Sunroom Surprise and the Loss of a Window Seat

In a couple of my recent post, I have shared how we are updating our playroom, which is really a sunroom. Our children are grown and no longer live here so we feel like it is time to call this room what it really is, even though sunroom doesn't roll off the tongue the same way playroom does. This room has/had a big window seat that no adults ever sit in. When our kids were little, they would take naps in it, and teenagers would sit in it or sit on the floor and lean against it, but beyond that, it has been wasted space. It was pretty because of the pillows, but served little to no purpose.

Recently when I removed the cushion to make a new cover, I noticed a hole where the wood at the base of the center window had rotted out.

UGH. We live in a house that used to be a horse barn, so these annoyances are not all that surprising. They go with the territory of living in an old home.

Let me digress for just a moment..... what I have not ever shared, is my very humble workspace. This desk area is built into our sunroom shelves. Yes, I could have put my computer station elsewhere, but this is my favorite room and also where my family typically hangs out. It's also in closest proximity room to the kitchen!!

While our contractor was cleaning out the rotted wood, my husband had the idea to remove the window seat in order to create a space for me to have a desk. While I acknowledged the thought as sweet, I was feeling like I was just not up for a "do-bigger". I don't know about you, but the whole Coronavirus has me feeling "meh". I was also thinking about how the tearing out of anything in an older home is like opening Pandora's box. It's never as simplistic as you think it will be. My response was a polite "no". However, my husband enlisted the help of our very design minded and persuasive daughter, and before I knew it, the window seat was gone.

Oh dear. Initial surprise.... we discovered that the brick did not extend all the way to the window, my heart sunk. When I found out that our Lowes and Home Depot do not have brick in stock, I was really bummed. However, our contractor suggested we buy some red brick pavers as they could level out the floor. He assured me it would not be that noticeable, but I was skeptical at best.

And then there was the issue of the paneling that is no longer made in the width of what we have in our old house. I put on a brave face, but my thoughts were anything but pleasant. My husband and daughter left to go out of town, and I retreated to an episode of Hart of Dixie in hopes to forget the mess I had gotten myself into.

Long after our contractor left, I walked in to see this. The brick is not a perfect match, nor is the paneling, but I realized I can work with this. I didn't gain all that much space, but the space I did gain could be a productive and wonderful space.

Missing a baseboard, paint, and glazing of the floor, but this is how the space is evolving. I originally had the desk turned against the windows, but it just didn't feel right. I'm sitting at my new workstation tonight, Phoebe under foot, feeling grateful for the space and the two people that pressed me to make a change. My "meh" feeling has subsided as I have a project that beckons my attention. While I only gained 5 feet, I feel like this Stella got her groove back. Happy Monday friends. What are you doing to stay positive and productive?? Do you have a project I can help with?? How can I help you get your groove back??