My Inspired Room

Hi friends!  We see beautiful house pictures all over social media & although I do love to be inspired, what inspires me even more is when I know a home is more than just pretty pictures. That a home has a life beat of it’s own, where there is lots of love, silly moments shared, chaotic ones too, where there are hugs & snuggles, laughter & tears and where there is genuine gratitude for all that it provides. So in celebration of my friend Melissa’s book, The Inspired Room, which is available Nov 2, I thought I would share my own inspired room and a little more about the “real-life” beat of my home.

When we began looking for a home on Long Island after living in a brand new home in Colorado, I had a list. I think most people do, right? On that list was old, but renovated, charming, in nice town, nice yard, bright, open….you get my drift. I never needed a big house, I like cozy but we wanted newish. My husband wasn’t handy, nor did he have the time to be & houses were so expensive here!!! So we looked for 4 + years, I know, that sounds a little crazy but at the end of a LONG, LONG wait we found OUR home. It wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect for us. There are no words to describe how it felt to have a home again after almost 5 years. I was just so grateful!!! I remember soaking in every moment, I will never forget those feelings.

Our home is nestled down a long, tree lined road and as soon as you get over the little hill you can see peeks of the bay. A little fun fact-I actually drove down my street in my 20’s and said to myself, if I am ever lucky enough, I would love to live here, no joke. We are on a little peninsula of sorts, which means we have water views that are expansive. I never, ever thought we would own a home so close to the water and when we saw this home, initially I said, no {can you believe that}, until I walked inside, it had all those things on my list and more. I think I was just afraid of what I didn’t know.

So that brings me to my favorite room, which you may have already guessed it, my family room. When we moved in Jack was 1 and Shane was 5, I wanted to do so much but…with little time and money we had to go slow. I did what I could, with what I had and began in the family room. I had chenille couches from Calico Corners and used my old furniture from Colorado, which was also dark. I had a bright vision for this room but needed to be patient. After a year we bought the IKEA sectional and the whole feel of the room changed. It felt like it belonged there and little by little I made the space my own. We have lived in our home for 6 years and the room finally feels done {ish}. I share this with you because often we just see the end result and not what goes on behind the scenes, the saving, hard work and patience that goes along with it:).

  

My family room if the hub of my home, especially this time of year when we spend more time inside. There is no better feeling than to see my whole family sprawled out on the sectional together, whether it be to watch a movie, read, play a game or maybe have a snack by the fire. I also try to grab a few minutes of quiet time when I can, before my boys come home from school, I sit in here with a cup of coffee and my magazines or catalogues and plot & plan:). At any given moment I can look over and see the glistening bay & instantly feel inspired.

On any given day there are toys, Legos, books, balls, floor hockey equipment, cars, etc.., you name it, my boys will play with it in here {just not play dough}. The slipcovers are amazing, you can read about how I care for them HERE.  I never worry about spills and messes because they always come out. The pillow covers can all be washed and the toys have little hiding places all over the room. I always want there to be little voices, creative play and noise coming from this room, that means it is loved, used and appreciated. My dad said to me one day, as I was feeling overloaded & overwhelmed with stuff, toys & life {it was when Jack was little}, “enjoy this.” I said, “huh…,” he said “you will miss this one day” and his eyes filled with tears. He told me after we all left {our childhood} home, the house became so quiet and he desperately missed those crazy, hectic days, I was one of 4. He is constantly giving me perspective like this, which I appreciate more than he knows. He is such a good man and I love him more than words.

 

I wish I could get a good photo from my family room of the water but because of the porch overhang, it always come out dark. This is our master bedroom which is right above my family room so you can see a part of the view we see. It is very, very peaceful where we are, in fact today, it is so quiet I can actually hear the ocean waves crashing on the shore.

Thank you for letting me into your hearts and home, I always so grateful when you stop by!!!

This is Melissa’s book-The Inspired Room,  not only is it beautiful but a great read! If you have anyone who loves home this would be a nice holiday gift.

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Have you heard? Vintage oil paintings are making a come back, so I am sharing EASY tips for using them in your home over at Better Home & Gardens. I promise, you will never pass up one up again after reading this article, click HERE to be inspired.

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My sale at The Painted Fox Ends tomorrow & guess what?! They are now giving 20 % off!!! Isn’t that great! Just use CITYFARMHOUSE at checkout.

Click HERE for shop my farmhouse favorites…

Have a beautiful day & enjoy all of the festivities this weekend!