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The flokati rug makes it comfortable to sit on the floor (the flagstone being quite hard and cold) by the fire. From what I’ve learned, these rugs have been made in Greece for centuries and are washed in waterfalls to achieve their signature fluffiness. It’s definitely cozy. Having guests for Christmas eve motivated us to finally hang art on the walls. We also moved the tv into the studio and set up the bench with cushions. That made the inglenook (or “chimney corner” as they were traditionally called) a reality. After Christmas we purchased a flat panel tv which resides on the shelf above the bench.

The primary hang out spot is the sofa in the fireplace nook, with most of the book collection behind it for easy access. The only solution for tv location (to get it off the bench where it currently resides) seems to be hanging on the wall or on the shelf part of the built in bench, which involves splurging on a flat panel tv. The plan was to buy foam for the bench cushion and cover it w/ nice fabric. Thrifty Jeph discovered that the twin (pink velvet) futon donated by the triplet nieces is a perfect fit, though, so as soon as we buy that tv, the cozy bench will be in action. The yucca palm from the outside patio is loving the deep sun from south, as is the Christmas cactus given to us last winter, which is blooming again. The cats enjoy sunning themselves by the windows and watching birds swoop down from the apple tree to the feeder we set up just off the patio. We found perfect drapes for the windows; they’re double-lined for insulation (the primary reason for buying them) and mod in color and print. They help keep the heat from escaping from all those windows (at night) and make the space feel cozier.

Jeph gave the boxes new homes (some unpacked, others piled in the studio or bedroom 2) so we have a nice open space to enjoy now. He also relocated the sawhorse table to the studio so the view is unobstructed (!) and he can make work/project messes in his space. We can both do yoga and other workouts here now and it’s fun to run around kickboxing. The dining table by the back door will feel almost like eating outside once we get a screen on the door.

The pile of boxes which has dominated this space since our stuff was delivered is gradually shrinking. There is a section of bare floor, big enough for our rug and a single yoga/pilates session. The cats’ scratching cardboard and toys are by the window and they are loving the unobstructed view. Only the window and door trim (big job) are left to be painted. Book shelves are ready to be filled. More than an hour of vigorous scrubbing with vinegar and baking soda didn’t clean up the flagstone so we’ve got to find something that will take off the grime/stains. The redwood walls need to be waxed/fed; we’re hoping that will give them a nice luster.

Beyond taking down the wall which separated it from the kitchen (and having the new floors installed) the primary action was sanding the entire redwood wall to remove the dark stain – that was messy, messy, noisy work, with good help from brother-in-law Tim. Sister Sue and Jeph shared the job of removing paint from the Douglas Fir beam. That involved several courses of applying a non-toxic orange oil based paint remover, and scraping 50 years of paint from the beam.

Pros:
Wide open! Floor to ceiling windows lining the entire south side. A wood burning fireplace with flagstone flooring in front. Built-in bookcases. A built-in bench with a heater below it and a high window above it for sky views.

Cons:
Minimal heating elements (combined with none in the kitchen) and abundance of drafty windows make this wide open space hard to warm up. The decorators challenge is how to arrange furniture and place a tv in such a space.