Living and Dining

I think that our home is pretty much together now.  And it has only been...  four months since we've moved in?  I am pretty sure that putting our place together may be my only artistic accomplishment as of late, so here are some photos of what we ended up with.

The Metta style is quite eclectic.  I find things that I like - often at thrift stores - and then start shuffling them.  The real trick - if you are like me and have no real training in how to put a home together - is to stop shuffling when a space looks pleasing to the eye.  Above is our little entry area: I inherited the dresser from a friend who was moving a few years ago and then refinished and painted it.  It is topped with a runner I sewed from a Pottery Barn curtain panel I bought years ago at the thrift store, topped with my favorite tins (thrift store - you got it!), and some other little randoms that I like: an airplane to remind us to travel, and a little Eiffel Tower.  On the wall is a beautiful koi fish print that I found at the thrift store, framed by a deep red frame from Michaels.  

Designing the wall behind the couch was a headache, and it is every time we move.  Nailing a hole in the wall feels very committal, and it's hard to think about what you might want to look at every time you spend time in your living space.  Plus, wall art - especially large wall art - is expensive, and since we do not have the means to purchase new things every time we move, even though our tastes change over time, we have to work with what we already have.  This time we added a few new elements, got rid of a few of the old, and we are planning to switch out some of the photos once little boy is here and we have more current images of our family.  

We only have one large window in the living room (hence the funny warm lighting), and since the most tender shoots should get the best light, Gigi's table and chairs are directly in front of the window.  She colors there, makes her designs, plays with her stickers and makes her mischief. Although all of our furniture pieces are Craigslist finds, her table and chairs set has probably been our most favorite investment.  She is so happy in the space that is uniquely hers.

And then there is our kitchen.  It is one of the true beauties of living in this home.  It is the first time in four Chapel Hill rentals that we have had a large, open, and well lit kitchen and dining space, and it is a beautiful feeling.  It encourages happy and comfortable cooking, good eating, a lot of informal family time spent together, and hot cocoa parties on Sunday evenings.  We have always known that a big kitchen must be a nice thing, but living with one now will make going backwards very difficult if we ever need to downsize.  I hope that we stay here a good long time...

And our table says it all: Happy Fall everyone!  This morning I woke up and could see my breath as I was walking to the bus stop, so I think that the new season is officially upon us.  We've got about five weeks until baby boy's due date, and there are a lot of leaves to kick, pumpkin patches to visit and soups to make before he arrives!  Enjoy the changes in the world around you!