ON DESIGNING WITH KIDS

Picking a sofa was one of the hardest design choices for me so far in this house. There were seemingly endless options, combinations, deciding sofa vs. sectional, sizing, height/width/depth choices, not to mention deciding fabric on top of that.

I wanted something modern with clean lines, and that shipped fast (so many sofas I saw take 8+ weeks for production and shipping, and I didn't want to wait that long).

I found a selection of in-stock, mid-century modern sofas at Rove Concepts, a small company out of Canada. They were great to work with and sent me multiple fabric samples so I could see the colors in person, which I totally recommend if you are buying online. It's nice to see and feel the fabrics before you buy. The customer service team was super responsive and answered all my questions about double rub count and durability.

I polled my stories to ask which was the best fabric to choose with kids and got a variety of answers. Initially I was thinking I'd go with leather, since I liked the wipe-ability of it, but had also heard from friends that it scratched easily, or it was cold, and I wanted something that felt warm and cozy. Our floors are also a really rich warm tone and I wanted a little more contrast in color there.

I went back and forth forever, but ultimately, when with what I liked. Yes, the fabric is light, and yes, it might stain. But, this happens to be a very durable fabric (30,000 double rub count) and if something happens, there are stain treatments, and life will go on. I decided I don't want to design a house that's kid proof but I don't like looking at everyday. I want to LOVE the space I'm in. I want to design it for how I want it to look everyday, not in case of what happens someday.

I love it. It's extremely comfortable, fits the space perfectly, and is the right mix of polished and modern. The fabric lightens up the room, especially for Seattle's dark winters, and the polished stainless steel legs are a nice contrast to all the wood tones in our house.

Next up for this room: a rug that fits, possibly a tufted square ottoman/coffee table, reupholster a chair, and more seating. One thing at a time. It's hard to not focus on everything that hasn't been done yet, and forget all that's already happened. Even the layout takes time. We rearranged this room recently and it's amazing to see how one small tweak can really made such a difference. We're slowly making this house our home.

Sofa decision, check! It's already gotten lots of use.

A good reminder to design your house for YOU and not for Pinterest, your neighbor's house, your older kids, or anything else other than you life right now and what you like.

You'll be glad you did.

Sofa style is Nico in Arctic Grey Modern Tweed. Thank you to Rove Concepts for partnering with me on this post.

CAULIFLOWER SCRAMBLE

I shared this recipe on my stories yesterday and wanted to highlight it here too. It's an easy, healthy, delicious lunch. I used to use quinoa, but since Trader Joe's came out with a fresh riced cauliflower, I used that instead to get an extra dose of vegetables (and to make it completely grain free!) Minus the cheese it's Whole 30 approved as well.

CAULIFLOWER SCRAMBLE

+ riced cauliflower (buy fresh or frozen, or make your own)

+ greens (I used arugula, could also use spinach and/or kale)

+ 2-3 eggs

+ goat cheese

+ shaved parmesan

+ lime

+ salt

+ everything seasoning

Start by sautéing the riced cauliflower in olive oil. Add greens, cook until wilted. Add eggs, scramble with everything. Add cheeses until melted. Add more greens at the end if you want. Top with a generous squeeze of lime + sea salt + everything seasoning. Enjoy! Simple, easy, fresh, healthy.

NEW COOKBOOK FINDS

Every January, it seems like everyone I know is Whole30-ing. While I don't go to that extreme, I do feel the nudge to eat just slightly healthier, or at least add a few new meals into our rotation. It's January. It's post-holidays. It's raining and grey most days in the Pacific Northwest, and trying some new, healthy dinners sounds like just the thing to spice up January. Sharing some new to me, not sponsored finds.

My New Roots. All plant-based and gorgeous. There's a recipe for cashew cheese that I want to try in here.

Love Real Food. New, Vegetarian (easily adaptable for non-vegetarians too) and already a best seller.

Green Travels Kitchen. Reads like a beautful postcard, filled with stories. Tips for traveling with kids in the intro.

From the queen of healthy, fancy, bay area cooking, Alice Water's In the Green Kitchen. Featuring stories and techniques from chefs all over.

My Darling Lemon Thyme. Some excellent, healthy, creative desserts in here and other creative dishes. Emma has a newer book out as well.

Love & Lemons. Organized by vegetable, I love the layout of this book. Helpful for when you find yourself with a pound of asparagus and no dinner plan. The graphic design in this book is all the heart eye emjois.

Same authors as Green Kitchen Travels, this one is all smoothies. I love new smoothie ideas, especially in the winter when they can get forgotten. Green Kitchen Smoothies.