A Night In

Wire Fox Terrier SnugglesI couldn’t be more excited to take part in something a little out of the norm… a peek into the house at night! Although everyone loves bright, light flooded images with insane amounts of natural light pouring in, there’s something magical about ambiance and soft lighting in a home that only occurs in the evening. It’s actually just as important as the natural light, if not more. When Kim and Julia asked me to participate in this series, I was totally on board- even despite my living room not being 100% finished. Click through for a glimpse into our night life and weeknight routine.

Nightlife GlimpseTo be honest, our evenings throughout the week are pretty basic. Emmett gets home from his day job, I wrap things up in my office, we take the dogs for a walk, which is immediately followed by changing into lounge clothes or PJs (duh!), then we jump into whatever house / blog project we have happening. After an hour or two of “work”, we make dinner, eat, then lounge on the sofa and relax with the dogs (usually with a drink of some sort). After a long day, I want nothing more than to kick off my shoes, hop into some comfy clothes and chill (or watch Netflix / Hulu) with my favorites. This is the time I look forward to every single day.

Built-In at Night

Wine in the EveningI’m picky when it comes to creating a cozy nighttime vibe. In addition to soft, warm lighting, there a couple must-haves I rely on to create that undeniable cozy feeling. A super soft rug underfoot is SO important. Once we had a scratchy jute rug in our living room and it lasted all of one month. It just wasn’t inviting. I also hate rugs that shed to the extreme. I’ve definitely made that mistake too. This time around, I opted for this area rug and it’s perfect for our living space. It’s textural, non shedding, and super plush on your feet (without having a difficult-to-clean high pile). It’s hard to tell in the images because of the low lighting, but it’s actually a beautiful gray / sage green color.

Plush Cozy Area RugMy other must-have is blankets and throws, but more importantly- a place to keep them. My pet peeve is a living room with blankets, throws, and pillows strung out all over the place. I totally get it… at nighttime, it’s wonderful and cozy- like the indoor forts of childhood, but during the daytime, it’s a totally different ballgame. Those suckers need a place to live when the sun is out! Emmett is not a folding (or bed making) type of husband, so I try to make things super easy for him when it comes to keeping a room tidy. I love giant baskets for this exact reason. They’re the perfect functional piece of decor. Toss the blankets and throws into the basket when you’re done with them for the night- no folding required! Waking up to a clean space the next morning is 100% worth it.

Cozy Dog in Living RoomI’m obsessed with this loosely woven basket. It’s extra roomy, has a beautiful open (almost mesh looking) weave, and the leather handles are the perfect finishing touch. Finn, our giant schnauzer, enjoys cuddling up on the backside of the sofa next to the basket. He doesn’t loved to be touched when he’s sleeping so this is his ideal hideout.

A Night In

Leather Basket HandlesSpeaking of the dogs… our newest family member, Johnny Cash, is typically stuck to me like glue. He waits for me to sit down then hops on my lap for TV time (yes, he actually watches and enjoys TV). That precious pup melts my heart! You can read about his rescue story here.

Wire FoxTerrierIt doesn’t get any more realistic than this- just ask our neighbors. We went without that lovely roman shade on the ginormous window for about 5 months! Luckily they’ve become our close friends and we joke about them knowing our routine before they actually knew us. I thought it would be fun to open up the roman shade and shoot a couple images from the outside looking in. I actually encourage everyone to do this! Looking into your home really gives you a different perspective and visual; it’s also pretty humbling in a strange way. For instance, I never really noticed how bare the sofa wall looks. We just installed that giant hinge arm wall sconce. It swings from side-to-side, but this vantage point has made me realize art would look phenomenal alongside it.

Plus, doesn’t everyone like to stroll their neighborhood at dusk just to get a glimpse into people’s homes? It’s prime dog walking time! I really hope I’m not the only one who enjoys that. Ha!

Nighttime Lighting

Giant Wall Sconce

As I mentioned in the intro, our living room isn’t quite ready for “sharing”… at least not the entire thing. Stayed tuned for the final reveal soon. There’s a gorgeous marble fireplace that lives in between the two built-ins. Next time you see this space, you can expect installed art, a couple new pieces of furniture, and a fully styled space. I can’t wait to show you! Although I’m eager to get to that point- I wouldn’t trade in these precious nights hanging with my family, just the way it is.

A Glimpse Into Our Evening RoutineYou can safely guess I’m currently at home (after posting this to social, of course), snuggling my fur babies, wine-in-hand, candle lit, enjoying Netflix with my guy right about now.

Coffee Table with CandleI hope this posts helps to show you guys my home in a different light. See what I did there? But seriously, it’s rare that bloggers shoot at night in a realistic way. I hope this helps to change that… nerdy matching pajamas and all.

Article A Night InBe sure to check out all of the other amazing bloggers who participated in ‘A Night In’ as well! You can find their links below.

*This post is brought to you in collaboration with Article. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that allow us to create unique content while featuring products we actually use and enjoy! Be sure to check out the other amazing bloggers participating in this event! 

A NIGHT IN LOGO

Chris Loves Julia | Yellow Brick Home | Manhattan Nest | I Heart Organizing | The DIY Playbook | The Fox & She | In Honor of Design | The Gold Hive

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16 Comments

  1. Love your light too! Is it hard wired in?

  2. Leah Prevost says:

    It’s so exciting to see some of your living room!!! I’m obsessed with that rug, last time I checked Articles site I believe they only had couches and chairs so it’s great to know they have some accessories now too! I’m so glad Finn and Johnny Cash were included in the pictures lol. So is Finn allowed on this couch or just Johnny Cash?!?! I’m pumped to see the living room reveal. I can already tell it’s going to look amazing!!!! And i think its human nature to want to know what the inside of other people’s houses look like so you are definitely not alone haha.

    1. Thanks so much, Leah! Both dogs are allowed on the couch *only* when invited up. Ha! We invite Finn up too, but he prefers the floor most of the time because it’s cooler. Have an awesome weekend! xoxox

  3. Ashley @ The Gold Hive says:

    So pretty, Sarah! I never thought to photograph my interiors from the outside. I’ve probably been too worried to realize just how exposed I am to the outside world!

    1. Thanks so much Ashley! I loved your images! xo

  4. Julia | Chris Loves Julia says:

    I love that rug!! And your photos turned out so amazing. Thanks for being a part of this, Sarah!

    1. Thanks so much for including me in this, Julia!! We’re currently in the process of renovating our backyard, so your Night In post was inspiring and definitely timely! xo

  5. I love nights in with a good show, glass of wine, and fur babies to snuggle with! We bought two sofas from Article and really love them. Both have held up well to having our cat and dog snooze on them (we’re suckers -those pleading eyes!) and they really make our room feel cozy. You have a lovely home – I can’t wait to see your living room when it’s finished!

    1. 100% agree!! I actually don’t have anything upholstered from Article yet (it’s on the to-buy list), so that’s really good to know. I love so many things they carry! Thanks again, Robyn! xo

  6. Sam Schneider says:

    Sarah, love it all. You are not alone, I open my curtains before going on dog walks so I can scope my house out!

    1. Thanks so much!! I love that you do that :) xo

  7. Your pup is the cutest! We’ve got a Dale
    and he’s a mess! Our dogs are never that calm in the evenings.

    1. Awww, thank you!! Trust me when I say, the photoshoot was a struggle. Ha! They’re usually wrestling or running around like crazy pups. xo

  8. Ha! Nope you’re not the only one who loves walking around the neighborhood at dusk. It’s my favorite time of day with the gorgeous darker blue sky and seeing a homes inside lights on just makes them so glowing and welcoming. When they have the shades still up anyway! I love seeing interiors at night, because you’re right, our homes are meant to be lived in, not styled in beautiful, white light everyday, and the right lighting at night makes a home feel especially cozy. With you on the Netflix nights, too! Currently obsessed with Bloodline. Sooooo good! Thanks for sharing your Night In!

    1. We need to start Bloodline… lots of people have made that recommendation! I couldn’t agree more, Anne. xo