We are renters. We move around a bit. We haven't put down roots just yet. One of the things that's fun about this is that every time we get a new place I get a fresh start on home decorating. The best thing about decorating our place this time around is we actually have money! Hooray for jobs!
Up until now I've just been making do with what we had. A couch that had been handed down three times before it came to us. Used dishes and silverware. The nice things that our generous wedding guests gave us. Now that both Philip and I have professional jobs we've been slowing replacing some of these things. It's so fun to upgrade! I like pretty things!
Back two apartments ago I decided I wanted a reading nook. But we couldn't afford to buy...anything. So I used what I could find that we had on-hand including a butterfly chair from my high school bedroom, a canopy that we couldn't get to stay above our bed, and some Christmas lights. I had some good times in that chair. It was fun to pull the canopy around my face and read or spend time with God. Our friends lovingly named it "The Jesus Chair."
This year we moved into a Triplex (like a duplex, but with three). Something about it feels so much homier than an apartment, but it's still in apartment-price-range--score! Plus, we have tons of extra space including a spare bedroom. We decided to use this space as a guest room, and a place where we could refuge for a little alone time. The corner by the window was the perfect place for a reading nook.
Here is my second chance at creating a reading nook.
I love this chair from Pier One Imports. It was a bit of a splurge, but IT'S SO FLUFFY! I made the pennant banners. The lamp and side table are from Ross. The suitcase, whiteboard, and letter 'A' (this blog post brought to you by the letter 'A') came from something called "The Piper Barn Show," a local event where you can get antiques and handmade goodies. We use the whiteboard to write down things we are currently praying for. I could see also using it as a welcome sign when we have guests stay in this room.
I love using this space to get away with Jesus, or just curl up with a good book. I'm still working on the rest of the room, but having this vignette finished makes me feel so much better.
