My Side Yard - The Inspired Room

You may have noticed this in my side patio makeover post, but we are no longer gateless in Seattle :).

As was the case with many of our side patio projects, the gate creation and installation was not without many hiccups and mishaps.

It literally had taken years (yes, years) to get this side patio done and the gate installed so at some point awhile back I decided to embrace the “better done than perfect” philosophy.

As much as I love design and the process of evolving spaces, I particularly enjoy spending time in “rooms” that feel “finished.” So even though I am likely to want to continue to improve this area and all of our spaces over time (because that’s fun for me!), it’s especially nice to focus on getting each room to a point where they feel complete “enough.”

Right now we are enjoying every moment we can out here!

This is the view to our side patio when you look through our little gate window! Perfect or imperfect, I’d say a “finished” space feels peaceful and WONDERFUL!

There are other projects I want to improve or need to complete in this space, so stay tuned for a post on what those elements are! But in the meantime, you’ll find me sipping lemonade out here and enjoying it as it is all summer long!

If you missed the latest updates to the side yard, you can check out the makeover here!

More Posts on The Inspired Room:

9 Elements for Enjoyable Outdoor Spaces

How I care for my outdoor furniture

How to Design a Backyard: 4 Essential Zones

Super Easy DIY Firepit

My Trex Deck Tour and Makeover

How to Decorate: The Slow Process to a Style You’ll Love

Well-Being and Wind Chimes on the Porch

Well-Being + Wind Chimes on the Porch

I love to listen to the gentle sounds around our home. I especially enjoy the sound of laughter, but when the house is otherwise quiet I love to hear the birds chirping outside my windows, wind blowing through the trees, the rustling of the palm leaves near my porch, soothing soft music in the background, the gentle bubbling of my oil diffuser, the sound of new capiz shell wind chimes outside my window and the familiar chimes in the tree at the far side of the yard.

I try to slow down and listen carefully for those peaceful sounds as often as I can. A house that speaks to all of my senses feels like home. How a home sounds is an easy element to overlook, I think!

Recently I ordered this set of three capiz shell wind chimes (similar here, here, and here). As I unwrapped them from the shipping box, I wasn’t expecting that they would make such an impact on how our home felt!

The day we hung them on some nails and hooks on the side porch, it was so windy! Oh, but was it ever magical to hear the soft gentle tinkling sound of the shells blowing in the breeze right outside my kitchen!

You can watch a short video of my wind chimes above (or click here!).

As my husband stood back to admire the wind chimes he said, “OK, that’s it! we can never move!” I laughed that the addition of these humble wind chimes on a hook would prompt him to feel so attached to our home.

Obviously we could take those wind chimes with us should we ever decide to move! But as soon as he said it, I knew just what he felt.

Each time we add a new meaningful decorative element or we have an experience that speaks to our heart and soul here, we feel a little more connected to this space as our home.

It’s the little things, isn’t it?

Often I find that a deeper connection to home and family comes through the gift of our senses in some way. It takes time, but each positive experience our senses take in seems to embed a little bit more joy into our life and surroundings.

My new book Dwelling is filled with so many practical ideas and inspiration to experience a greater sense of well-being, peace and joy in your home, body and soul.