LIFE AT HOME

RELAXED FIT To stretch

the dining area— which is

essentially a walkway—

Erin pushed the table up

to a new storage bench

along the wall. A capiz

shell chandelier and

rattan and w oven-leather

chairs ($60 each from a

consignm ent store) keep

the space light.

EXPANDING HORIZONS

An original 12-foot-w ide

window makes the living

room seem expansive.

u p fo r lo st storage, a n d c u rta in -fre e w in d o w s m o ve

eyes o utd o o rs, s e e m in g ly stre tc h in g th e ro o m s.

T h e b ig g e st sp a ce stretche r, th o u g h , ca m e b y ta k in g

a d va n tag e o f th e o utd o o rs. A n e w fro n t p a tio a n d a

re n o v a te d co v e re d b a c k p a tio e n su re th e fa m ily

d o e sn ’t liv e e lb o w to elbow . “I c a ll th e b a c k p a tio o u r

o u td o o r liv in g ro o m ,” E r in sa ys. A n o ld p ic n ic ta b le

le ft b y th e p re v io u s o w n e rs b e c a m e a m u c h -u s e d

tre a s u re a fte r E r in r e f u r b is h e d it. “Y o u c a n ’t fin d

a n y t h in g lik e th a t a n y m o re ,” s h e sa ys. T h e sa m e

g o e s fo r th e “c h e e s e b u rg e r w in d o w ,” th e C u r c is ’

n a m e fo r a c u to u t w h e r e th e y p a s s fo o d fr o m th e

k it c h e n to th e p a tio . T h e o n ly t h in g th e f a m ily h a s n ’t

fo u n d ro o m fo r is p re te n s e . “W h e n y o u h a v e a s m a ll

h o u s e , y o u n e e d to h a v e so m e fu n ,” E r in says.

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JUNE 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS