We’ve almost been homeowners for almost an entire year! I feel so lucky to have our perfect little home with our perfect little family full of pets, but on some level, it also feels kind of crazy. Like, we’re real adults. With a mortgage.
Growing up, my mom had a distinct style in her home. If I had to name it, maybe I’d say it was a mix of rustic Americana and garden-inspired. But no matter where she lived, every square inch oozed with this stylized life that she would breathe into it. There were lots of trinkets filling the space, each with their own story, but it was never overbearing. In fact, it was a space that could make you feel like there was no other place in the entire home for that woven basket than exactly where it was. It was homey and inviting, unique to her personality and clean. Never a fleck of dust anywhere. And it always smelled sweet.
Now that we have a home of our own, my favorite part is the blank canvas I have for decorating and for making it my own, just like my mom always did. And it’s a space that’s completely ours! I’m not renting from a total stranger, or sharing common spaces with roommates. It’s our home, totally and completely. And that’s really freakin’ exciting.
We’ve recently turned our attention to the sunroom. And by we, I mean that Skyler told me he wanted our sunroom, which is currently acting as our dining room, to be more of a living space. (To be fair, I can’t blame him. It’s my favorite room in the house, simply because it’s so full of light!) I immediately turned to the vast number of options on the internet, fingers flying across the keyboard, until I was able to pull together the perfect combination of pieces to fit our little space. And I’m pretty darn excited for how it’s turning out.
The Space
Our sunroom is small – essentially a 11×11 square – and was built as an addition to the house that leads from the far side of our kitchen out onto the deck. It’s easily my favorite room in the house because of the exposed brick on one wall (which is the original exterior of the house), which gives it unparalleled character. The two side walls are painted the perfect shade of slate blue, with wonderfully large (albeit annoyingly uncentered) windows. The fourth wall, opposite the brick wall, holds French doors that lead out to the deck. The floors are a beautiful greige wood grain tile.
The Requirements
- Must have enough seating for a small group.
- Extra storage would be great, as there’s not a ton throughout the rest of the house.
- Must be pet-tolerant. For us, that means we have to consider Dale’s constant shedding of blonde-ish hair, his dirty paws on the floor when he comes inside on a rainy day and the potential for cat scratching. #livingthedream
- Must be practical. This one kind of speaks for itself.
The Products
- THE SOFA: I started this project the minute I stumbled upon this tufted velvet little guy with a vintage 50s styles. It was perfect for so many reasons. First, it was velvet, which was crucial because will have the best chance of surviving two sets of kitty claws. (Also, I just really want a velvet sofa.) Second, it can easily transform into a sleeper if we need extra space for friends to stay the night! Not to mention, it’s such a neutral color that will make decorating a breeze.
- THE RUG: I wanted something that would tie in all the colors of the space – the brick, the paint, the sofa. I was also looking for a pattern that would be a little forgiving, knowing that this is the first point of contact for Dale after he comes inside (read: lots of dirt, grass, mud, etc.).
- THE CHAIRS: I’ve never found myself drawn to mid-century style furniture before, but these quickly caught my eye. They meet the vintage style of the sofa with a strength of their own, and the offer another neutral to the room, but with a more textured fabric. (Fingers crossed for the cats on this one.)
- THE END TABLES: The #1 thing I learned from my time at Anthropologie is that when you treat the smaller furniture pieces in a room like the jewelry in an outfit, you can really have some fun. I wanted to use the end tables to incorporate more color into a neutral space, as well as some cool shapes (hey, hexagon!) and textures (like the rusted metal).
- THE COFFEE TABLE: This was my hardest decision! And to be honest, I’m still not even sold. I love the idea of a hammered drum style coffee table, but the space is small, so I’m hoping it doesn’t look too bulky!
- THE STORAGE DRESSER: Our house doesn’t have a ton of storage. Like, at all. So I wanted to incorporate that functionality into this room. Plus, it’s a really freaking sweet looking piece.
- THE DECOR: This is always the fun part! I wanted to add a few colorful floor pillows into the mix because they are total life-savers when there are more people than seats, or when you’re really trying to get up close and personal with a board game. I also found an awesome print that incorporates the strongest colors in the room, and will look killer hanging on the brick wall. Add a couple of throws and pillows to the upholstery, some greenery, a mirror, some personal photos and trinkets and voila — the perfect sunroom!
Stay tuned as we begin to take this project from paper to real life! I. CAN’T. WAIT.
Tiny Tales 