The Inspired Room – A Room With a View

Today’s post I am highlighting my favorite room in our home and participating in The Inspired Room giveaway (I mean, who wouldn’t want a $300 Anthropologie gift card?) and Melissa Michael’s newest book launch. Her book,  which is also called The Inspired Room can be purchased at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

When I think about all the rooms in the house, my favorite is by far our living room. Last fall I finally got the chance to make it what I’ve dreamed of for years. Most of my life, I have learned be content and make do with what I have, but I finally dared to dream about what I really loved, and have watched it unfold so gracefully before my eyes. One of my very first posts, Out with the Gold, In with the Blue, I shared how we were able to paint, and get new furniture for very little cost at all.

I love this room, because it’s where we as a family gather. It’s where we have large meetings, birthday parties, get togethers, where I have read to boys and nursed my babies, and where we as a family spend time with Jesus.  Oh the sweet memories we have in this place.  Imbedded in our living room is the testimony of the faithfulness of God.

Practically, I have four boys, therefore, I found brown leather Lazy-Boy furniture on Craigslist. I love white tufted couches, but that wouldn’t be practically conducive to loving my family. Above the couch are the most recent photos of our family taken in the warm colors of fall. The accent pillows are always subject to change with the swift stiches of new fabric and a sewing machine, but currently, the flower pillows are inspired by Miss Mustard Seed, which seems appropriate, since she had such a great influence from a distance of me starting this blog in the first place.

The living room isn’t finished. In fact, I have a coffee table down in my work room currently being restored. But, if we continue to be inspired, a fresh breath will always invoke change and new life.

My favorite corner of the living room houses the antique secretary desk where I sit at the computer and do all my blog work. It’s a little haven, tucked in the goodness of my family’s daily activities. The top of the secretary is a testament to the ever changing seasons, bright décor in the summer, warm bird cage lights and pumpkins in the soon coming winter. This is where I and write in the little French chair I restored when inspiration strikes.

The little burlap lamp shade was inspired by Pottery Barn before burlap lamp shades were in every box store.  I took apart a thrifted lamp shade and made my own.  I love the light shining through the rough texture!

Between two giant windows sits two gifts. The blue chair, and the treadle sewing machine. They make me smile. Both pieces found me. You can read more about the chair here. The treadle has a similar story, which will be in a blog post soon. They are my favorite furniture pieces in the living room. The treadle is drop dead gorgeous, and speaks of life a hundred years ago. And that blue chair, that found me when I was trying so hard not to look for more furniture, who’s sweet owner called me and asked if I wanted to restore it for a mere Salvation Army cost.  Then the perfect amount of fabric that awaited me on my doorstep when I arrived home with the chair in my van. Everytime I look at the chair, I know, indeed the Father loves me. And the embroidered pillow, speaks of restoration. Thrift store framed trash that now looks like Pottery Barn treasure.

The biggest cost to the room makeover was the curtain rods and curtains. We found the curtain rods at Lowe’s and I knew they just were it, I was so done with the vintage 1978 brown metal and plastic rods that accompanied more current décor. I decided to make the twelve lined curtains in the living room and dining room with a order to Fabric.com of 36 yards of fabric and 36 yards of lining, because I could make them exactly how I wanted them. The six huge windows in our living area steal the show, and I wanted to frame the astounding, ever changing picture we have displayed outside.

The biggest asset to our living room, as beautiful as it is, are our huge windows that show off our million dollar Alaskan view. I’ve never shared about our view on the blog before.  Maybe because photos couldn’t do it justice, and maybe because really I am a quiet introvert and like to keep some things hidden. But, this view of majestic mountains and a glacier astound me every single day, and I’ve lived with this view for 11 ½ years. It never gets old.

“I look up to the hills, where does my help come from, my help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.” Every time I look out a the mountain range that takes up the length and width of the three huge windows in our living room, the God who inspires, who breathes new life, hope, and that fact that He’s bigger and greater than any good or bad thing I may face in life, instills the reality of His presence in my life.

Through the changing seasons, the fog that shrouds in mystery, the sun that stares brilliantly reflecting glory, the leaves that go from green to gold to barrenness, from winds that whip across the valley and rainbows that bind up all fear with peace, He speaks His loving-kindness.

Our living room, yes, it’s my favorite.  It’s my favorite when it’s quiet.  It’s my favorite when it’s bustling with activity and boys wrestling on the floor.  It’s my favorite when shared with family and friends.  It’s my favorite in the evening when I can read the Word and journal inspiration from the day.  It’s my favorite because my finger prints embedded with design are all over nearly everything.  It’s my favorite, because I can always look to the view outside and be inspired.  Inspired to praise, inspired to be thankful, inspired to live well, inspired to dream, inspired to create, and inspired to trust in a really big God who’s got everything in His hands.

Thanks for stopping by and joining me in our inspired room.

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