Roses and Rearranging

Above: Beautiful roses from my wonderful husband!

After about a year in our little rental house, I finally decided that it was time to move around the furniture in the living room and dining room. Our house was built in the 1920's as a farmhouse and has some unique features. For example, although the house itself is quite large, the kitchen is tiny. There is no central heating, but instead we have built in electric heaters in each room. Another interesting feature is that there is just one long narrow rectangular space for the dining room and living room. 

For most of the past year we set up the dining room right outside of the kitchen door and put together a little living room on the opposite side of the long room. However, recently it began to seem to me that we really ought to separate the living room and dining room a bit more. To accomplish that, I moved our one couch away from the wall and placed it as a divider between the dining room and living room. I also brought up a rocking armchair that I got for free from a family I babysat for a few years ago. It used to live in the family room downstairs, but now it seems so nice to have another comfortable chair in the living room (see below). 

Note: Woodley is the one learning to play the harp. I got him harp lessons for his birthday last year and he is making impressive progress! It turns out that harps are ridiculously expensive but you can actually rent them for fairly reasonable rates. It's so nice to hear him practice as I work around the house!

The living room still needs more work before it will feel really put together, but at least it now feels like it's own space and 3 or 4 people can sit together and have a conversation. 

With the couch dividing our main room there was then less space for the dining room. Since it was a bit tight getting around the table, I removed one leaf and it suddenly fit perfectly. Since we rarely have more than two couples over for dinner at the same time, I think the new arrangement will work very well. 

After our wedding reception last year, I had a ton of doilies left and didn't know what to do with them. (I had used them under the vases to help decorate the dinner tables.) Woodley picked out these tan chairs a couple of years ago and we bought a few extra when we moved in together after getting married. Although they are very soft and comfortable, I thought they looked a little too straight and modern. To help soften them and give them a cottage air I picked out a few of my favorite doilies and laid them over the back. I liked the effect quite a bit and have kept them. 

And now, one more picture of those lovely roses!

~ElizabethRose