Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Autumn Corner

Nature Table 2010

I love Autumn, it's the season that just makes me so very happy. While many people view Spring as a time of renewal and growth, for me, Fall is the time of year that I feel moved to make changes in our environment, especially our home. Perhaps it's the feeling that we'll be spending much more of our time indoors in the upcoming months that moves me to bring fresh energy into our rooms. I envision our home to be warm and nourishing. I want it to be our haven of comfort in the cold of winter and the bustle of the holidays. So I've been spending some time the past few weeks moving things around, putting things aside and finding new homes for items whose time of usefulness has passed for us.

Our dining room is the heart of our home. As well as being the place where our family shares our meals, it is also the place where the boys play the most. It holds the cabinet for art supplies, shelves for toys and my favorite part of the room, the Autumn Corner. As Ivan still steadfastly refuses to let me lazure the walls my favorite Waldorf Kindergarten colors (harumph!), I've dyed playsilks to use as backdrops.
The Autumn Corner

I actually made this bookshelf myself and I love that it now holds my boys playthings :)
Nature Shelves

There is a story shelf with a few of our favorite wooden figures that the boys use to imagine tales of knights and wizards.
Story Shelf

The shelf below holds the household items, a machine and a basket of small playsilks to "sew" with and the knitted food for the play kitchen.
Sewing shelf

On the opposite wall is the boys kitchen with our favorite pressed leaves hanging as a garland
Harvest Kitchen

Another area of the dining room holds a small bookshelf to place toy baskets and a few art supplies

Art/Toy Storage Shelves

The boys have enjoyed the new energy in the room. Matteo loves to sit and draw, Nico makes his imaginary skyscrapers with his blocks and Luca is always busy in the little kitchen. I really love that the room is the gathering place for our small tribe :).

DR_boys_playing_edit

Happy Autumn to All!

26 comments:

Joy said...

Your autumn corner is so lovely, as are the play spaces. I think the playsilks are a wonderful backdrop. :) I love the autumnal warmth radiated in that last photo as your boys tend to their various tasks. So cozy!

Stacy said...

so BEAUTIFUL Marina!!

Lise said...

Oh, how beautiful!! Thanks for sharing all the photos. I love to see how people set up their environments. Just gorgeous.

FrontierDreams said...

Beautiful, beautiful as always! I still need you to come over her and decorate for me ;) I am trying to figure out ways to make it warmer and cozier in our house. We really need new windows (you can feel the wind, literally, through them all winter and it never gets warmer than about 61 degrees inside b/c of them) BUT I am trying to find other less expensive ways ot make it warmer ;)
Miss you!!!! XOXOXOXOX

Unknown said...

Beautiful set-up! I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments about fall. I'm wondering--where did you get the lovely sewing machine?

Nicola said...

Your home is just beautiful, Marina, and I love how much your boys love and live in the space. I can say this honestly, having been in there with all the play happening.
You have done a lovely job arranging and organizing!
And I feel exactly the same about autumn for the same reason!
Nicola

Micha said...

The autumn corner and the room looks so beautiful and warm!

boatbaby said...

I feel the same way about Fall. And I am most impressed with your bookshelf making. Your space is so beautiful, I have been emailing the link to friends (with houses!) as inspiration.
HAPPY FALL!

Bending Birches said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sonia Even, L.Ac. said...

I found your blog through a completely random Google search and have since become a subscriber. Your life is how I like to imagine my own future with my kids (they don't exist yet)! I, too, am infatuated with the principle of Waldorf education (but doubt I will ever be able to afford it :( ). I love all of the toys you have chosen for your boys, and I have a question - how do you keep all of the plastic, self-propelled, bells-and-whistles toys out of the house? I see the toys at Target and I cringe -- how does it nurture the imagination of children when these toys basically play with themselves?

Anonymous said...

i am inspired! gorgeous!!

Marina said...

Thank you all so much for your very kind and encouraging comments! I do wish you all lived closer so closer so I could have you over :)...

Jaime- the sewing machine is from WoodClinic on Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/shop/WoodClinic?ref=seller_info

Thank you all again! *hugs*

Ronnie said...

What a beautiful space for your family. Just waht i am trying to create for my little ones. thanks for sharing

Tahara said...

Oooh, I love these photos Marina!...I now feel inspired :-)

When I get over to Flickr, it seems I will have new favorites...

Unknown said...

hello Marina, what a beautiful enchanted play room your little boys have. You have many wonderful little wooden toys and have decorated the children's room beautifully. I would feel quite at home there. How I long for wooden floors.. We have cold terrazo. When our internet speeds up I shall try to upload some photos of our boys room,, It's not nearly as warm as yours though.

Heather said...

What a gorgeous space that you have created! It just makes me smile to see the simplicity and beauty (especially the sewing machine :))

Becky said...

I recently stumbled upon your lovely blog and am enjoying the archives. What a delightful home and family! I am new to the Waldorf philosophy and love how you have incorporated the ideas into your family's life! Looking forward to future posts...

saraelise said...

Wow!! What an absolutely enchanted space! Our dining room is where all the action is as well. Thanks for the inspiration. Also, I had to mention how much I love all your boys names. I have a Luca too! :)

Bristol Parenting Cafe said...

Hello from the UK (via MamaUK blog) and just had to comment on what a wonderful play space you have created in your home.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, what a wonderful feeling you have in your home! All your playthings are ones I would love to use!!! I'll be back for more later when I have more time.
xo Jules

Anonymous said...

What kind of dye did you use on those silks? They turned out beautifully! Is it a peach shade? Thank you!

Marina said...

Thanks again everyone for your oh so kind words!

Eva- I actually did 3 steps of dyeing with kool aid ;). Lemonade/yellow as the base, pink/pink lemonade next and then orange/orange last... please feel free to email me if you need instructions. I was experimenting with dyeing playsilks using just hot water and vinegar rather than microwaving it.

Anonymous said...

What a fabulous idea of the branch for a backdrop on your fall display! So pretty! I still haven't found a good spot in our home. :(

Would you please share your winter corner when you transition? We're buried in snow already, so I'm in the mood! :-D

Unknown said...

Love the play corner! ... I made the sewing machine, the needle is broken! Mail it to me and I'll make a new one. Nothing ugly about natural toys

Rosa Maria said...

Hello I am called Rosi and am from Spain, from the Canary Isles. I am charmed with your house, and there are very beautiful your children´s toys. I have a 4-year-old girl and if I could buy him toys like that she would be very happy. Congratulations for your house, and your blog.(Sorry my english is terrible, I´m using a translater form internet. )

Anonymous said...

Hello! What a lovely playspace! Did you use instructions when building your bookshelves? I would love to build some of my own : )