Cozy Evenings at Home

My daughter is off in Egypt right now, traveling around exploring the deserts and the pyramids and the tombs....she's got wanderlust, that one. Always had. She went away to school at 18 and never looked back. 

Me? I'm a homebody. There's nothing I like better than a cozy evening at home. That's not to say I don't have places I'd like to see in my lifetime but my happiest place is still right here at home. 

It's all the more sweet now that my home has only one name on the deed. Mine. And I am in control of my own destiny and will never lose another home to a man. 

But that's another story entirely for another day. I got a glaring reminder this week why things went the way they did....and I was so very glad to be out of that place in my life. 

Now I'm in my happy place. 

One of the most glorious moments of the evening, in my opinion, is when the afternoon chores have been completed, dinner has been enjoyed, the kitchen is once again clean, the dishwasher is running....and my work day is done. That's usually when I go around the house puttering...moving things a little to the left....what about moving that plant over there.....I could use a candle in that spot....you know the drill. 

I like to take photos to capture my little happy moment. They're not perfect, they're not staged. They are just my everyday life captured in a photo. Flaws and all. 

Today I'm sharing with you the photos I took last night. It will be almost like you came over for a visit. I wish you could!

Have a seat.  Put your feet up. Those chairs swivel. Feel free to swing around to watch TV or the cozy fire. 

Or the sofa for a cozy chat. Hi! That's me sitting on the corner of the sofa taking these photos. 

I have a dear friend coming tonight for the first time to my new home. I am looking so forward to her visit! She also bought a home in the past year with only her name on the deed. I'm so very proud of her....and me. And every other strong woman who has made the tough decision to get out of a bad place in her life and start over. You know who you are - kudos to you. 

I have a sister coming tomorrow night for an overnight visit as well. My guest room is going to be busy this weekend! That's ok, there are lots of clean sheets in the linen chest. 

You haven't seen my guest room yet....that's because it's not quite finished. I have nothing hanging on the walls and it feels a little naked. You wouldn't want to see it naked, would you? Ok....here's a sneak peek. More to come when I figure things out in there. 

I hope you all find a cozy spot in your home this evening that just makes you want to grab the camera and capture the happiness. 

Enjoy your happy place, my friends!

Spaces That Inspire Me

My style is most definitely random, I would define it as "Cottage Eclectic" at best. I love the warm and cozy interiors of a cottage style home, but I also love the color and casual vibe in a bohemian home. I can appreciate the beauty of a light and bright neutral colored interior but I am not totally convinced that I could live without color.

In my new home I chose to keep the base neutral and bring in pops of color that I could change out on a whim or with the seasons. I thought long and hard about how I was going to decorate my new home and since  I had to invest in a lot of furniture I really wanted it to be classic and timeless. And very, very neutral. I don't want to buy something trendy and then it's out of style in just a few years.

I chose slip-covered sofas for both upstairs and down as they make the most sense with my lifestyle. My home is not hands-off by any means, although I do  like to keep it clean and tidy. However, we do have snacks and beverages in the living room if we're cuddling in watching a movie so it's important that everything is easy to clean. Plus, my dogs love to cuddle on the furniture as well so to be able to throw the covers in the washer is a huge bonus to me. 

My throw pillows are all feather pillow forms from Pottery Barn with covers that can be removed, washed, and stored away easily. I took advantage of every sale Pottery Barn had during the long winter while I waited to close on my home and stocked up on pillow covers!

I love looking on Pinterest and on various decorating blogs for inspiration. I never want my home to be a copycat home but I do think it's great to be able to find inspiration and new ideas out there on the web. You take those ideas home and incorporate different elements of each until your own style emerges. 

Here are some spaces that inspired me on Pinterest when I was waiting all those months (5 long months!) for the closing on my home. You will notice that my tastes are all over the shop. How on earth do you figure out what your style is when you love so many different looks?

Via

Those purple lanterns!!! Love! What a cool space. I can totally imagine hanging out here with a glass of wine. 

Via

This dining room feels organic and peaceful to me. A little sparse for my taste but good bones to build on. 

Via

Neutral furniture with pops of color - exactly what I had in mind. And I loved this paint color so much I used it in my living room, dining room, and kitchen!

Via

I have always loved a colorful quilt with a metal bed. Old school country, so simple and welcoming. This was my inspiration for my guest room. 

Via

What a great space! Neutral backdrop with pops of color. And the built in bookshelves....and storage under the seats! If i was ever going to do a banquette.....

Via

Those wood counters just make me drool. With the white cabinets. I'm so tempted to paint my kitchen cabinets but they are very good shape so far so I'll hold off. And I may go for solid surface counters in the kitchen when the time comes, like the ones I put in my master bathroom. However, this would be awesome in my lower level laundry/mini kitchen area!

Via

I pretty much love everything about this little breakfast nook. Everything. 

Via

That sofa is fabulous!!!! However, I really had to keep it neutral. I don't have the budget to change out my sofa every time I get tired of the color, and I know I would. I love those window treatments also. 

Via

I love the boho vibe in this room. The color. The plants. The shag rug. I don't know if I would like living with this style long term so I'll just pull elements of this to incorporate into my home. Like the plants. And the fuzzy pillow. And the pops of color. 

Via

Same with this room. Totally boho. I adore all the plants, of course. And the hanging lanterns. And the colorful glass window hangings. It just feels cozy!

I guess the common denominator in all these inspiration photos is the casual, cozy vibe. They all have greenery and/or natural elements. 

It seems my dream home is an intimate space with sunshine warming the rooms during the day, and ambient lighting and candles galore for evenings. Lots of pillows and blankets to curl up with and plants everywhere you look. And books, books, and more books!

I think I achieved that. I'm living in my dream home. 

Lucky me!

Before and After

Today is my anniversary!!  Well, half-anniversary, to be exact. I moved into my new home exactly 6 months ago today! 

I dug out some photos from when I toured the house back in November of last year - excuse the quality, most of them were taken on my iPad. I thought it would be fun to see what has changed since I moved in. Keep in mind the photos from the tour had all the previous homeowners' furnishings so that is, of course, a big part of the change. 

Ok, I'm excited, here we go!!

The Kitchen before had a very dark green paint which made it feel dark, despite the skylight. 

Now the kitchen is light and bright and sunny. My sweetie changed out the previous light fixture to a custom made cottage style fixture, created by me. And all the knobs got changed to these bubbly green glass knobs  from Pottery Barn's clearance page that I fell in love with. I bought them the day my offer was accepted!

Dining Room then.....

And now. Fresh paint, new rug, and new windows make it warm and welcoming. I actually loved the homeowner's dining room table and chairs so I bought them with the house. We had an additional leaf made for the table to accommodate larger dinner parties. It seats 8 comfortably now. 

Living Room then....

And now. Biggest change here was replacing the wood burning insert - the previous one was an antique and not energy efficient at all.  Of course fresh paint and new windows make a big difference as well. And the addition of a soft rug underfoot not only brightens the space but also makes it feel more welcoming. Someday I'll get around to adding some more artwork to this room and changing out those sconces. And of course I'm still debating how to hide the TV.

What once was two bedrooms.....

Is now my master suite. Open the one remaining door and get the full tour in this post

What was once this....

Is now this, part of the master suite. Huge difference! That's your sneak peek at the master suite.....

One of my favorite transformations that didn't involve major construction is in the lower level. 

What was once a man cave....

Is now a cozy and comfortable family room. 

I wanted to create a comfortable place for my daughters to watch TV, entertain friends, and just relax. I love this space! The sofa also pulls out for additional guests.  The door by the staircase leads to my younger daughter's room, which is an en-suite with a full bath and private entrance.  Very important when living with a 24 year old daughter for us each to have our own space for a little quiet time when the need arises!

The previous owners' little corner bar.....

Now houses an extra fridge and wine storage. 

The laundry and workout area....

Is still a laundry and workout area! In addition to a coffee bar and mini kitchen. Sort of, if a table and chairs, coffee maker, microwave, and fridge serves as a mini kitchen. It's plumbed for a sink as well if I ever want to turn this space into a fully functioning kitchen. Who knows in the future if that might be something our family may require....it was a great selling point for me. 

Behind the curtains is my older daughter's space when she comes home. The sofa pulls out to a queen size bed. This is also my workout space when she's not home. It didn't get much use this week....busy, busy. 

The laundry area is the largest and nicest I've ever had! It's mostly used by my daughter now since I have laundry facilities in my master suite. 

Looking back through the curtains you can see how the spaces relate to each other. If you make a right by the wine rack you're back in the family room. The curtains offer a hint of separation without blocking the amazing light that comes through the sliding doors in the mornings. They could always be changed out for more privacy if the need ever arises. The lower level is a great place for the girls to share - they each have their own space and can bring friends home at any time, knowing there's plenty of room. 

The original listing photo, taken obviously before the previous homeowners painted the house and deck. 

This space is now my heaven on earth. I'm so sad to say goodbye to this space for the cold months...

I hope you enjoyed my half-anniversary edition of the home tour as much as I enjoyed showing you around! The only space you haven't seen yet is the guest room and guest bath....soon!

Have a fabulous fall weekend, everyone!

A Room With a View

There's nothing like coming home after a long, busy day....unless it's coming home to a project FINISHED!!

My amazing contractor finished up the trim and painting around the new windows yesterday and I couldn't be more pleased! 

Despite my long day and the late hour when I got home I set to work getting things back in order again. 

I poured myself a cocktail and started cleaning windows and hanging curtains. 

Yes, I know - they are wrinkled. I don't iron. Don't judge. 

If the wrinkles don't fall out on their own (please do!) I have a steamer I can use on them if absolutely necessary. 

The house looks so cozy now looking in from the deck. I had to snap a couple of photos when I went out with the pups. 

The table will look better surrounded by loved ones but that will happen soon. I'm ready to host another dinner party now that the house is back in order. 

And of course I have to christen my new best friend. You can read all about her here. 

I was glad I got all the work done before I went to bed so I could just relax with my coffee and enjoy the beautiful view when I woke up. The sun wasn't shining yet, it was barely over the mountain, but the view is still gorgeous. 

From the living room I see out onto the conversation area and firepit on the deck, and beyond to the woods and the mountain range. And the flat feeder which the blue jays have taken over completely!

Can you see the two greedy blue jays fighting over the feeder?

From the dining room I see the outdoor dining set and also the woods and mountains beyond. And the goldfinches.....they are pretty much at that feeder all. day. long. 

I don't know if I've even seen any other bird on this feeder yet other than the finches. 

From the guest room window I have a great view of the neighbor's horses and their little red barn.  I think that might have been the point during my initial tour when I fell in love with the house. 

I mean, come on. How could I not? 

I can see the horses out of one of my master bedroom windows also. And I hear them clomping around during the night....it's become a very comforting sound for me in the past few months, once I got used to the noise and stopped thinking it was a bear on my deck!

From my other master bedroom window and also one of the master bathroom windows I can see my little garden cottage and the woodlands beyond. It's so private and quiet. 

I'm so very fortunate to be able to look out my new windows onto views that make me smile and feel at peace. 

What's your favorite view from your home?