Who’s on the furniture-rearranging stage of sheltering in place? (*raises hand*)

On Friday, Chris and I moved our new “Charly” sectional from the office to the basement family room. We haven’t shared our basement much since we moved in because it has been filled to the brim with boxes from the move. We were finally able to unpack all the boxes and moved a lot of the seasonal decor boxes into the garage for storage now that the major renovation is done. It feels so good and we have gained a whole new space! The basement is smaller, but has a bathroom with shower in it and a guest room as well.

But back to the sofa! The couch is a new arrival in our house — it only came a few weeks ago. And we had planned on putting it in the office (you might remember me choosing a fabric a few months ago), but once we got it in there, it felt kind of… big for the space. Also, it’s incredibly comfortable, and we knew we wouldn’t get as much work done with the lounge vibes the new couch brought to the space.

So we brought it downstairs (it disassembles into 3 pieces, but locks together once you have it where you want it) and started envisioning a family room/TV room/”home theater” space, where we could all hang out and snuggle. (But more on that in a minute.) It was like it was made for the basement all along!

For those of you who are new here (welcome!), three years ago, we launched a collection of sofas and chairs with Interior Define. We lovingly named the collection Charly, after our beloved Saint Pyrenees (who has since gone to heaven). We loved that Charly was also a unisex name, which matched the vibe of the furniture: masculine straight lines and feminine soft, rounded cushions. And we designed the whole collection using kid-friendly, pet-friendly fabrics.

Designing furniture was wild. We got to measure for seat height and arm height and cushion depth — prioritizing ultimate comfort. We’re tall people, so we love a deep sofa. But we designed the Charly to come with lumbar pillows to put behind your back if you don’t want to sit so far back. Since the launch, you can now choose a depth option: 37″ and 43″.

We also designed Charly with a bench seat so that our whole family could pile on, and no one would be stuck sitting on (in?) the crease.

Our first Charly sofa was in a beautiful cross weave fabric called “Rain.” It was a gorgeous slate blue color that went with everything, and it held up beautifully to every spill, every dog nap, and every afternoon snack (cozy style). When we sold our house, the Charly sofa was the first piece of furniture that the buyer asked for us to include in the sale!

The new Charly sectional is a light tan/warm greige color called Vintage Plush Sisal. My greatest recommendation to you is to order the free swatches, and check them all out with your rugs, wall color, lighting, etc. My second greatest recommendation is that you choose a fabric that’s not 100% solid. Some weaving and speckling will hide some wear, “go” better with any throw pillows you pile on top, and will actually look more attractive from across the room. My third recommendation — consider the sectional. It’s a great way to achieve that oversized feel with a really tailored look.

We started dreaming more once the sectional was in place. We want this room to have darker paneled walls and a paneled ceiling, too. The paneling treating in this photo from The Fox Group is serving as major inspiration:

A big, handsome cozy ottoman, where will put trays with snacks. A sideboard with extra blankets and socks and slippers and maybe 3D glasses along with all of our electronics that are currently just hanging out in a pile in the corner :) A vintage-inspired rug… a nice big screen.

Couch (in Vintage Plush Sisal) | Ottoman (no longer available from Shoppe Amber Interiors, similar for less) | Rug (similar for less) | Media Console (similar for less) | TV

We’ll take our time furnishing and outfitting this room over the course of the year. We have the “one piece” that inspired what this room will be, and for now, we’re happy envisioning its potential. What about you? For which room are you in the dreaming stage? Have you started moving furniture around? :)

Right now, Interior Define is having a 15% off Living Room event, until 4/13. This sale only happens twice a year, so if now’s a good time for you, start customizing! They even have a choose your fabric later option which is super helpful if you want to take advantage of the sale, but also want to order some free swatches! And if you’re just dreaming for now, we’d feel pretty honored to make it onto one of your Pinboards :)