The Living Room

Linderhof is truly a cottage for it only has six rooms plus a screened in front porch and the breakfast room that we added three years ago. The number is small but the rooms are big so Linderhof lives bigger than it is.

It's Monday and time for Show Off Your Cottage Monday at House In The Roses so please join Cielo for other Cottage Tours.

The front door opens directly into the living room which is not all that unusual for a 1920's house. Servants and calling cards were a thing of the Victorian past and so no hall was needed for visitors to wait in while the mistress or the master of the house was made aware that they had a visitor.

It's a large room with the stairs at one end and a fireplace at the other. And it opens to the dining room.

Taken from the dining room looking into the living room and the front windows of the house.

The fireplace is on the right and to the left across the room are the stairs to the second floor.

It's a light and bright room -- made even more so after we took down the drapes and put up 2 inch blinds. The ceilings are not exceptionally tall -- only 8 1/2 feet but the crown molding which is original to the house adds great character.

A leather sofa and a brass and glass coffee table.

The living room taken from the foot of the stairs with the fireplace and it's two flanking windows. Two identical upholstered antique wing chairs -- bought (and upholstered three years apart). The one on the right cost all of $5 at an estate auction. The chair on the right is also antique upholstered in a companion fabric.

Behind the wing chair next to the window is the Secretary whose top holds a collection of old books and small bits of blue and white china -- mostly from the early 19th century. It's "my" desk for my correspondence and bill paying.

As you enter the home, this is the wall opposite the front door -- at Christmas, the tree takes pride of place opposite the front door. To the right is the stairs to the second floor. On the stair wall is our 1880's German sideboard which we use as a bar. The Asian cabinet to the left of the tree houses the television. Behind the tree are bookshelves for every living room needs bookshelves.

Taken from the fireplace wall, a comfy chair and in the background, a corner cabinet full of more blue and white. There is a window at the bottom of the stairs with a table in front, two hurricanes and, this time of year, one of the poinsettias.

The chair is a comfy easy chair -- one that you can curl up in and comfy enough to fall asleep in if you're really really tired! An ottoman is handy to put your feet up on.

Next to the fireplace is a game table and my grandfather clock. An "always wanted" and I love to wake in the night and hear the chime! It resonnates throughout the house at night when all is still. It was bought with a small inheritance and it does remind me of my dear Aunt.

From in front of the living room windows -- you can see the arch that leads into the dining room.

If you'll notice the doorway is arched and if you look at the fireplace, it has the same arch as does the entry to the stairs.

We painted this room dark green shortly after we moved in. We've repainted twice since in the 20 years that we've lived here. I still love the color as much now, in 2010, as I did in 1989 when we first painted it. It was Husband Jim's choice of color and it goes well with the chairs and sofa.

We live in our living room. It's where we often sip drinks and have nibblies before a dinner party. It's where we watch television every night. It's where I write my correspondence every morning.

The living room is a difficult room for there are five windows, two big arches, a door and a fireplace which leaves very little wall space. But we have, I think, managed to make a workable arrangement.

I love our living room and although I don't move furniture (except in December to put up the tree), the tabletops are ever evolving. But a house should not be stagnant. Things need a change up every once in a while. In Fall and December, that change up is through seasonal decorations but once January comes and in years when Ash Wednesday is in March, those changes come about in February when one is tired of the tabletops of January.