BEFORE & AFTER: MICRO MAKEOVER – ANATOMY OF A NYC SOFA REDO!

Juliana Jaoudi’s newly made over sofa in her Manhattan abode. (above)

Just saw good friend Juliana Jaoudi last week in New York…she joined a group of us for dinner at the Waverly Inn last Thursday night after the gift fair.

Juliana recently (or a year ago…how time flies) moved to New York City. She moved from her adorable cottage in Venice Beach, CA (I did a post on Juliana’s cute beach cottage awhile back).

Juliana made over her life by moving across country from Venice Beach to Manhattan…and just last month decided to makeover her sofa!

She bought the original sofa back in 2005 (see before photo below) and felt that she needed a more sleek modern look for her city digs.

Before, the sofa had three seat cushions and more of a traditional feel. Here it is shown in Juliana’s home in Venice Beach before the move. (above)

COCO: Why did you decide to makeover your couch btw?
JULIANA JAOUDI (JJ): I wanted a more modern, clean and fresh look. I bought the couch in 2005 and at the time, wanted something more traditional. And then there’s the simple fact the fabric was beyond cleaning and the cushions had really lost their original shape.

COCO: Why the single seat?
JJ: The old couch felt too compartmentalized. The single seat streamlines the look as well. It’s just more comfortable too. Later in the process, I remembered I had this beautiful silk fabric I bought in Shanghai a few years ago. That inspired the bolster which also simplified the look while adding beautiful color.

COCO: What is the color of the new fabric…and what type of fabric is it?
JJ: The fabric is linen (P. Kaufman Slubby linen). The color is Ivory. I bought it at Zarin’s here in New York. I was worried about linen not holding its shape but this particular cut is thicker and perfect for a couch, chair or major piece of furniture (vs. an accessory).

COCO: What was the old fabric?
JJ: I bought the couch at Grace Home Furnishings in Brentwood. It’s the Churchill. The manufacturer is Dino Mark Anthony I don’t know the actual mill but the color was “St. Andrews Pearl.” It had a nice herringbone pattern and was a chenille type of fabric.

After, Juliana’s sofa now has more of a sleek modern feel to it with the single seat cushion, squared off back pillows and the modern clean ivory fabric. Love this! (above)

COCO: Why not just get a new couch?
JJ: I liked the idea of a makeover. I moved from California to New York City and while I’m still me, there’s an element of reinvention when creating a new home. I’m sentimental too! I’m attached to the couch (as much as one can be attached to a piece of furniture) since I bought it for my house in Venice Beach. Practically speaking, I knew what I wanted and just didn’t want to confuse myself with all the other choices out there. It likely would have cost just as much and this way, I was able to customize it to my liking.

Thank you Juliana for sharing your micro makeover. Love the new look!

Readers…by the way…I’m defining micro makeover as just a small makeover to one item or corner of your house that can make all of the difference. Please send me any photos of your micro makeovers and perhaps I’ll feature ([email protected]).

Happy Friday all!

xo
Coco

P.S. Check out ElleDecor.com’s weekly “Designer Insiders’ Weekly Finds: Friday February 11” to see my COCOCOZY pick of the week. Thank you Leah for asking me to participate!