Success!

Dressed for spring.

I'm always anxious when I decide to bring a new piece into our home. Until it's actually in place, there's no way to know for sure if it was a good decision. The latest acquisition is a display case for the small area just outside our kitchen. And I'm happy to report it's a success!

Replacing the long oak bookcase with a black piece helps tie in the living space with the new kitchen. For now, I've anchored it with our two dining room chairs that have arms. But I'm on the hunt for darker chairs with some upholstery. Something less early American and more French. I'm hoping I'll know it when I see it.

Notice the oak stair rail on the left, which
is our next project. The oak railing will
be replaced with black iron and, in the
process, brought up to code. Currently
the spindles are too far apart.

We've lived in this house for nearly 30 years and the space just outside the kitchen has always been a challenge. Our family room is split by an open stairwell to the basement. The bigger of the two areas contains the fireplace, television, and main seating area. The smaller area was meant for a game table, but that makes no sense in this day and age.

So I've decided to treat the space as a large hall or small sitting nook. Either way, I'm happy with the new display case that will be fun to redress each season.