Revamping our nest

Hello dear friends,

Can you hear the sound of the shivering leaves? I love it! We had a warm day today, but I do like the fact that we do not have to sweat on every step, and I can even throw a light scarf over my shoulders.

Autumn is a transitional period, and as with Spring, I feel the desire to look more at our home and assess what is needed to make it more welcoming for a new season with two teenagers and a little one at primary school.

This morning over coffee I was discussing with DH the need to
a) elongate the wall separating the kitchen from the entryway to make the island easier to navigate
b) move the breakfast desk towards the dining room
c) repaint the entry way that now houses DH's fish tank
d)bring in our old fridge that is quite old but also slinker and would fit better into this house.

The aim is to make the kitchen area larger and reduce the dumping ground between the kitchen and the dining room where a daybed and an armchair house everything from the kids' homework to DH's newspapers.
I would also like to bring in more light to the entryway that doesn't get any natural light,- and will get even less if we make the kitchen longer-, but we'll scrap the deep red which is striking and a lovely Farrow and Ball quality, but darkens the area. We agreed on that, but on everything else he said: Yes, why not, when you are 60 or 70. I think of something more like next month!..
Anyhow, I checked Houzz and identified the main areas where I need to focus and what I should do with them:

A.THE LIVING-DINING ROOM

traditional kitchen design

I want to make sleepcovers for our couch and armchairs. They were meant for this summer but time slowly slipped away. If we start now, we'll have them ready for next Spring, I think, lol! The couch and armchairs are now a nice charcoal linen but our cat has been enjoying their texture a little too much. Plus, my curtains that I love and DH doesn't like that much, are in a natural linen/cotton from our shop and I believe the general feeling will be lighter if they matched.

contemporary home design by other metros interior designer Riehl Designs, Inc.

I would also like to replace our ecru curtains in our yellow den with either some ready made vintage ones with pink and red flowers on a yellow canvas, that I bought on Etsy or make a pair out of a fabric that sits in a box somewhere in my home office (see below!,,)

B.THE KITCHEN

kitchen design

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asian kitchen design

,.Apart from the structural changes that we may or may not do, the Cath Kidston pearl-white walls with a cluster of English style blue cupboards could do with a focal point that would take the eye a bit further away. I currently have a nice embroidered voile from Gudrun Sjoden hanging on the window over the sink. But I would like a splash of colour there, possibly in the form of the bistrot-window curtains I have on the making for some time now.

kitchen design

I'd also like to get rid of the clutter on the kitchen tops and cupboards by streamling storage with some clear jars. I love clear jars. They are so versatile, and I have been collecting some Bonne Maman jars and pasta sauce jars that sit in the basement waiting to be put in good use. (Also read this fun post on Mason jars in  The Pioneer Woman ).

C. MY HOME OFFICE

eclectic home office design

My home office is situated in the basement. Currently it is a storage area for my books, magazine cut outs and half-finished cross stitching and sewing projects. In the room there is
-DH's old desk,
-an old shelving unit from the shop-where I was planning to put an iron daybed
-the girl's old bookcase,
-and an extra piece of our son's closet that the IKEA person miscalculated, and was thus put up in my office.

I'd love my home office to look light, bright and well organised like this room, above. Plus my room has a door to the garden. I could thus combine my writing and planning with my gardening: Bliss.
 

D.THE GARDEN

modern patio design by new york architect Dufner Heighes Inc

We finally got to groom our garden! Yes!

our back garden-September 2010

We were planning to put up a deck sitting area this autumn, but we had to prioritise. It will have to wait. I'd like some new pillows for the repainted chairs, and possibly add some more sitting and a permanent tent to house our varied activities. I have so long wanted a garden, it is a pity not to use it as much as I would like.

E. THE MASTER BEDROOM

traditional bedroom design by toronto interior designer c3d design

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It alternates between the house's second dumping ground, sheltering the family's clothes, my work at home projects, a bookcase with magazines and books, and DH's portable TV ( I detest TVs in  abedroom, but I compromise so that we may have some extra time together). There is also a lovely desk and leather chair that Dh has bought for me as a birthday present some years ago, that is covered with clothes and daily parafernalia. Having in mind that this bedroom, as with the rest of the rooms are small rooms of  15 sq.meters or less, you get the picture.

I'd love some order and privacy in there, now that the kids don't need to be undressed in our room or climg in our bed at night (though I admit I am the one who is hanging on to those days), although I want the place to look warm and welcoming. I think the bookcase could go, and then we could have the daybed moving up from downstairs, dressed up in our old French bedroom curtains. Then we could have more wiggle space, I could use the desk and get the books and magazines in my refurbished home office. Isn't that nice?

I like the small chest of drawers acting as night tables, the daybed and well, perhaps not the two boxes, but a little dressed up stool that has not yet found its place in the living room.

There then. I have mapped out all the changes I want to do. Now I have to start ticking off each one, week by week. The only way to do it, really!

*Have you entered my giveaway yet? It is right here!*

I hope you all have a great week ahead. See you soon!