What a Difference a Rug Makes!

In our old house, the girls spent more than 90% of their waking time in our den.  It was a baby-proof haven when they were younger, turned into the place where all their toys were organized as they got older.  They played…and read…and pretended, frolicked…and fought…and danced.

Long, long before the idea of kids came into the picture, we searched for a house with a kitchen that opened into the den area.  I had entertaining and cooking and TV-watching in mind, and little did I realize at the time, it was the absolute perfect set-up for kiddos, too.

The majority of the girls’ waking hours were spent in the den, and so were mine.  When I wasn’t playing with them, I was in the kitchen, making a meal or doing the dishes, or folding laundry on the kitchen table.  I could be [mostly] focused on something else, but still be within arm’s reach of the girls.

9 months!

When we built our new house, we wanted the same set-up between the kitchen and the den area.  We have a playroom upstairs for the girls, and a rec room in the basement, but we still wanted the intimacy in the heart of our house. 

We have a great new kitchen and a beautiful new den.  Missing, though, was a big part of the equation.  We have hardwood throughout the main floor.  We knew we would buy a rug for the den, but we didn’t realize until we moved in how critical that rug would be to our sense of family.

We were all, understandably, a bit out of sorts after our move.  Once we had everything unpacked and organized, though, it still felt as if our routine was awry.  The girls loved their new playroom, and we all enjoyed the run-around space in the basement…but something just wasn’t quite right.

As beautiful as our hardwood is, it’s just not very cozy.  We all spent very little time in the den.

When we finally got a big area rug, about 2 ½ months after we moved in (long story!), we breathed a collective sigh of relief.  Things were right again.

The girls still play in their playroom, and we still have some mean games of keep-away in the basement, but the first thing in the morning, we’re reading books or putting together a puzzle in the comfort of the den.  While I’m in the kitchen, the girls are oftentimes hanging out there, just a few steps away from me.  And I couldn’t have imagined Christmas morning had we been sitting up straight on couches the whole time.  Our family is definitely a spread-out-on-the-floor, cuddle-up-together-with-a-blanket, build-a-pillow-fort kind…and for that, a comfortable floor is a must.

Just turned 5!

What a difference a rug makes!