Dressing the Nook

May 5, 2010 · written by Amy · Before & AfterDecorate

Interior Monologue: Ooh, if I moved that bookcase … used the chair from the living room … the rattan storage cube as an ottoman … oh, I can’t wait. Drop everything. De-book the bookshelf; rummage through the vases; hoist chair over head and teeter up the stairs; leave a mess in my wake in at least four rooms. And never once ask for help. Because there’s never time to wait for someone else when inspiration is leading the charge. This is how I decorate our home. One impulsive idea at a time. What’s great about it is I’m shopping my own house, snagging something from here, yoinking something from there. And a nook that’s been Bore City is suddenly one of my favorite spaces! For FREE. The drawback to this method is that I also leave holes where I’ve plucked various items. Like the living room sitting area. Hope you don’t plan to sit with company because now there’s only one chair. But I do think every house can find new life just by rearranging! And if the shoe fits, the pink chair belongs in the nook. That just means I need to hit craigslist for something that works better in the living room, anyway. Right? So here’s what I came up with from “free-arranging” last week. (A service I offer, in fact.) I needed a “set” for my stash-busting collage video, so I threw this together, and, Hot dog! I like it! I dragged a bookcase from the junk closet (holding stuff I do actually like, just don’t know where to put), pulled a chair and pillow from the living room (effectively leaving aforementioned holes), gathered some tchotchkes and beach twigs for une petite vignette (twigs were one of my daily gifts from the ocean during our winter trip!), and tossed the Ikea sheepskin and thrift store storage cube on the floor. I wanted some texture on the wall, and pronto. So I hung a white curtain from a tension rod (no drill necessary), and a strand of Christmas lights behind that (with thumb tacks - also no drill). E. Z. And you can imagine the lovely glow at night. Now I’m thinking we may have to play musical bedrooms so I can gaze upon this nook. What do you think, honey?

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10 Comments

  • Jenny May 5, 2010
    You are so right! I love it when inspiration hits. That's how I decorate my home, too. My husband will often find me staring at a table, or sofa, or corner intently, and ask what the heck I'm doing. I say, "What do you think if...." and go on to ramble my ideas. He always says the same thing, "Looks fine the way it is." Then I change it anyway. Teehee. Anyhoo, I love love love the Christmas lights making an extra "window"! I may have to try that myself.
    • Amy May 5, 2010
      Haha! I love it! I have a chair that has lived in 3 different rooms so far, and I'm sure I'm not done. The worst is when an idea hits as I'm trying to fall asleep. I get all excited, and then who cares about sleeping?? There's rearranging to be done!
  • Amy May 5, 2010
    Cute! I love the twinkly lights behind the curtain. With a new house in our future (inspection going on now!!) I'm going to be looking for lots of ideas from stuff we already own. Thanks!
    • Amy May 5, 2010
      Ooh, fun! Clean slate! Good luck snagging the house (maybe set up lawn chairs in the front yard for good measure), and the box-packing, and all that follows. (Is this the house? Can't wait to see what you do with it.)
  • Alissa May 5, 2010
    When I saw the video, I seriously thought that was a window - not twinkly lights. So when you showed the before shot, I said, "Hey! She cheated! It's not the same space!" Very clever. I would TOTALLY hire you to come help me with my out-of-control pile-o-crafting stuff. Gonna be in Colorado any time soon? ;o)
    • Amy May 5, 2010
      Haha... I didn't even realize the illusion I'd created! ("It's not a magic trick. It's an illuuusion.") I do have another project I'd like to do in CO... a video with the other Amy Hadley. She's an illustrator and I get her mail sometimes (paychecks, at that). But alas, don't know that the big C-O is in my near future.
  • Laura May 5, 2010
    I love this idea for a quiet time corner. How romantic and inviting!
    • Amy May 5, 2010
      Absolutely! Foot stool and everything! Plus, this one in particular is literally its own little corner of the house.
  • the domestic fringe May 8, 2010
    Looks great! Makes me want to sit down and read a book. -FringeGirl
    • Amy May 8, 2010
      Agreed! Next rainy day. Book. Pj's. Me. This corner.