Friday, April 11, 2008

My Love Affair with Window Seats...


"The Cozy Window Seat... One of the most cozy and comfortable additions to the furnishings of a room is a window seat. Every woman in particular delights in these little nooks..." (The New York Times, January 7, 1894)

My love affair with window seats began in 1959 with the very window seat you see pictured above. As a little girl, I used to sit sit there and watch the world go by.

About 3 years ago, while bringing one of my girls back to college, my sister and I drove by our childhood home for old time's sake, and as luck would have it, there was a FOR RENT sign out front! The owner graciously allowed us to go into the empty apartment and reminisce.

Remember the scene in You've Got Mail where Meg Ryan has closed her bookshop, and as she turns to look at the empty room one last time she sees a childhood memory of her mom twirling her around? That's exactly how I felt. When I looked around at those empty rooms I could see my mom sponging Christmas stencils on the back door with glass wax... me playing "hide and seek" in the kitchen with Pete, our parakeet... and the dining room set that my mom loved was once again sitting in the center of this very room... It was such a gift, being allowed to relive those memories 46 years later. To my sister's dismay, the old clawfoot tub was gone, but everything else appeared as though time had stood still for all those years.

Fast forward to the home I live in now and the family room addition we put on when our girls were little. The very first thing I insisted it have was a window seat (well.. the very first thing I insisted on was having the laundry area moved up from the basement, but the second thing was that it have a window seat! (second photo)... And although the decor has changed over the years, the cozy feeling has not... I guess I relate to those women of 1894 in that I, too, "delight in these little nooks."

Donna

13 comments:

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Donna, what a sweet post! How wonderful to have all those wonderful memories come back to you!

I always wished I had a window seat in my house. As a child I loved the Golden Books artist Eloise Wilkins, and she always drew pictures of cozy wallpapered rooms that had window seats and slanted ceilings.I wanted to be able to climb into the page and live there.

My small house doesn't have the space for a window seat, but I still dream about having one someday.

Have a good weekend!

Hugs, Pat

Rue said...

Oh sweetie... I would love to have a window seat. The farmhouse has one and when I saw it my little heart went pitter patter :) I love that you were able to visit your childhood home and it hadn't changed except for the tub. I love you window seat, but you know that ;)

Do you mind if I add that song to my playlist too?

hugs,
ruye :)

Attic Clutter said...

Donna ..what a wonderful window seat how cool is that~!!! Love the black fluffy cat too ..hugs Patty

Attic Clutter said...

Oh I know KD Lang can really make a song dreamy huh?? Love hearing from you.. Have a fun weekend ,we are going to a wedding in Spokane so it will be fun (:)..Patty

Edie Marie's Attic said...

Hi Donna!

Wes and I had a window seat in the dining room of our 1st house, it was such a treasure to me. I would decorate it at Christmas time with a wooden sleigh my mom had made me and fill it with pretty packages and my old toys from childhood. My oldest son and I made large snowflakes out of poster board decorated with sparkles and we hung them in the window seat area. We added little white Christmas lights and a magical scene was created. The boys loved it! I have a photo somewhere of my beloved Aunt Edie and my mom, "Marie", sitting in that window seat. I love your sweet memories Donna. Yes, kindred spirits!
Hugs, Sherry

Rue said...

Honey, you didn't get that song from me :) I don't think you have to ask permission from anyone to use any song, but I'm strange LOL I would never use the daisy cottage song for instance. I just wanted to ask so you didn't think I was a copy cat. LOL

Have a great night sweetie and thank you for the complement... I'm just talking, that's all :)

hugs,
rue

Unknown said...

I so agree with you about window seats. And that's a fascinating comment, from 1894!! Guess cozy has always been cozy. I have a window seat in my kitchen, behind that breakfast table, that I am trying to figure out how to play up.

Attic Clutter said...

Oh ya Johnny Mathis is wonderful too .. have always loved his voice he looks like such a nice man too(:)plus very handsome..hehe
... and I will have a great time at the wedding ..thanks
hugs Patty

PattieJ said...

OH, both of those window seats are beautiful! I love that scene in the movie"you've got mail". How lucky you were to be able to go and visit your childhood home. I wish I had room for a window seat. Would be nice...

Pattie

regina barnett said...

What a nice post...memories are so wonderful. Remembering the good times. I never hed a window sit. But I've always loved to have one.

joyh82 said...

I always dreamed of having one of those in my house. A great place for reading and relaxing.

Robin said...

Oh how sweet! To be able to walk the floors of the home we grew up in once again.....you really took me back! I was back in a tiny little cape cod with one bathroom...but such sweet memories!

Cammie said...

What a sweet memory! Glad I stumbled upon this post!