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Updates Around the Studio

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During the last handful of months, we’ve spent time piecing together some of the ever-evolving rooms in the house – the rooms that are done, but not really done. They need something here or there, but it’s not a rush, and so, we move slow. Very slow.  Our funny little nook has acted as our One Tail staging room for the better part of three months, the living room has seen some pillow swaps, but it’s the home studio that has seen the most amount of change!

Our home’s office space is one of the reasons why we felt this house was right for us. The second floor closely mimics the first (as is common with two-flat buildings in Chicago), and working from home, it felt like a dream come true to have a spacious, well, space! That feeling hasn’t faded, but for a while, the room remained stagnant. I have my desk, a computer and a pretty wall of photos (definitely important!), but I also had a tripping hazard for a computer cord, a cold floor in the winter and not much to block the harsh afternoon light. All of these things were tolerable, and I put those minor issues on the back burner while we worked on the kitchen, the workshop, and most recently, the garage.

The Woolly Pocket was the last big change to the studio – last year! – but since then, we’ve finally made some decisions and pulled together the finishing touches. Hooray!

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I’m often asked about our Woolly Pocket; how’s it holding up? Do you still like it? Do the PLANTS like it? The answer to all these things is great! yes! and they do now! We love our Woolly, but I do think we crowded the pouches with too many plants in the first round, and slowly, they began to wilt. No amount of water, singing or pleading could revive them, and so, we began swapping them out with plants that are black thumb friendly.

By the start of this year, our pocket made its full transition to Pothos, Philodendron and ZZs, while the snake plants (Sansevieria) continue to grow and grow (and grow!). All of them have nearly doubled in size since their first planting, and they seem receptive to our sing-songy love. I sometimes forget how large our Woolly is – 10′ wide! – and friends are always shocked when they walk up the stairs and see it. It really is a showstopper:

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Early this summer, we added long custom curtain panels from Bali Blinds, and as soon as we saw the option to add black fringe, Scott said, you know you have to do that, right? I’ve always loved a plain white panel for simplicity’s sake, but the fringe is what makes these curtains! They feel so glam and quirky all at once, which, yes, please.

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Finally, we got a rug! I was stuck on the rug decision for the longest time, not knowing if I wanted color or neutral, vintage or new. Rugs are notoriously hard to pinpoint, but after seeing and loving the Sierra Paddle Rug in this living room, that was it. I showed Scott, he approved, and I snatched up an 8×10 during one of the ubiquitous Rugs USA 70% off sales. We placed a rug pad underneath, and it’s still thin enough for my chair to roll easily, which would have been a deal breaker otherwise.

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With the rug in place, I took the time to run a cord management system along the baseboards. The plug is directly behind that curtain panel, and I have a 12′ extension cord running along the baseboards, which is then (somewhat) concealed, mostly for safety, beneath a floor cover. The cable to my external monitor runs along my desk leg and plugs into the extension. Phew. Oh, the simple things!

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We’ve had the rug for a few weeks, and it’s held up really well! There’s no shedding at all, and the times that our kitties have used it as their personal scratching pad (thankfully, this isn’t often), only a couple strings have pulled. A quick clipping does the trick, with no unraveling after the fact.

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As you can see, it’s pet approved, which is really all that matters in this house! We’re so happy with how this room has rounded out, and it really has made all the difference in my work flow. Happy home = happy Kim, clearly.

Sources: Wall color is Pale Bud, Behr // Vintage desk // Vintage office chair // Sierra Paddle Rug (ivory), Rugs USA // Wally Five living wall, Woolly Pocket // Curtains, Bali Blinds // Oversized metal curtain rod, West Elm // File cabinet, Home Decorators Collection // Vintage plant stand // DIY live edge bench

PS: While we wait on that back door, we’re working on the kitchen details. Check out our DIY photo booth magnets on the Bali Blinds blog this week! It’s all about the college flashbacks, but they make us all smiley.

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  • Josh | The Kentucky Gent7.28.15 - 8:10 AM

    LOVE that Wooly Pocket idea, and I’m wishing I had more wall space in my room to give one a go.

    Josh | The Kentucky Gent
    https://thekentuckygent.comReplyCancel

  • Steph H.7.28.15 - 8:55 AM

    Love that rug! Is it a tight loop? I’m a huge fan of all wool or mostly wool rugs in our home, but Louie LOVES to use them as his scratching post. I’m thinking a tighter loop will hold up better.

    Also, love how the pups could obviously not be disturbed during their nap for your photos. haha!ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.28.15 - 9:27 AM

      It is a pretty tight loop, and it’s been very durable so far! I’ve had to clip some strings a couple of times, but it doesn’t cause any additional fraying – it just looks new again!

      Jack and CC don’t move from that spot. All. Day.ReplyCancel

  • jenn aka the picky girl7.28.15 - 11:10 AM

    YES! I bought that rug almost five months ago when the boyfriend moved in, and I love it. I was worried about his cat scratching it, but she hasn’t – at all.

    I love it so much! And I snagged it in a 70% off sale too (I think it may run pretty much nonstop…).ReplyCancel

  • Danielle7.28.15 - 11:33 AM

    I have never seen anything like your Wooly pocket. I clicked through to get a better look. Thanks for showing us.ReplyCancel

  • Devon7.28.15 - 5:53 PM

    I’m in LOVE with CC’s collar! It’s SO beautiful! I have a big active lab and am always looking for a new collar for him (they all seem to fade). Where is it from???ReplyCancel

  • Shay7.28.15 - 6:17 PM

    I was so happy to see someone I follow post about that rug! I’ve been eyeing it for my son’s room. A couple questions; in your wider shots the rug takes on an almost checkerboard pattern, does that show in person? How soft is it? Obviously sensitive pibble tummies seem fine with it but I’m wondering about a half naked kid rolling around on it. Does it seem to hide the animal hair? I long for good rugs that are soft, hide stains well enough, and don’t need to be vacuumed daily… one can dream.

    The office looks amazing. Love the black touches around the room. And CC is rocking some pretty flashy jewels.ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.28.15 - 6:36 PM

      Hi Shay!

      It does SORT OF take on the checkerboard illusion at certain angles, especially if you get down low. It’s soft, but still sort of scratchy, as it IS wool. Scott is slightly allergic to wool, and it make his arms a little itchy when we rolled it out, but he’s totally cool to walk on it. Then again, he’s not rolling around on it either! And yes, it hides hair like a DREAM. Not sure if that’s good or bad, ha!

      I love the rug, but to be honest, I’m not totally convinced that it would be perfect for a nursery. Maybe a toddler’s room or big kid’s room when they’re not tumbling all over it.

      Let me know if you have more questions!ReplyCancel

      • Shay7.29.15 - 1:37 AM

        Thank you so much; that’s a huge help. My son just turned three and I’m looking for something that is neutral enough to last us while I start moving him toward a “big boy” room. I’m just definitely ready to move on from our $20 ikea rug.

        If you’ve had a chance to see the West Elm Honeycomb rugs ( http://bit.ly/1MU5HGE) would you be able to compare that to how soft/ scratchy this is? We have one in our living room and it’s pretty soft for all wool.

        I hear you about some times hiding the fur a bit too well! Our old gray couch was like that and I never realized how furry it probably was all the time until I got a white one.ReplyCancel

        • Kim7.29.15 - 9:12 AM

          We don’t have the Honeycomb rug, but I was just at WE the other day and saw it in person! The Paddle rug is NOT as soft as the WE rug, as the way it’s weaved reminds me a little more of, say, jute or sisal (but not THAT scratchy). Does that make sense?

          I think the Paddle rug would be great for a high traffic area like a living room or office, but it sounds like it might not be the thing you’re looking for in a transitional kid’s room. If your son was a little older (I’m thinking, he’s playing with legos and little fire trucks all afternoon or something – do kids still do that? I hope so!), this would actually be perfect, as it seems as though it can take a beating! For soft naps or lounging, not so much. Sorry I don’t have better news for you!ReplyCancel

  • Trude7.29.15 - 11:28 AM

    Loooove that first shot. Sleepy puppehs make all the difference in a room. :) And that rug! Just the right amount of pattern. Love how this came together.ReplyCancel

  • Maria7.29.15 - 3:37 PM

    Yeah, furry friends! I loved the pictures on this post so much: that studio, the plant (must try that!) that light, those babies… Totally feels like home :-DReplyCancel

  • […] office, but don’t have the room for potted plants? Not to worry, I don’t either, but Yellow Brick Home has a […]ReplyCancel

  • Becca1.19.16 - 5:48 PM

    Hi there! I was about to purchase this same rug and I am wondering how yours has held up thus far? We would be putting it in a high traffic area along with 3 kids under the age of 5. Let me know what you think! LOVE how it looks in your space!ReplyCancel

    • Kim1.20.16 - 1:10 PM

      Thanks, Becca! It does well with 2 dogs and 2 cats, but every now and then, their claws might pull at it, and I’ll have to snip off any bits that stick up as a result. I wouldn’t consider my desk a high traffic area, but that’s been my experience so far. I love that it doesn’t have a high pile, so my chair rolls easily, which is what I needed! It’s not a super soft rug (it’s not scratchy either), so you’ll want to keep that in mind as well. :)ReplyCancel

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