As I’ve been unpacking and settling in our new house, there are days when I can make a large push to get things done.  Other days, the bulk of my time and attention is required elsewhere, so I just have to sneak some work in here and there.  On those days, I’ve been working on small areas that I can pick at where there is time. The butler’s pantry is one of those small projects… It quickly became the dumping ground for breakables when we started unpacking and I was eager to get it tidied up.  Over the course of two busier days, I just took a little time here and there to get things in a somewhat organized fashion. I’ve loved this built-in from the moment I saw it.  It’s more cabinet space, which is awesome, but it also provides display space and some great character.  I am definitely

If you missed a tour of my new kitchen earlier this week, you can catch it HERE.  In today’s post, I’m going to take you on a tour of the living room.  We’ve had some debate about what to call this room – the living room or the family room.  I think we’ve settled on the living room and the family room is downstairs.  You know how room names morph.  In our last house we had “the little bathroom” and we just all knew which one that was (even though they were all little!)  We’ll see if that name sticks, but let’s go with it for now. Here’s the living room… Since this room is open to the kitchen and “eating area” (breakfast nook that’s not really a nook), it will be a prime spot for entertaining and hanging out.  It needs to be comfortable, but it’s visible from the

I’ve always thought of the formal living room in our house as a bit of a waste. The original part of our home was built in 1948 and this little room, right when you walk in the front door was the only living area.  Though it’s small, it was very well designed.  It’s opened to the dining room with a wide arch and windows face south and west, letting in lovely light all day.  When the windows are open in the adjacent dining room and the living room, a nice cross breeze flows through the space…certainly a pre-central-air-conditioning essential. But when the owners before us added on a new kitchen, a master suit, and a family room, that little living room became redundant.  I also didn’t see much versatility in the space, since you walk smack into it from the front door.  “Hello, welcome to my workout room/play room/home office,