I have been working my little tucchus off these last couple of weeks getting the new place in order, and I can't wait any longer: I need to start doing some room reveals, even if they're not perfect-perfect. (Which, of course, nothing ever is - especially in a house with oh god, so many children and cats and pillows that will not stay in the spot where I put them.)

The extent to which our living room - as distinct from the family room, where we keep the TV and thus my offspring - came together was such a surprise to me. See, when I moved into my last house I realized that I'd vastly underestimated just how large it was - it was easily twice the size of our place in San Jose. What that meant was that I had multiple completely unfurnished - and kind of enormous - rooms, and so I ended up buying furniture on a much bigger scale than I ever have before. That Ikea couch, for example - you know, the one that I had recovered? It is a BOAT.

When I toured this house before moving in, the formal living room - where that couch-boat would have to live for reasons I'll explain at a later date - struck me as kinda small, or at least too small for that couch. But I figured...you know, we're not in a couch-buying moment right now. So I'd just make it work.