-Lungberg

Terrazzo Texture #4 art print by Cafelab

Terrazzo 2 art print by Mareike Böhmer

Pastel Terrazzo art print by Sylvain Combe

terrazzo confetti art print by Jmdphoto

Terrazzo Abstract Design Gray & Salmon Pink art print by 5mm Paper

Green tropical leaves on terrazzo pattern art print by Marta Olga Klara

In an ongoing effort to support independent artists from around the world, Design Milk is proud to partner with Society6 to offer The Design Milk Dairy, a special collection of Society6 artists’ work curated by Design Milk and our readers. Proceeds from The Design Milk Dairy help us bring Design Milk to you every day.

from Design MilkDesign Milk http://design-milk.com/seeing-shapes-terrazzo-society6/

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/162401573444