With all the water and destruction in our basement we have barely had time to enjoy being outside this summer so my husband finally said 'that's it' and got to work on our new fire pit area.
We have been planning to move our fire pit to a different area in our yard and this was the summer to make it happen!
A dear friend of ours custom built us a metal fire pit much like ones I had been looking at in stores, the bonus being that he did it for way (way) less and it is much higher quality than we had been seeing in the stores.
It arrived at our house and my husband got to work right away setting up the new area which included landscaping and new furniture. We moved the wood box into position, moved plants, installed gravel and stones and our new area is ready for relaxing.
The reason I am telling you this is twofold. The first thing is we are very grateful to our Guy who took the time to make this for our home. We could have bought one but having one that you know was made from love and friendship is really cool.
If you have friends in your life with special gifts or if you possess a talent for creating try sharing that with people in your life.
Guy crafted something for us that we couldn't have made in our lifetime which makes it very special.
If you sew offer to create something for a friend like drapery or creative toss cushions. Do you have carpentry skills? Perhaps someone needs some repairs done around the house or something built – you might be just the person to bless them with your gifts.
The second reason for sharing this tale is how unbelievably special this area has become to our family. I believe that where this retreat is located in our yard, combined with the awesome fire pit itself, makes for an ideal setting. Despite the mosquitoes we have managed to sit outside with family and friends every night since we got the new outdoor living space finished.
I've always written about how small changes can often make a big impact on our moods and our life and this is living proof. We find that we are drawn to this area every evening and that my husband can relax after hours of messy drywall removal. My daughter has had more groups of friends over the past few weeks than ever before and people are even dropping by unannounced!
I absolutely love the socialization that has happened as a result of this new space in our yard. This was a small change with a very big impact.
Do you have an area in your home (or yard) that you could turn into a retreat? Even with the walls literally coming down around you there can be relaxation and stress free family time in a place you have created for your loved ones.
We design for our souls but we also design to entice people to come and share our space – these are the essential building blocks to life.
Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Feel free to contact her at 343-7711 ext 227, email her at [email protected] or join her facebook group called "Ask a Designer"
