Design challenge
Okay you creative types, help me solve a problem. I have this room that I want to tackle over the winter and I don't know what to do with it. Picture if you will....
My house is shaped like an 'L'. This room is in the corner of the 'L'. It was the original living room for the original farmhouse. This room is approximately 12 by 20, with two windows and a front door on it's south side, one window and the stairs on the west side, a door to the family room on the east side, and a door to the kitchen/dining room/den on the north side. It currently houses two dog crates (soon to be put away), a rocking chair, some plants, and a table with a phone. It basically functions as a giant hallway. We don't spend time there, we just pass through. But it is ugly. I have to take off some hideous wallpaper and hope to lighten things up with paint in creams and whites with maybe some beadboard. But what do I use it for? What is it's identity? What can I put in there that would look nice. Plants won't survive unless they are directly against the windows. Anyway, think about it cause I am truly at a loss. We really don't need another seating area, but I just don't know what to do with it.
It is disturbingly warm today. When I took the dogs out this morning, there was mud everywhere. I don't like it when there is mud everywhere and I expect that to be limited to a few weeks in early April. My lab mix was feeling super giddy this morning. I think she thinks it's spring. She hates cold. Yesterday when I was taking down the outside decorations, I had them on their leashes in the yard. She was staring at me the whole time, burning holes into me with her little brown eyes, and whenever I looked back at her, she visibly shivered. Mind you, it was mid-40s yesterday and I was outside in a sweatshirt. Not cold enough for a dog to freeze. I think the shivering was fake. The golden/chow mix loves being cold and is a little disturbed at the lack of snow. We have had only one good one as far as he is concerned. A 'good' snow is one where he can bury his nose and face, up to his eyes, in the snow and run, thereby becoming a 'dog plow' of sorts. He can do this for hours if you let him, taking only short breaks to eat snow.
Anyway, no bulbs seen protruding from the great expanse of mud that is my yard. I thought I'd see a little bit of snowdrops coming forth, but nothing yet. The buds on the pussy willow are fat though, and as no deer have meandered through the yard recently, they may stay fat till late winter and I'll be rewarded with armfuls of pussy willow.
My house is shaped like an 'L'. This room is in the corner of the 'L'. It was the original living room for the original farmhouse. This room is approximately 12 by 20, with two windows and a front door on it's south side, one window and the stairs on the west side, a door to the family room on the east side, and a door to the kitchen/dining room/den on the north side. It currently houses two dog crates (soon to be put away), a rocking chair, some plants, and a table with a phone. It basically functions as a giant hallway. We don't spend time there, we just pass through. But it is ugly. I have to take off some hideous wallpaper and hope to lighten things up with paint in creams and whites with maybe some beadboard. But what do I use it for? What is it's identity? What can I put in there that would look nice. Plants won't survive unless they are directly against the windows. Anyway, think about it cause I am truly at a loss. We really don't need another seating area, but I just don't know what to do with it.
It is disturbingly warm today. When I took the dogs out this morning, there was mud everywhere. I don't like it when there is mud everywhere and I expect that to be limited to a few weeks in early April. My lab mix was feeling super giddy this morning. I think she thinks it's spring. She hates cold. Yesterday when I was taking down the outside decorations, I had them on their leashes in the yard. She was staring at me the whole time, burning holes into me with her little brown eyes, and whenever I looked back at her, she visibly shivered. Mind you, it was mid-40s yesterday and I was outside in a sweatshirt. Not cold enough for a dog to freeze. I think the shivering was fake. The golden/chow mix loves being cold and is a little disturbed at the lack of snow. We have had only one good one as far as he is concerned. A 'good' snow is one where he can bury his nose and face, up to his eyes, in the snow and run, thereby becoming a 'dog plow' of sorts. He can do this for hours if you let him, taking only short breaks to eat snow.
Anyway, no bulbs seen protruding from the great expanse of mud that is my yard. I thought I'd see a little bit of snowdrops coming forth, but nothing yet. The buds on the pussy willow are fat though, and as no deer have meandered through the yard recently, they may stay fat till late winter and I'll be rewarded with armfuls of pussy willow.
posted by meresy_g at Monday, January 09, 2006
2 Comments:
Not sure I qualify as a "creative type" but I do love to figure out a living space although can never solve my own l.s. problems. If you don't want more seating, don't spend time there, just pass through...hmmmm--one part of me goes for minimalism & the other clutter--clean it up w/the new paint ideas you have and its new identity can be 'nothing' or barely 'anything'--maybe gallery space or hang interesting hooks with something you collect (those aprons? or retro stuff? Got art?)--live with the space bare for a little while to see how you feel about it...or the other side is clutter (little library?)--books & more books--interesting oak bookshelves? I could plaster my walls & windows with books & not see anything...or go Yankee traditional & find a neat & narrow, slim stark desk that you put there to stack your mail on (danger, danger)? Whatever, it sounds like a neat space to me seeking a new identity that may take a little refreshing & taking it one step at a time to give new direction....what are the floors like? wood? Shine them up. Keep windows bare.
Yes, wood floors. We had them redone three years ago this spring. And I like bare windows too, plus they are the last original windows in the house and have that great wavy glass. I like your idea of clearing it out, painting and then just kind of letting it speak to me. I never thought about book shelves. Good idea, I have so many books. I was thinking of a more substantial desk, like a 'secretary' type desk. You are right about the 'danger, danger'. I have a tendency to pile things....recipes, catalogs, magazines...all very important mind you. I like the gallery idea too, it could be like a 'seasonal' room that gets totally revamped 4 times a year, circulating my collections, changing the art, hmmm....good ideas all, thanks judith.
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