Living Room

It was the outdoors, trees and land that drew us in, convinced our souls there would be breathing space and nature.

A healthy spot in the crazy busy of this new city to raise our brew of beauties.

Yet the house is where I spend the bulk of my moments, and for me it is essential that there is beauty with-in the mundane and constant duties of home life. Lovely touches to home and hearth has been a sustaining joy for me. Wherever I have lived be-it a camping trailer, apartment in Asia or flat in Africa, I have needed beauty, order and peace. In part to add familiarity of home but also to create a space that is personally refreshing, so that when all is new and challenging and changing there is one place, just a spot on the map that is you, familiar and our own.

It was this room that both Roger and I saw a future here, we could picture it, the memories that could be made within this space. We could hear the laughter and the dancing, the noise… oh the noise of all our precious littles causing ruckus! We could also feel the peace and beauty of the room, a spot for us to meet and unwind at the end of our long days, a place to visit kindling friendship between us and others.

Once we owned the house we went about fitting it to our personal likes, we first tackled a very dirty soon-to-be stunning row of french doors and windows that lead out to the covered patio and pool yard. Once light was able to filter into the space we decided the walls needed painting. We also put hardwood floors in and refinished the balcony railings to match the entrance stairway. We replaced all the beige outlets for white and the brass fixtures for oiled bronze and then replaced the fan.

Our back patio is screened-in and runs the length of the back of our home. I know I am going to love this outdoor space during the heat of Houston’s summer. But it does limit the amount of natural light that comes into the living room, kitchen and master bedroom. That said it does help keep our home cool and inviting when the temperatures rise outdoors.

It truly has been filled with the memories we envisioned, noise and all! We have hosted friends and family and even tonight we are having a church gathering in our home. The kids dance and jump on the couches, they climb over the half wall from the kitchen to the living room and launch toy-parachutes from the balcony! It is all it’s name declares, much LIVING happens in this room!

I am pleased.

It is just as I hoped, beauty and blessings, living and loving!

{ Before }

{ During }

{ This Moment }

The Great Overwhelm

When all the boxes were delivered into a half renovated home, the very day my sweet husband left for a week long business trip leaving me with my half-dozzen littles and hours upon hours of unpacking to be done and a house to finish renovating!

I sat there smiling, completely unsure of where to start, I guess I just thought to smile instead of cry.

It all worked out.

I still love my husband! The house is unpacked and the kids intact!