We are mostly settled into our home. Honestly I think it will take us into the winter (of 2013) to tackle all those last few (dozen) boxes full of random stuff I didn’t miss but can’t let go of. You know the cds, old art, thousands of photographs, outdoor gear, books. Holy hell we have a lot of books.
Anyway, I am going to begin a home tour series where I share the spaces and corners of our new home. Let’s begin with the sunroom!
I’ve mentioned many times that this room grabbed my attention when we first looked at this house. In that room, I imagined starting my garden seeds in the spring, sleeping in the summer, cuddling in the fall and kicking off snowy boots in the winter. Now that we are living in this house, the sunroom has evolved into a quiet, cozy, cabiney space where we sit, gather. We watch deer, listen to coyotes and stare at Montana.
While we rewired, remudded and painted our walls, this is where we slept. The first room we occupied and settled into.
We filled the room with old, heirloom treasures. The green chairs from Andy’s great Aunt Dorothy (the same aunt who owned the diamond), the red leather couch from my Grandfather’s waiting room when he was in the FBI, the rocking chair where my Grandmother held my dad, the cedar chest my Grandpa made me, the rocking horse from Andy’s mom’s childhood, Andy’s grandma’s afghan, the painting Andy painted me for my 19th birthday and so on. Every piece in this room contains years of use and memory.
I love this room.
Have I mentioned our house is teal? Our house is teal.
I love that it is right off our bedroom, an awesome retreat in the early morning, afternoon or late night.
yes, there are ALWAYS clothes on the line
The sunroom isn’t insulated, the floor is merely a deck with earth seen between the boards. But the walls are stout and it is very well protected. I imagine we’ll still sit out here this winter, bundled up, watching the kids sled. I also imagine great, big parties where this room is the hub for food and drink. Yes, soon we will have such a party.
Last night, just as we were settling into bed, in the dark, Margot begged to show me her cartwheel that she has been practicing. Sister has been practicing, meaning we have been listening to the thud of kid feet on wood floor every nine minutes since the Olympics. She turns her body over and over until she is out of breath. She announces she needs to take a break only to sit for a moment before upending again.
So we had a little late night sunroom performance.
up next: bathroom! It’s bright, very bright. Neon even.
xo,
dig
41 Comments
I can see that the sunroom will forever resonate your initial emotional reaction, affirming that the house was the best move for your family.
Love that you’re building and envisioning memories in a space that’s filled with so much love and history.
-Jennifer
Jennifer,
Yes, you are so right! It is a wonderful affirmation. And, with the house being smaller than our last, the sunroom makes it *feel* so much bigger! Such a bonus, in so many ways.
– Nici
Well, I just love every bit of it.
I think any house would be the perfect house with that amazing view out the back. Breathtaking.
Your life, your new home, it’s like the ideal version of a life well-lived. I’d give anything I owned, any possession at all, to live in Missoula. You’re such an inspiration to me, Nici. I strive to live a simple life, full of love and beauty and to surround myself with things that make my heart jump up a bit when I set eyes on them. It seems like you do exactly that. I can’t wait to see the rest of your whimsical homestead.
Cool space. Love the colors and lights. You’re so lucky to have so many family heirlooms passed on to you already! Both mine and my husband’s parents and their siblings are the keepers of all the grandparents’ stuff, and they don’t give us youngins the vibe that they are ready to part with it any time soon haha. All they give me for now are my great grandma’s handkerchiefs 🙂
oh, that view. how lucky you are to wake up to that every morning, and have it tuck you in every night. and the part about your cherished family items…beautiful. just beautiful.
The view from the windows is amazing! The Mountains! Oh my god!
Just looking at your photos makes me want to leave England and head straight to Montana! x
Magical! Love the coloured strings of light, the mountain view beyond the glass windows, cheerful kids, content pup, all of those hand-me-down treasures… everything about that room screams cozy, happy home. Enjoy it always!
What an amazing space. I love all of it, but those cute girls and their cartwheels and summersaults… way too fun!!
The view from your sunroom is absolutely breathtaking! What an awesome place to live!
What a dreamy space! Now, get a record player in there and you just might have heaven on earth. 🙂 What did you guys decide about the window in the bathroom?
Too bad you have such an ugly view ;). What an incredible space, I’m so glad you are enjoying it. Thanks so much for the tour.
Maggie!!!! Oh my goodness. You are right AND I happen to have an old player, receiver, the whole nine. Including a 200+ album collection that I have been hauling around for YEARS (my parent’s original stash). I am so thrilled with your idea! Busting it out tonight! 🙂
Oh, and the window is as it was. Minus the covering.
The fairy lights really make it at night too
Dreamy sunroom morning tea, mid-day snacks watching mountains and fairy lights illuminating olympic hopefuls… you are one lucky lady.
Am loving the little leather couch too… when you are ready for leather cushions to be made for it, let us know… that’s kind of our thing!
Can’t wait to see the rest of your new nest.
xo
Kate
Oh, what a room! I’m in love with the little horse. And the view?! Gorgeous. Makes me miss Montana & the summer I spent there as a camp counselor. 🙂
That first picture, with the mountains through the screen? Swoon. We’re moving in a few weeks, and although the view will be far less impressive, I can’t wait to put the same kind of personal, emotional, and functional touches to our home. Can’t wait to see the deets from the rest of your house!
I LOVE this space…and the fact that you are giving us a virtual tour. Can’t wait to see the neon bathroom!
Jenny V
Awesome room- I love the view.
That room is great! My favorite picture is the one of Ruby on the horse in the sun…love it!
It’s crazy what the Olympics does to our house. Four years ago I was in the hospital trying to keep Sigrid in the oven a little longer and when I came home I came home to Michael Phelps, Ella’s new imaginary best friend. He’s still with us. Ella and Sigrid swim laps with him on our living room floor and this go around Ryan Lochte, Gabby Douglas and Ali Riseman are here too. I Love the Olympics but I’m glad it isn’t every year. Our house just isn’t big enough.
Beautiful.
I like the slow home tour. I love this space, it is so perfect for your family. The personal history around the furniture is lovely. All our furniture is pre-loved but by people we’ve never known. I try and imagine our sideboards in a 1950’s Australian home, perhaps owned by a young couple? I tell a slight fib, the wardrobe I bought because of the story behind it. I feel sometimes our hut is a legacy, I do hope that one day someone will love it as much as we do.
The coloured lights are perfect. I know you keep saying that this house is smaller, but it feels bigger than your old house. Our hut is only 108m2 but I never feel squished.
Your sunroom, this pictures of the area around your home, as well as the description of your girls fun activities makes me miss Missoula all that much more. I love how you have family connections to stuff that you own. Your girls are growing up with family history and that is amazing.
oh good idea maggie, gotta gave a record player in there to be truly disco!
cant wait to see the bathroom!!
and teal??!! awesome. is your whole house teal, or just the sunroom? somehow, i thought your house was red!
,,,thank you for the tour. your “abode” is cozy and filled with love,,,
I FEEL the magic in that room! Thank you sooo much for sharing something so personal. I predict another painting by Andy? The view from the sunroom, maybe?
And the FBI? Cool!
So warm and lovely! I adore all the family treasures. I use to live in Missoula and your blog always makes me dream about moving back someday….sigh.
Love your view of the mountains! How do people ever live without them? One of my favorite places in the world is my friend’s porch swing facing the Bridgers in Bozeman. I could sit there forever.
I am so excited for this series! What a special home. That view! WOW! Your home and your lifestyle remind me of my childhood, growing up in small town eastern WA and it makes me very happy. Thank you! 🙂
I think I could live quite happily in just your sunroom. Until winter, anyway 🙂 It’s lovely. All of it.
Also – I emailed you yesterday about claiming a giveaway prize. Just wanted to make sure you got it 🙂
I MUST say that your photos are absolutely stunning. Girl – you are impressing the hell out of me right now! Such a talent.
And such a beautiful home you’re creating 🙂
omg that room alone is amazing! the view, the decor the lovely family inside it! Cant wait to see the rest xxxx
I cannot get over that view. I don’t think I’d ever leave that room!
Enjoy, and good work.
I love this room!…..and I know it will evolve & change as your family does!
xoxo, Mom
ps….a great place to fold laundry too!
You had me at the teal. And the FBI. The mountain view just sealed the deal. The flipping littles? Frosting, baby. Heart and soul frosting.
When can I bunk down?
Oh, what a beautiful room. And that view? Worth a million. We are back in Cali and I am heart-sick for those mountains. You did wonderfully picking a house, Nici.
I love everything about this. How freakin awesome. The xmas lights draw me in….how awesome will it be at actual Christmas time? Maybe you can put a tree out there 🙂
I can hear the creak of the rocking chair and the springs of the green chair. I can smell the coffee in the morning wafting through the screen. I can see you sitting in the warm and dry while watching your girls sledding in the winter. I can see the earth between the floor boards as much as I can hear little feet practicing cart-wheels. I can almost feel all the memories that will be made in this room.
Love this room. This post may have brought tears to my eyes!
~AMY
Hello, just wanted to tell you, I enjoyed this article. It was inspiring. Keep on posting!