This was not intentional, this precipitous dive off the blogging map. It just happened. One day I was filled with ideas and the next those ideas had taken a sharp left turn. All good, in many ways. What actually happened is that I needed to settle in.
It has been roughly two years since I moved back into this house and the construction was finished. They were not, personally my favorite two years, but the house was done and I was safely ensconced. The basic tools and artifacts of living were unpacked, but large parts of the studio remained boxed up and chaotic. This year I have given myself permission to play, to discover, to experiment, and, if that is what I wish, to simply sit in a pile of fiber and dream. There are no goals. There is but one rule: follow your heart. Do something, anything, without fear, without worry, without expectation.
Part of that process has involved a return to unpacking. All the boxes of fabric have been unpacked, sorted, photographed, cataloged and put on the shelves. I am now going through the same process with yarns and embroidery/needlework materials, although there is not quite as much a rush on that front. Even this one step has given me access, ideas, and the desire to hide out in my bright space and play.
At the same time I sent all the large rugs in the house out to be cleaned. The house has been colder without the insulation value of the rugs, so I spent some time working on my alpaca blanket. The visual change also prompted a reevaluation of furniture layouts and how I am using the house, so there has been some moving of furniture, both upstairs and down.
The small side tables that were upstairs were not working next to the library sofa, so they got moved to the front hall, where I felt something more was needed. I didn't know what until I happened to place those tables beside the front door. The small bowl shown has moved, and I found two green glass vases which I can fill with flowers. Now my entry is beginning to bring joy.
But you know how it is, move one thing, and then suddenly the entire room needs to be transformed. After moving the tables, I decided that the armchair in the library needed to be swapped with the reclining chair that had been in the master bedroom, where it was neglected. It works much better in the library, and gives the room a more modern vibe. There are no plans to get a side table for that spot at the moment, other than the little bubu 1er stool that is currently there. I have ordered a reading lamp, but it is backordered for a couple of months.
Going with the modern vibe, the two glass Eileen Gray side tables, which were not working in their previous locations, were moved up to the library to flank the sofa. Then the lights, which were the first lamps I ever purchased, shortly after I moved in with George, about forty years ago now, did not work with the new tables. Well, technically they didn't work before the tables were swapped either. So. I bought new lamps that had better-directed task lighting if I wish to read or knit. Above you see both lamps, the new and the old.
I really like this new arrangement. The lights and the tables disappear somewhat against the wall of books, yet they are both attractive and functional. I almost want to have people over for drinks in the library. Except that is not why it was rearranged. A home is about what works for the life of the people who live there, not about what it says to others. For me, a certain amount of visual harmony is paramount. It must work but it must also bring me aesthetic pleasure. Now I have a library/office/television room that does all that. It will bring even more joy when the rug returns and my ankles aren't always cold.
