When life is stormy, create a safe place to find peace

With the craziness of life right now, I find myself searching for places to get away to a little peace and quiet. With kids home doing online schooling, I have appreciated even more, a quiet corner to read or a shady spot to take a power nap in the back yard. Here are a few of the quiet spaces I’ve created in my home and yard. Hopefully they will give you inspiration to create your own places or just a chance to reflect and appreciate the spaces you already have. The Front Porch

Aside from being my favorite spot for first day of school pictures of my kids, or, as in the photo above, saying goodbye to my oldest son Jake as he moved to Maize, KS yesterday, my front porch is a shady spot to read, take a break from gardening, or visit with my parents social distancing style (they stand at the edge the porch while I talk to them from the door. Sad times.). My porch is an extension of my home. In the summer it’s a shady, covered garden. In the fall, it plays host to an assortment or gourds and pumpkins. During the winter, it’s shelter from a snow storm. I have appreciated this space in more the past month as a place to save to neighbors, listen to music, or read a good book. This spring, I spray painted the Adirondack chair my son made as a school project. I added copper window boxes, with my red geraniums, a nod to our time living in Michigan and visiting the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island. I love having a hanging basket of flowers and planters during warm months. My porch is also the place I’m most likely to spot a hummingbird. The Firepit

Two summers ago, we took down our swing set and donated it to little cousins. We turned that space into a firepit. We have loved making s’mores and roasting hotdogs while my husband sings and plays the guitar. This little spot is fantastic for a group or as a get away spot. The Pergola

This was a pergola kit from Costco that we built a few summers ago. It was not easy and very time consuming. The price was right and we have enjoyed having a place in the yard protected from rain, much like the front porch. We have a hammock and comfy seating. It’s quiet and peaceful. I still have plans to add an outdoor chandelier and solar powered light strings, I’ll post those at a later date. The Balcony

This balcony faces East and is accessed from the master bedroom. It was one of the reasons we originally bought the house, the beautiful Mountain View’s and the luxury of a deck from the bedroom. When we did our first remodel, we redid the deck and added a staircase for fire safety and access to the backyard. My daughter loves it in the early afternoon for a sun deck. I prefer shady afternoons for reading on the double chaise lounges from a Pottery Barn, though I got it discounted by half at Down East Home. This a fun place for summer night sleeping too. I have only shown spots in my yard, but any quiet corner will do. What are your favorite spots to relax and take a break? Be sure to have a comfy place to sit, something to put your feet up on, a table for your drink of choice and possibly a snack and a throw pillow and blanket if it’s chilly outside. It’s so important to have peace of mind when the world around you is unsure. May you find some semblance of peace as we navigate through these crazy times.

Pandemic Project Reboot

The global pandemic has spurred a return to my design blog, Fontaine de Bienvenue Home. I have felt extremely blessed to have a nice home to isolate in with my family, to say safe and smart. I am very aware that is not the case for everyone and my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones or are in trying circumstances with job losses or tough living situations. So much prolonged time at home does tend to make me notice flaws in my home or areas of neglect in my yard. This has resulted in home improvement projects that not only take my mind off of the current circumstances, but is almost therapeutic. Taking up a project that can be completed in a few days with obvious results feels like an accomplishment when so much else has been put on hold. Here’s an example of one such project I’ve tackled during the pandemic. About 10 years ago, we dug our two window wells in the basement and created a walkout basement. The landscaping turned out beautifully, but the foundation was covered in black, I’m assuming some type of waterproofing, and was unsightly. Since it was on the side of our property, it was easy to overlook. With more time on our hands to complete projects, we decided to paint the foundation. Here is a before photo. If you look closely, you can see the black on the foundation.

My husband And I purchased what we thought would be a “ cement gray” but it turned out to be too dark and blue gray to work. Unfortunately, we had painted the whole thing before deciding it would have to be repainted. That decision was also aided by the neighbors 8 year old daughter, who upon seeing the results said, “Maybe you should match it to your house color.” Our home is painted Copley Gray by Benjamin Moore, though I’m sure it has faded since it was painted about 10 years ago. We decided to paint the foundation Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore. We restrained the trellis in a Slate stain from Home Depot. I decided to jazz up the door color using an almost black blue color that I really love, Winter Way by Behr, in a satin finish. Here’s the results with a photo of me thrilled with the results.

Hang in there fellow DIYers. Stay positive, look for ways to stay busy and to help others. Our world may change post pandemic, but the love of home and family is a constant, unchangeable thing. Find ways to improve your life by putting some love into your home.