Sprucing Spaces and Revamping Rooms | Part I

I've accepted that organizing and re-organizing my home is a cyclical combination of cleaning chores and delightful hobby. While dishes are often a drag, there are parts of home maintenance that I enjoy -- decluttering, decorating, and rearranging spaces. I'm a better "tidier" than "deep cleaner" which I think makes my home feel cleaner than it actually is! Almost four years later, and I'm absolutely loving our home!

Here are some recent changes I've made that have our house feeling extra happy: 

- rearranged furniture in playroom

- rotated our breakfast nook...and started candlelit meals!

- decluttered and redecorated our entryway

- new mantel display

- rearranged our living room which has resulted in an oversized "drafting table"

With the help of my parents, we also spruced up our outdoor areas. Next steps are weeding and considering container gardening. 
- rotated our glider and moved mini bistro to front porch

- added a round patio table in back yard

- moved picnic table to other side of front yard 

- hung hammock for the kids
- transformed crab sandbox into toy storage

Fun Fact: Besides the hammock and beige patio chairs, every single piece of furniture you see in the pictures above was purchased secondhand (or better yet -- a free curb find!) 

Taking tips from my college roommate and bridesmaid with impeccable taste at bookwormcottagestyle.com, 

- SJW

New Walls

Undoubtedly, 2020 will forever be marked by a global pandemic, the fight for racial justice, and political turmoil approaching a divisive election. For our family, it will be known as the year of the house hunt! A daunting and exhaustive one at that. From April to August we were in the thick of it, constantly refreshing Redfin and touring houses on the regular. Each house we saw led to new discussions on space, location, walkability, price, yard, schools, and house quality. Most of the time I felt like Goldilocks, wondering if I was being too picky or if we'd ever find a home with the spaces to meet our family's needs with the style I preferred.  

Early on I made a "House Wish List" separated out into four categories: The Basics, Lifestyle, Perks, and Style & Charm that helped me sort and prioritize all the factors floating around in my head. It's certainly a privilege to have the means to afford a home in Seattle in the first place, not to mention the luxury to add on nitty-gritty choices such as yard accessibility, bedroom layout, proximity to a park, and whether or not you're on a busy street. We haven't lost sight of that and if anything, it makes us even more appreciative of the house we found and purchased.

I still believe that we could have made most all of the houses we toured work for our family. A house is simply a building after all - it provides the structural support for rooms and protection from the elements, a literal roof over your head. And no doubt, I do love the specific rooms, spaces, and layout of this particular house: the designated playroom adjacent to the yard, the spacious living/dining room with a fireplace, the breakfast nook, the spacious master bedroom with a deck, and the basement designated for guests. The best thing about a house is making it a home. I keep thinking of all the meals we'll share, birthdays we'll celebrate, books we'll read, games we'll play, parties we'll host, and all the pictures we'll take. It will be so special welcoming our two newest family members into this home. Their home. :) 

Bring on the memory-making,

- SJW