Green Velvet Sofa of Dreams | My DFS Bailey Sofa

Let me start by saying, I’m incredibly grateful for all the awesome experiences and offers I get through writing about my family and home. But, if I’m completely honest, free stuff doesn’t pay the bills, put chicken fajitas on the table or clad my children in Adidas as they desire. There’s only so much stuff we can fit in our house along with the 7 of us – so, a lot of “gifts” end up being re-gifted or on Ebay. When I initially got the email from DFS asking me to “pop to Milan” for design week, then style one of their sofas for my blog, my first thought was “Eeeeeekkkkkkk YASSSS!” but my second – we really don’t need another sofa, I’m happy with the sofas we bought 4 months ago (from Ebay), but I suppose I could sell it for a few hundred quid after I’ve snapped it for the blog!

I set about looking for the most neutral, on-trend sofa I could find in their range to suit our monochrome family home – I was smitten with the French Connection, Zinc sofa, with it’s mid-century vibes, clean lines and soft grey tone – but Mr OG was there to remind me that (like the cute, scruffy dog I fell in love with on a beach in Greece) we wouldn’t be keeping it. Having now spent quite a few hours deliberating on the DFS website, I can tell you they have a bloomin’ fabulous collection of fabric sofas in pretty much any colour, shape and configuration you could hope for, with some pretty stylish footstools to boot.

BUT – during my trip to Milan, which you can read about HERE, my loyalty to monochrome was questioned; I found myself pawing bold, statement velvets and swooning over lush, living walls. Maybe it was the warm, spring air or all the gelato going to my head; was this a holiday romance, or could fashionable, jewel-toned velvets co-exist with my monochromatic family-life? THEN I saw it – flashed before my eyes (by one of the DFS squad) was style-goddess, Pearl Lowe, draped across her enviable, boho-chic, green velvet chesterfield sofa. If only this undulating emerald beauty was a DFS sofa. Oh, but it is! And there started my love affair with what has widely become known as “The Green Sofa of Dreams”, but apparently DFS prefer to call it The Bailey Sofa!

DFS Bailey Maxi Sofa

I’d planned for the sofa to be a real statement piece in our home, so hiding it away in the lounge with the Brio train set and continual din of Youtube wasn’t an option. This shamrock hued lovely was destined for greater, but potentially hazardous, things – the kitchen-living area. It’s actually one of my favourite “zones” of the house and where the boys, surprisingly, spend little time – as they use it more of a thoroughfare between the aforementioned “Youtube hole of doom” and snacks! I, however, make my way here for my morning tea and my evening G&T – this is my sanctuary, which is odd considering it’s at the centre of everything. I’m surrounded by my favourite things – scented candles, carefully curated cushions (not all of which can actually be sat on but are things of beauty) and greenery. With a view of the garden through my long yearned for bi-fold doors and the sky through our large sky-lights in the ceiling – it’s a corner of calm immersed in nature, without the adverse weather.

Before its arrival (yes, I’m referring to it as my 6th child!) I’d pinned the living day lights out of relaxed, monochrome interiors with nods to Scandi-style with green sofas. Unbeknown to me, the look I was going for was Global Monochrome – a swanky term coined by interior luvvies to describe the break away from the clean, perhaps clinical, lines of Scandi-led trends while sticking to a predominantly black and white palette. Incorporating finds from far flung destinations – Morocco, India and South America like Beni Ourain rugs or handwoven baskets, or just “cheating” as the high street and sites like Etsy have a plethora of well-traveled looking home wares! It’s about textures, layers and lots of plants to add a splash of colour. So a green velvet sofa sprinkled with sheepskins and woven wool and silk cushions, layered rugs and plants-a-plenty is the epitome of IT!

Our Bailey Maxi Sofa in green velvet has become the heart of the home – usually because I can be found on it, and the children can’t seem to leave me alone for 5 minutes. Although I initially had heart-palpitations whenever a small, snot-covered being or melting, choccy-biccy came within 10ft of my precious new sofa, I’ve come to realise that although soft, beautiful and luxurious – she’s a tough, work-horse. The velvet forgives the odd Weetabix crust or dribble (the kids not me!) and can easily be hoovered with the soft brush on my Henry for a freshen up!

There’s a lot of elements to the final look, so in the coming weeks I’ll share how to get the complete look – but for now, I just couldn’t help but want to share the tale of my Green Sofa of Dreams.

This post has been in collaboration with DFS, who kindly gifted me the Bailey Maxi Sofa in teal velvet – but as always, opinions, tales and rants are my own.