a room with a view

I have this one room, I'll call "the den." The name changes over the years because it's really not any single kind of room and when I have to talk about it, I stumble over the term I use. I usually end up saying, "the room with the sliding glass door." It's a terribly awkward room. Not large enough for much. Plus it's the pathway to put the dogs outside and often becomes a mud room by the time we're done wiping them down when they come back in. There's book cases and an old chair so I guess it could qualify for a den or library. But it's a little room at the back of our house that leads to the back deck. We've lived in this house for five years now and this room has been nothing more than a passway to the outside.

Yesterday I decided to do something about it. When we bought the house, I envisioned a sitting area where I could sit, peacefully sipping my coffee or tea, watching the birds and squirrels in the nearby trees. Not any couch was going to do. I wanted one from Pottery Barn. A cranberry red couch! But it turned out to be too big so I had to go with Plan B. Only problem is, I didn't know how to pull Plan B off. I never gave up the vision of a cozy sitting area; a place where I could escape. A place where I could listen to my music, read, or do crossword puzzles. A place where I could have a cozy conversation with my daughter or a friend. This was a place I could be surrounded by the things I love. My books. My birds. And my squirrels. Just a tiny place to call my own. A place where I could become one with the outside. A room with a view.

This is what I came up with. Keep in mind it's still in the planning stages but by relocating different pieces of furniture and lighting, I was able to improve the room by 150 percent! It's still not quite the room I envision, but I'm getting there. I need to find a small round table and a couple of chairs (maybe wicker?) to take the place of the greenish dresser and the wooden chair.

But I love the screen and it's a good place to display my quilts and hang my aprons. And the blue rocker is so much happier here than in my bedroom. Mostly I love the soft glow of the accent lights at night. It looks so cozy and inviting. The dresser is so handy for storage; I have my CDs and other important stuff tucked inside, but it might not work in the overall scheme.

And did you notice, this room also works well as a Baby Boutique! I've had so much fun shopping for two little babies recently and decided to display my latest purchases over the door.

Today I'm on a search for the elusive round table and cozy seating. Maybe some new lace doilies to soften the bookcase shelves. Maybe I'll swap out the black framed artwork for roses and peonies. This room has so much potential and I'm glad that, finally, I'm making some progress.