drapes

The other day we talked about Hushing the House to create our own Summer Home.

A few weeks ago I knew I needed some change at home. We’ve lived here for just over 18 months and I’m finally learning the moods of this house. It takes awhile.

My last house spoiled me with natural light. This house teases me with it. Tall thin windows, a weird addition that blocks light from a bay window and a wrap around porch all add up to a home that doesn’t have as much natural light as I’d prefer–and it’s the one thing I crave…

dining

I knew I wanted a little change from this. Even though I love the cowhide and the contrast–I wanted less crowdedness and more light for summer.

I didn’t know exactly what to do, but I knew what not to do and where to start. So I took down the black drapes and the rug and moved the coffee station into the kitchen.

I hushed the room a little so that I could see it better.

 

And remember, we still have a looooong way to go with this fixer-upper. These popcorn ceilings and half painted moldings are even more obvious without drapes acting like arrows.

hushed

dark

I decided to do the same with the drapes and the rugs in the family room. I removed them so I could make some decisions.

I love the light grey drapes, but they only made the room feel darker and this is already the darkest room in the house. Also it’s almost impossible to get a good photo of this wall.

drapes

Here you can see the windows without drapes and with a pair of canvas colored drapes.

I actually LOVE the look of nekkid windows. But, since our drapes have served us so well being hung correctly–high and wide–they play a wonderful trick on us and make our skinny windows look bigger. Without drapes you see how small the windows are and it actually makes the room feel smaller.

drapes

Ahhhh.

Ikea to the rescue. I bought 3 pair of 98″ long drapes. They were $25 per pair, the best $75 I’ve spent in a long time. One pair went in the dining area, two pair in here. I’m not crazy about this color drapes up against the floor the way they are right now, but I’ll figure that out in time.

This room isn’t done yet. I’ve got another change on its way that makes a huge, HUGE difference in Hushing The House. I’ll take better pictures and show you that next time.

dining room

For now I’ll leave you with my brighter, roomier dining room and I’ll make a confession…

…when I knew I needed a change, my first thought was to run into Target or HomeGoods and buy some cute tchotchke to make it feel more summery–maybe a big ginger jar or a basket of shells or a fresh throw pillow? But I knew I needed a change with more impact than that. And that’s risky because I had to drive further, spend a little more take a bigger risk and do the work of hanging up new drapes.

It was so worth it.

And by the way, when my sister came over the other day, she walked in and immediately asked why my house felt bigger. It worked!

If you are longing for a summer home, consider hushing a room–take down the drapes, remove the rug and let the room breathe for a few days. Share your space on instagram with the hashtag #hushthehouse

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webinar

PS, in celebration of our 1000th (what?!) Cozy Minimalist, I’m hosting a live webinar next week and we are offering $10 off the Cozy Minimalist course for a very limited time--click here to find out more.