Fitting Right In

I'm finally back with show-and-tell spot #2 of our casa. And no, my silence regarding all things home and garden wasn't because I couldn't find something else that I loved about our house (though admittedly, I always see room for improvement, or er... overhaul) or for that matter, because we haven't been working around the house (primarily in the yard... it's summer, after all, indoor updates can kinda-sorta wait!). Instead, it was a bit because I couldn't decide if we've got anything really worth sharing (and dreaming that it might - dare I say - inspire you?) even if they do make us happy and another, a sadly bigger dose of sheer laziness.

Buuuut... we (humbly) think that this corner of our family room housing this gorgeous drafting table was worth the wait. Truth be told, this nook lives in the room that without a doubt frustrates me the most of any in our home... daily even. Thank goodness for this little, inconsequential corner... that which gives me hope.

As I mentioned, an outspoken majority of the rest of this room leaves quite a bit to be desired (and thus the only chance you have of seeing it is if I get desperate enough to ask for help); our family room and I have a distinct love-hate relationship... in that I love one or two very minor parts of it (duh... shown here), and strongly dislike what's left.

The story of the life of this beautiful (and don't tell us if you think otherwise) table is one of significance. It was almost (phew!) tragically cut short; as during the move-in process, with my limited "vision", I was sure there was no place for it. After all, it was taller and much larger in surface area than any typical desk so using it as a bedside table or a desk in a guest room was out. Add in the fact that it was too wide for many of our 1940s random-width doorways, and we were left in a bind.

Thankfully, just as we were about to give up and draft a Craigslist ad, my parents arrived in town. And as you might guess, my mom's good eye saved the day. At the time the decorating style of the house might have been best described as (with compliments to the then-current - and only - resident) "clean bachelor pad", complete with only a recliner, ottoman, coffee table, bookshelf, and of course a TV. But through it all, my mom saw this oddly angled corner and stopped the presses. A few minutes (and a door off its hinges) later, and our work/wrapping/crafting station was born.

With the table in place, accessories were in order. Little by little, we added a revived (you just can't kill the suckers) philodendron in a quiet, cream planter, two black and whites framed similarly drawing your eye up the back wall, a task light, a sculptural glass container holding spools of colorful ribbon, and a basket (on the floor) of various wrapping papers (my rather weak attempts at injecting color). Overtime, we've worked in some more personal touches including the cute wooden dog, dried flowers and a picture from our wedding, as well as a prominent place for our ultra useful address-stamper (that sees at least weekly use - thanks, Missy!).

If you can't tell (by my more-than-you-needed details), things about our house that I feel are "put-it-on-the-world-wide-web" worthy get me a little excited... so excited in fact, that I've already picked my next favorite spot (this one is indeed just a spot) to share with you. So while you're thinking of (and letting me know!) how we can continue to dress up our precious desk-in-the-corner, stop by sometime soon to see how we figured out one (simple) way to make another small piece of our family room more palatable. It turns out I have a thing with corners...