Stories · Curiosities · Questionable Ideas · Rather a Lot of Imagination · Farah Sam · Author & Creator ·
New Shutters, New Blinds, New Light
The physical transformation of the house takes a spectacular, cozy step forward as new green external shutters and soft ivory interior blinds are installed. To celebrate, the family throws a high-energy floor-pizza and fresh almond cake party in their gorgeous, newly painted turquoise-and-green living room.
THE STAR FAMILY BLOG
Farah Sam
12/21/20212 min read
Sunday Zen level: Joyful, high-frequency, and wonderfully full of carbs Chapters written: 1/2 page (written on a greasy pizza box lid) Current status: Lounging on the floor amidst paint buckets, warm lights, and laughter
There is a moment in every renovation when the house stops looking like an abandoned construction zone and begins to look like a colorful fairytale. Today was that day. The local workmen returned to install our new, deep green external shutters and the soft, ivory-colored interior blinds we selected. Yasmeen had spent hours researching color psychology and window dressings on her phone. "Soft ivory blinds will diffuse the harsh winter glare, Mum," she had advised, showing me her Pinterest boards. "It will make the living room feel much calmer." She was absolutely right. As the blinds were drawn, the cold grey glare was replaced by a soft, warm, diffused light.
To celebrate, we didn't bother with the dining table. We ordered a massive stack of steaming pizzas from the local village shop and Farhaan baked a fresh, fragrant almond cake that made the whole house smell of toasted nuts and sweet sugar. We sat straight down on the floor of our newly painted living room—now a gorgeous, vibrant sanctuary of rich turquoise and soft blues—surrounded by paint buckets and fresh-potted ferns we bought from the garden center.
Ariadne was in absolute, high-frequency heaven. She chatters a mile a minute when she is excited, pointing at the new ivory blinds and giggling as she flipped the light switches on and off to see how the shadows moved on the turquoise walls. She loves pizza, happily grabbing a slice and chattering happily between bites, before zooming her toy cars across the smooth floorboards to watch the wheels spin. The older kids lay sprawled beside her under thick blankets, lazily reading their new high school textbooks to prepare for the school term, laughing at Ariadne's boundless, messy joy.
Closing: Late in the evening, with the floor cleared of pizza boxes and the warm lights casting cozy shadows, the kids finally quieted down with their books. I sat cross-legged on my mat in the center of our beautiful, colorful room. I took a deep, slow breath, feeling the secure, protective warmth of our home. I raised my arms overhead, interlocked my fingers, and stretched side to side, letting the exhaustion of the physical work melt into pure gratitude.