It is most unwelcoming to ask guests to remove shoes. I would be mortified after tramping around in hot shoes all day to be asked to remove my shoes, and then would have to leave foot shaped sweat marks on their floors, possible odour, and for me I look fat and roundy on flat feet, etc. There is no way I would make my guests uncomfortable in that way. Putting home beauty before guests comfort is alien. Might as well leave the plastic covers on the settees in case they might stain those, might as well install a hospital like hand sanitizer, or have them walk through a spray of disinfectant while they enter. Absolutely totally against this.

I have always been attracted to the Carmel-by-the-Sea houses designed by Comstock...the interiors are often decorated casually, with comfy sofas, chairs, maple & cherry furniture and nature-inspired art and accessories. Big fantasy. In real life, we are retired on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and live in a 1200 sq.ft. condo one block off a large town's Main St. and two miles from any beach. Except for the building and location, we have the rest...not sure if our decor is English casual, English coastal or ???, but I wouldn't change it, except to buy better quality sofa and chairs.

Here are some ideas, a larger version of one of something similar, not necessarily the one... My favourite ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-30cm-Retro-Drum-Lampshade-Pendant-Original-Fabric-Vintage-/161535111647?pt=UK_Collectables_Vintage_RL&hash=item259c3e31df http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-30cm-Retro-Drum-Lampshade-Pendant-Original-Fabric-Vintage-/161535112072?pt=UK_Collectables_Vintage_RL&hash=item259c3e3388 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lamp-Shade-Handmade-From-Original-Vintage-Fabric-Retro-Kitsch-/171574427476?pt=UK_Lampshades&hash=item27f2a1ff54 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-30cm-Retro-Drum-Lampshade-Pendant-Original-Fabric-Vintage-/161515795184?pt=UK_Collectables_Vintage_RL&hash=item259b1772f0 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Retro-Lampshade-1970s-Fabric-Large-Handmade-Large-Olive-Flowers-/181616202697?pt=UK_Collectables_Vintage_RL&hash=item2a492b53c9

Hello ladies&gents! And thank you for your continued interest in the sofa adventures of a confused housewife! The issue has been resolved! however, you don't get to know the result until you have all the details, so bear with me please :).... It's been a mad week - a friend of ours asked if we could 'babysit' his 2 years old Springer Spaniel for a couple of days. Of course, we'd love to, the idiot us (hubby&I) said, we'd be delighted, as we want to get a dog anyway and this would be good practice. After 2 days with Bonnie, I came very close to committing suicide :)) - due to tiredness and because I just couldn't stop laughing hysterically at Andrew who was trying to logically reason with the dog. Bonnie is the most delightful creature I've met in a long time, exuberant, happy, running mad all over the place, chasing every bug in existence, barking mad at every sound, sleeping for 10 minutes to wake up barking at... gods know what... she'd be pulling the leash like she was being chased by hell-hounds, almost dislocated my shoulder a few times, always trying to find a puddle to splash in, she jumped in the river - Andrew almost had a heart attack, as she was trying to go across instead of returning to him... Why I'm telling you all this? Because in my 5 hours sleep for 3 nights, evidently I didn't want to approach Carol and conduct a tactful discussion with her - that was just beyond my abilities.. However, loony Bonnie forced my hand after deciding that, even though it doesn't smell very nice, Kate's sofa was a lot better than her doggy bed, so she 'moved in' leaving mud, hair and slobbering all over the thing. I admit, I felt rather insulted, we have all these other perfectly nice sofas, and the dog prefers Kate's... Plus, I put the sofa in the 'out the way, messy corner' in front of the bins (sorry, I didn't tidy up for the photo). So I went to Kate and told her that 'we have to talk'. I spent half an hour rubbing the sofa down after Bonnie's owner came to get her yesterday - and managed an 8 hours no barking sleep last night. To cut the story short, Kate came for tea an hour ago. I told her directly that I feel very flattered that she offered me the sofa, but there's genuinely no room for it in our house and I just don't know what to do with it (I moved it in this other corner (below) for when she came, not by the bins... naughty me... Oh, and please don't ask why we have a dinghy in the garden... it was supposed to be there for 3 days until Andrew would find a trailer to move it.. that was 7 weeks ago). Anyway, Kate said 'I knew you're going to say that' and told me she'll have it back. Just like that. Direct, simple, easy... after me agonising about her reaction... it felt very flat and anticlimatic (hence the story about the dog to keep you all entertained :)). Love her, Kate then said 'I'll bring you back the champagne", we decided to drink it together when I'm back from Paris - we're going for 3 weeks, I need to finish the terrace and balcony there... [https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/dilemma-in-paris-dsvw-vd~4025568[(https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/dilemma-in-paris-dsvw-vd~4025568) So, that's it! My sincere gratitude and apologies for making you spend time on my non-issue - it's my Latin temperament that drives me to panic and impulse reactions (and Houzz posts). And probably the reason I talk (write) so much... Thank you all! Bye - for now!