We hosted 19 people for Thanksgiving dinner. My husband and I decided it would be fun to rent a table and move our dining room table into our living room in order to create one long table for all of our guests to sit around. By doing this, we were all able to enjoy each other’s company and experience the meal together. This expanded table looked so festive running down the center of our narrow but long living room.
In order to accomplish this community table idea we had to relocate our living room sofa and chairs to our dining room, which is on the small side as dining rooms go. And an unexpected blessing came from all of the furniture moving.
The dining room was transformed into a cozy, clubby looking lounge located just off of our kitchen. The dining room chandelier hanging in the center of the room added just the right touch to the sofa and coffee table and chairs. And our occasional table sitting in the corner looked so fresh with a lamp and accessories set out. Using this space in a new way delighted me in unexpected ways.
When the holiday weekend was coming to a close, the house guests had departed, the leftovers eaten, and Thanksgiving decor was being boxed up to make room for the Christmas decorations, a funny thing happened. I found myself toying with the thought of leaving my “dining room turned lounge” for just a few more weeks. It felt so new to sit on the sofa with the day’s mail or surf the web on Cyber Monday in my new little, cozy, den. The space was smaller than our family room and beckoned me to grab a mug of tea and hang out in the warmth and welcome of a fresh environment.
Using this space in a new way delighted me in unexpected ways.
Dawn Lantero
Mixing up my living spaces has caused me to appreciate what I have by challenging me to take a fresh look at my things, and this is another valuable result. Maybe there is a life lesson here.
How often do we become complacent and content with status quo? Maybe it is healthy to make an effort to change things up once in a while. Breaking out of a routine can bring a new energy within us. And using our creative nature to look at things differently can yield a certain satisfaction that would never have materialized with out trying something new.
So go ahead and move your furniture around. Place a painting on a different wall. Frame some new photos of your loved ones. Paint a room a fresh color. Buy a new rug. Rearrange your bookcase. Have some fun freshening up your environment and enjoy the rejuvenating energy you feel by mixing things up.
