I’m having a bit of a DIY dilemma, a DIY moment if you will. I need your help and advice. History of this odd little room: I know I just shared a sitting room makeover with you. I painted the walls then decorated for Christmas. This room is right off of our dining room. The short hall to the right in the picture leads down the basement stairs.
I’ve un-Christmas-ed it and de-cluttering feels so good! But now I’m re-thinking things. I’m so indecisive. DIY is a disease, I tell ya. 😉 But friends, it’s a room without a real purpose. It deserves a real name and meaning in our home. It’s actually one of my favorite spaces. Small, lots of light and easy to clean.
When we bought our house, it looked like this: (GASP! Hey…what was it even back then? I have no clue…no one needs 3 back doors/back entryways, do they?) Maybe everyone inside really needed to escape to the outside because it was in poor condition?
We installed French doors to bring in some light.
Much better!
Looking from the dining room:
We added a closet to a corner that housed a cubby area running beside the basement stairs.
Mr. DIY installed the slate tile…
We call it the mudroom…but we don’t enter the house here. We don’t exit the house here either. Maybe sometimes in the summer if we’re entertaining on the patio. But it does have a twin sister on the back side of the house…(into the kitchen which is where we enter/exit):
(Oh…how I miss summer!)
So, anyway, it became the sitting room and it’s had a lot of different looks:
to this:
to this…
to this…
then this…
But, the only one who sits there is Lalka. DON’T sit in that seat! Your backside will be covered in fluff.
I just painted the walls last month and I love the drop cloth script curtains (tutorial here) so they’re staying. I also like the mirror (recycled). But other than that, I’m indecisive.
So I was thinking…maybe keep it a sitting room because I love rearranging and decorating in there. It gives me my monthly (maybe even bi-weekly decorating fix!) I’d love to add a settee. I’ve been searching Craig’s List for months to give an old piece a little DIY love but no luck so far. How cute is this one from Frou FruGal?
I’d love to DIY a thrifty treasure to look like this…
{via pinterest}
And then my mind wanders and I think maybe a little more dining area seating would be a nice option? We do entertain on occasion and although our dining room table can seat 8 (10 if we squeeze in), it might be nice to have a little extra dining/seating, especially with nieces and nephews. Something like this…
{via Restoration Hardware}
The views of the back yard under snow or the barn and grape arbor in summer would be pretty at dinner scene. It’d also be an option that works with something else, but that’s a secret. 😉
Or a photography studio? (I take pictures for my family/nieces/nephews.) It might be a challenge to keep it looking nice and a little odd off the dining area (although if I can talk my cook into starting a blog, it might be handy!).
{via pinterest}
Or an office area? Love this the changing ‘studio’ at WhisperWood Cottage (I’m not the only one who loves to rearrange a room!):
But we do have two other “office”/desk areas in our home and I actually sit on the couch in the living room with my laptop. lol Go figure! I should sit in the “sitting room”, huh?
I did warn you that I’m indecisive, didn’t I? What do you think? What would you do? I may have already decided but I’m curious about your input and advice. And with the right idea, I could change my mind…again. Thanks!
