A Night In
I 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.
To 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.
I’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.
My 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.
I’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.
Speaking 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.
It 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!
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.
You 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.
I 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…Â nerdy matching pajamas and all.
Be 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!Â
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