My New Favorite Room

There have been changes, large and small, in most households I imagine, with so many folks working from home since last March.  The same is true at our house.  I have loved having Mr. Forest Manor working here at home -- it just makes the house feel less empty.  He works in the back of the house, and I mostly stay in the front, so I try not to bother him during the work day.  However, it's just nice to know he's there.  One of the changes that has come about here is a small thing, but such a difference for me.      

   
          My routine in the past few years has been to have my breakfast at the kitchen table and then take my coffee to the den to enjoy it on the sofa there.  Last spring when the lockdown first started, Hal was sitting on the den sofa and working with his laptop from work.  So in order to not disturb him, I started having my morning coffee in the living room.  A small change, but oh what a difference.  I have always thought our living room was fairly pretty, but we/I just never spent much time in here.  Now it's one of my favorite rooms in the house.        

      The front rooms in our house (living room, dining room, two of the bedrooms) get the morning sun, and the back rooms (kitchen, den, and master bedroom) get the afternoon sun.  How much nicer to have my coffee in the front part of the house and enjoy that cheerful, morning sunlight than in the den where it's darker until afternoon.  Also, I find myself noticing things outside the front windows that I don't normally notice.           

   

Now I look forward to my morning cup of coffee and book more than ever.  It's nice to start the day in a room that's (mostly) always tidy and clean.  Our den is a good cozy room, but it tends to get filled with more clutter -- books, magazines, papers, dog toys, and of course, the dog.  I love Duncan, but he's not allowed in the living room or dining room, so they stay much cleaner.  We even have music in here now because Hal got an extra Sonos speaker for this room.   

It was never my intention to have a pink living room.  This chair and footstool are actually mauve; we purchased the chair back in 1992(?) when mauve was really popular.  Remember that?  Anyway, I've always liked the color, especially in clothing, but I don't think it's ever been popular again since that time period.  No matter, I'm often out of step with everyone else when it comes to what's currently in fashion.  At some point, I will most likely get this chair re-covered; I intend to keep it because it's comfortable and I like the size.  My mom crocheted the granny-square afghan for me back when we still lived in Greensboro.     

The sofa has some mauve in it as well; we bought it at the same time as the chair.  I chose chintz fabric for the sofa, and I still love it.  Chintz was quite popular at that time, too.  I think chintz is a classic and a favorite of mine.     

You may remember that my husband's great-aunt passed away two years ago, and Hal's parents gave us some of her household furnishings, as they were being divided up amongst the family.  Aunt Dot never had any children, but she had several nieces and nephews, and I think we were all quite lucky to receive some of her nice furnishings and knickknacks.  This rug was Aunt Dot's and my mother-in-law offered it to me since she thought it might match our sofa.  In person, it looks like it was made to go with this sofa.  I was thrilled to get it.  I had honestly been looking at rugs online for at least a couple of years.  I pinned a lot from Wayfair and Overstock, but I could never choose one because I hadn't found one that really excited me.  I'm so happy to have this one.    

              I also wrote back at Christmas that we were gifted with a family secretary desk when Hal's parents had to downsize and move to a smaller home.  That involved some furniture re-arranging and it all worked out fine.  We were a little worried that maybe it would look too crowded, but it only took us a few days of looking at the new piece of furniture for us to decide it looked just right in the room.  :)           

I've discovered how nice this room is for enjoying a cup of coffee or hot tea, 

   a good book, 

or just thinking, 

   planning, 

and daydreaming.  It has changed so much since we moved here almost 25 years ago.  I wish I had early pictures to show you, but I don't think I do.    

I still don't spend a lot of time in the living room; I'm a pretty fast coffee drinker, and I usually have too much to do for sitting in here long.  In the evenings, Hal, Duncan, and I spend our time in the den, but now I feel like the living room is kind of my special room.     

   

   

What's your favorite room in your home?  I really appreciate your stopping by here today -- hope you have a great week!!