My Comfy & Cozy Sitting Nook

This room has gone through a few evolutions since we first moved in.

First, it was just a space that I had no clear idea what to do with. I did know that I wanted it to be a place to socialize; maybe have a cup of tea with a friend, or a glass of wine with my love.

I’m a writer, and I wanted a space that felt inspired.

As it turned out, this was my first truly inspired space in this home.

We got a couple chairs from IKEA, a little end table, a foot stool, and this lovely desk. My husband had this awesome folding screen made for me so I could hang some of my favorite art.

That actually worked for some time.

But then my floors got ruined with water damage (you can see it in the top left of the picture above actually) and I had to pull them up and replace the flooring and ended up painting my floors.

I loved them, but it changed the way the colors combined and made the space feel off.

First, the walls in this space were a color that I always thought was yellowish. Turns out it was more of a weird salmony color and it clashed with my new floors spectacularly at certain times of the day. And this color combination made my window shades look more pinkish.

So I painted the walls–actually I repainted them 4 times because the UV protection film on my windows has–I’m guessing here–a touch of blue that shows up in the colors in a way that was kind of alarming.

The picture above was taken at a time where it was calmer. I couldn’t find a picture that captured what it did later in the day–probably because I didn’t like it and didn’t want to photograph it.

I did get more savvy about documenting stuff when I painted it yellow though, and you can see the drastic difference here:

I eventually gave up, and settled on painting it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Graphite because…why the hell not? Kidding. But seriously, I didn’t want any sheen whatsoever and I wanted a chalk board wall anyway.

I still have plans for this wall. 😀  

At the same time, I wasn’t feeling the desk in that space. It was too long and didn’t quite fit.

I didn’t want another thing that looked like a shelf or hutch though. I wanted something unique. Something with character that would add charm to the space.

Oh, I don’t know…maybe this spiral stair case I stumbled upon at one of my favorite upcycle shops?

Who doesn’t love a spiral staircase?? And it was such a steal, I couldn’t pass it up.

A spiral staircase for books, candles and curios. I can’t even!

This is precisely the kind of character I was looking for!

And you know what?

I love this room even more at night: the lighting is warm and soft.

I used mini paper lanterns on string lights along the top of the windows. I also bought a curtain of warm LEDs which span that window. It provides the perfect amount of warmth and light to this room.

DECORATING TIP: I useed small white tea hooks along the top of the window. They are barely visible at all. This way I can add or remove decorations (like garland, or banners or bunting) easily.

This is one of my favorite spots in my home again. Now it just needs a fairy door, a few plants and more chalk art perhaps…

Do you have a sitting room or nook in your home for having tea with friends, or even a place to put up your feet and just relax? Please share in the comments below.

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