Late March Visit — Moving in Furniture

Would our furniture fit in this modern space?

That was the big question for us.  Would we have to buy an entire new set of “Dwell-compliant”  scandinavian furniture to match the modern lines?  We were hoping the answer would be NO because:

a. didn’t have budget to buy new furniture

b. in keeping with our desire to “go green” and be sustainable, we wanted to use what we had

c. what we had available was a storage unit full of furniture–somewhat worn, yet very nostalgic–from Hilary’s parents’ N.H. home.

We were delighted to discover that the furniture fit beautifully.   Though we never measured the rugs, nor considered them while choosing paint samples, they were the perfect match for the living space.  We had decided to stick with concrete floors — largely for budget reasons.  With these rugs, we really didn’t need wooden floors.     The dining room table around which Stephanie had designed the eating nook anchors the entire living area.     For me what was very counterintuitive is how SMALL the dining room table looks in this space.   It had appeared much larger in the larger home from which it had come.  Isn’t scale supposed to create the opposite effect?

We worried that the loft paint floor color was far brighter and more saturated than expected.  But the quilts and basic furniture matched the color–and though we hadn’t taken the time to measure the furniture dimensions, everything fit into place.  We’re still trying to figure out the pulley system to hoist duffel bags up to the space.   That will be an ongoing project.

What’s incredible about this space is how quiet it is at night.  The triple paned windows seal off most outside noise which is far different than our drafty dutch colonial–perched on a busy street.  But if we want to hear the noise of the geese, or the wind blowing off the trees, we can easily put the windows in vent mode.  And we figured out how to quiet the noisy energy efficient water heater in the loft.  By taking it off of “hybrid” mode at night, it makes absolutely no noise.

One added benefit of the triple paned windows.  At night, they reflect the candlelight as though they’re triple mirrors.  So when we light a dozen or so candles in the living space, it feels like there are about forty candles lit.  Very beautiful.

In the modest-sized sleeping spaces, the large windows with views of farmland and sky make us feel like we’re camping outside–except that there’s no draft!  So, on our first night with furniture, we sleep very comfortably.   The house fits our large family even better than expected.

A big question remains.  Will the house pass the blow test next month that will allow it to officially be certified a “passive house.”