THE BEST SEAT IS BY THE WINDOW

Our warmest conversations happen at the dinner table, and the best seat is always by the window. This past year we've often opted to sit at the table rather than the couch in the evenings while we talk and work, so a struggle with this apartment has been the cramped and windowless dining nook. But it's the gentle push of necessity that often causes me to not only be resourceful, but to discover and develop my favorite ideas.

In a 24 hour swoop we decided to sell our couch with the intention of replacing it with a more durable, leather one. We began the hunt for a replacement, and moved our *dining table into the living room, creating a play space for Henry in the old nook. The intention was to keep our living room from looking bare, but the first evening we found ourselves across from each other at the table for hours, drinking tea and conversing by opened windows over the low light of pillar candles.

I know from experience that when we move next month the spaces in our home will pivot many times before the dust settles. But I'm reluctant to give up this fresh arrangement, so here's hoping I can find the table an open spot by a window in Carrboro. I can imagine the laughter of dinner parties and low tones of intimate conversation that will sift through our window screens on summer evenings, drifting down to passersby.


*We built our oak parson's table in a friend's workshop last summer, and it's scheduled to receive a new coat of danish oil upon our move. The chairs are solid walnut, purchased from the local flea market and originally built in the 60's by a North Carolinian carpenter. We started sanding them down to the natural wood, but it was slow going so we opted to paint the chairs an off-black color.