Monday, June 6, 2016

What Color is Dog?

Seeriusly Mom?  You looking rite at me...I'm dis color.

I mean, what color couch is my dog? As in, what color couch can I have that will best hide all the fur he leaves behind?  I'm trying to figure this out because I recently rearranged my family room, and while I like the new configuration, at some point I'll need to get matching covers for the two couches:

What I love about this layout is the fact that both Jeff and I can lay down and watch TV, and while I like our Poang chairs, the leather is too warm to sit in during the hotter months.  Plus, in all honestly, I just really like to rearrange my furniture!

The couches (loveseats, actually) are the same model - Kivik - from Ikea.  The red one was Sam's, purchased back when he graduated from college and moved into his first nice apartment.  He left it behind when he moved to North Carolina, and when Allie moved into a smaller apartment, she didn't have room for two couches, so we brought it home and put it in a spare bedroom.  But a couple of weeks ago, I dragged it out and came up with this set up, which both Jeff and I like.  Side note, he was out of town when I did this; let's just say that after all these years of marriage, he's pretty used to coming home to the house looking different. 

While the brownish cover hides Paco's fur fairly well, the red does not.  At all.  I vacuumed the entire couch when I brought it out, but it's covered in white fur already.  And while I'd love to just buy another cover in the brown, that one isn't made anymore - in fact, when we bought it, the cover was discounted because it was on close out.  So, now I need two sets of covers.  I love a dark gray but think that I'd have the same issue as with the red cover, with the white dog fur showing too much.  Maybe a light gray?  I like this one:
 Does this color go with (my) dog?

And of course, I wonder if it will go with the wall color?  One of the things I take pride in is being able to rearrange a room without having to buy anything new; I was at a disadvantage with the two different colors of couches, but they are the same model so I'm willing to get new covers eventually.  But I don't want to have to think about changing out the wall color - that is too much work, thanks to the open floor plan of this house...it all flows together and I'd (OK, Jeff) would be painting forever.

I still need to put something decorative (and low, so it doesn't interfere with the line of sight to the television) on the coffee table; everything that I used to put on the coffee table is now displayed in the cabinets surrounding the TV.

Also, would the light gray look right with the coffee table color?  This square coffee table has been in the garage for years; we'd bought it back in 1993, when we lived in San Antonio.  It works with this layout, and while I'd like something a little more modern looking, I don't really want to spend money on one - plus there's nothing at Ikea currently that floats my boat (and let's face it, I pretty much do all my furniture shopping at Ikea).

Decisions, decisions.
Dis yur problem, Mom.  I not boddered at all by fur on de couch. 

28 comments:

  1. LOL at Paco and his comment.

    Honestly I wouldn't know which color you should buy to hide the fur. We have leather couches and Bella is a terrier with a pluck fur which means there is never a lot of fur in our house. (I hope google translate worked good for this).

    I do like the setup in your living room though. It looks very comfy and "gezellig".

    Gezellig means something like cosy or nice. I found out that the word can't be really translated into other languages as President Obama said when he visited our country last year.

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    1. I swear our dachshund never shed her fur - you're lucky that Bella isn't a shedder.

      Love that term gezellig, and that our president used it! :)

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  2. You have a lovely living room.
    We have a yellow Labrador that sheds uncontrollably so we have a white-ish color couch. That way the hair isn't AS noticeable.

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    1. I thought about white, but Paco is really fast coming in from the backyard and I know he'd jump on it with muddy paws one day and I would not be a happy camper...

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  3. Love the new layout. Maybe go with a light taupe color. I think it would match your walls and coffee table as well as hide Paco's fur. Add a pop of color with some throws and pillows to offset so much taupe. Yep, my designer advice is done for the year. LOL!!

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    1. I appreciate the advice! I like taupe and it does make a nice background for pops of color. :)

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  4. I love rearranging furniture, too, and have the same trouble with pet hair. One dog is black, and the other is brown and white, so just about every color is out. Good luck - it looks cozy!

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    1. Between my cats and Paco, we have many colors of fur floating everywhere. It's quite lovely when the sunlight hits the room just right. ;)

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  5. Yeah, trying to hide fur with a multicolored pet. It doesn't work LOL! Don't do what I did and use a dark purple color for my chairs :D

    A gray color goes well with a lot of things. Just make sure you choose the warm tone or the cool tone based on what your furniture is (table). Or, if you really like the furniture but not how it goes with the table - paint the table!

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    1. Oh, that purple chair was destined to be covered in Pixie fur! She loves it too much to leave it alone. I thought about painting the coffee table, but it's Ethan Allen, so I kind of hate to do that.

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  6. I'm not sure what your choices would be for a cover but I would say go with a Taupe-Gray - not brown, not gray. It would work well with your walls and table, as well as the pops of turquoise you have in the little stand and painting.

    The closest thing I could find to show you what I mean is actually a paint color called Ashley Gray and I'd bet you could find a similar fabric color. You can see it here:

    http://www.myperfectcolor.com/en/color/102939_Benjamin-Moore-HC-87-Ashley-Gray

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    1. That is a pretty color. I'll have to check out the Kivik covers in person at Ikea one of these days and see if any come close to the taupe/gray tones.

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  7. Ahh, it's so nice that you can both lay and watch TV!!!! :)

    Hmm, I like the light gray idea, but wonder the same things about it going with the room as you! And this is where I am useless. LOL. I am a trained architect, but not an interior designer (despite that being my title at work... eek). I wonder if a dark brown would work.

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    1. I think dark brown would show Paco's fur about as much as the red. Sigh...remember when you used to pick furniture based on what you liked? Now it's all about what doesn't show the animal fur as much.

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  8. I like the gray color you showed, because it has a little"taxture".. also, because it would be the perfect color for the never-ending pug hair in my house. I need to just give up and have a whole wardrobe made out of that. Sophie wanted to chip in and add that the perfect solution to your problem(and mine)is to just stick with the most perfect breed of dog--dachshunds!

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    1. I actually was thinking that I never had this issue with Jackie - and that was red fur. Either she didn't shed or else it blended better. Sophie is correct, but it's too late now!

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  9. I have no decorating sense whatsoever - I was so happy my friend picked out all the furniture for my bedroom and living room!

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    1. I have a little decorating sense, but in the sense that I can see when something works and when it doesn't. I can't start from a blank slate - that's too challenging for me.

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  10. I love moving furniture...my ex just got used to it too!!! I like the gray...but I think with the tones you should stick with something in the brown color scheme.

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    1. Better they get used to it - no use fighting it, as we both know furniture moving is just always going to happen, LOL!

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  11. AWWWW! PACO!! Quite the colour challenge, given Paco's many colours. AWWW! He's the best!

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    1. Well, that would go with Paco, but I'm afraid it's a little TOO Texas for me, LOL!

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  13. I pretty much love the red couch, but that's my favorite color. If we were to redecorate, we'd have to make everything urine colored right now. Ugh. Housebreaking is not for the weak.

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  14. I have 4 cats (used to have 5) so let's not discuss fur!!!

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  15. how about using cotton canvas drop cloths that are basically oatmeal color for slip covers for your sofas. They will withstand wear and tear and if washed before using the starch will be gone and should be quite comfortable. The Dog hair would not show very much and they can be thrown in the dryer with a wet towel and dryer sheet to remove hair if you do not want to wash them often. more on the brown side of color family and should look good with your wall color. I love the red sofa but know light hair will show all the time. Good Luck.

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  16. I just went with brown leather! I had a mastiff who shed 2 Yorkies a day, but he was 11...I was living on borrowed time with my guy. My brother had unexpectedly died and he had a black pitbull that was gonna be mine too. We buried my brother one day and put my mastiff down the next. 10 months later the wonderful, incredible Mac, got a freak illness that should have been treatable but went to his kidneys he had to be put down. Now I have a rescue WHITE APBT. glad I went with leather! Lol in the span of 1 year I had fawn, black and white!

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    1. Leather would be the easiest to clean but it's so hot here in Texas that I'd prefer a cloth sofa.

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