I have done a lot of redecorating in the last few months. I purchased a few vintage pieces, moved furniture around the house, and finally hung a collection of plates with new art I found during a trip to Laurel, Mississippi. It’s fun repurposing what you have without having to spend a lot of money. One significant change I made was moving my lady’s lounge (a female twist on the man cave) upstairs to Miss Twist’s former bedroom (which used to be the game room), creating a proper dining room, prompted by the idea of transforming the space in my kitchen into a keeping room. Since Mr. Twist and I are empty nesters, we no longer sit at the table to eat dinner, so this was a perfect move!
Keeping Rooms are a centuries-old design bringing comfort and coziness to the heart of the home. Typically, they’re a space near the kitchen, the house’s warmest room. Kitchens were called the hearth room because they were usually the only room with a fireplace. I first knew I wanted to create a keeping room when I spent time in Maine. The Innkeeper’s mother has a lovely home off the Cape in Massachusetts, well appointed with gorgeous antiques, and keeping with tradition, her kitchen has a fireplace. She has a small loveseat, coffee table, and chair nestled nearby, and I loved sitting with her in the morning sipping my coffee.
The one thing that was missing was a table. It would only be used occasionally when extra seating was needed for dinner parties, and the scale had to fit with the furniture. I found the perfect solution when I saw a vintage game table offered by Lillian Hudson Designs. I measured the space, and I knew it would fit perfectly. I love it. It has a flip-top and a small drawer. So, if we want to have just the two of us cozy dinner, we can, or I can park my laptop there for a little morning blogging.
Lillian Hudson Designs sourced the table for me.
We moved furniture we already had – a wingback chair and one of my monogram cane chairs into the space. I also had an ottoman from Pier One, which I purchased about 15 years ago, but it needed a facelift. I like that the legs of the ottoman were the same wood tone as the other furniture, and it has rollers, making it easy to move around. I found a fun, punchy floral Novogratz fabric from Texas Susannie (you can’t beat her fabric prices) and had my favorite reupholstery guy, Alfonzo, work his magic. Bonus points: the top comes off the ottoman for storing blankets and books. My favorite thing about the fabric is it reminds me of my mother. She loved geraniums, and I thought the fabric looked like something she’d pick out.
Click the pic to source the fabric. Only $12.95/yd
Once all the pieces come together, it looks like they were planned! The best part is the base, a rug we purchased during a dream trip to Turkey several years ago.
Every morning, when I walk into the kitchen, the room is bright, cheery, and filled with light, as if to say, “So good to see you, Melissa.” And in the evening, when the sun goes down and I turn on the lamp, the room is cozy and warm, perfect for watching television or reading. Even Margot loves the space.
I hope this post inspires you to take chances with your home, move things around, try new ways of enjoying it, repurpose what you have, and love your home!
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
