Believe it or not, this is technically the halfway point in our six-week decorating project. Anyone nervous? Don’t worry. We’ve totally got this. Assuming everything actually shows up in time. More on that in a moment…
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No, you didn’t miss week 25. It turns out that we’ve actually been at this for 26 weeks already, possibly 27, and I just miscounted when I started telling you all about it. Quick reminder of where we came from...
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Last week, we laid out some preliminary floor plans that might work for two kids sharing either of the existing bedrooms. We were looking for enough space for two beds, storage for clothing, and room to grow (i.e., play). It didn’t take long for us to decide that C’s room made the most sense for a shared space. It is slightly larger, with a bigger open closet, and it is just off of the living room thus allowing a sleeping baby to be further from the noise factor of his/her siblings.
The real question in this shared kids’ room design came down to aesthetic versus practical.
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One of the things I keep coming back to from my California conference tour was Justina Blakeney’s story about how and why she chose the colors in her very blue bathroom. The story goes that Justina wanted a serene feeling in her bathroom, so she thought about places in her travels where she had felt the kind of serene that she was going for in the bathroom. For her, that place was Lake Tahoe. The deep blue of the lake inspired the deep blue of the shower tile.
This is a brilliant way to approach design. What if you really got in touch with the feelings you want to convey or attract for each space individually? What if you used those places where you find peace or inspiration or center as a muse for your own home?
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W, age 5, and his sister C, age almost 3, are about to share a room. Mom's style is traditional and clean. W & C want PJ Masks and Princesses. We have six weeks to make their room come together. Welcome to One Room Challenge.
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I missed last week’s update not due to lack of movement on our project but because of too much movement. I’m going to lay it all out there right now in a very non-gramable fashion. The juggling act is real. I’m barely able to keep up with my family and my work and this remodel. I’m definitely not ahead of it in the way that I would like to be. There are literally piles on my desk that have been moved from desk to floor to bed (because I have no office at the moment) to chair and back to the floor again since I returned from my double conference jaunt a month ago. It is a little bit like the cobbler’s children having no shoes. As I sit here encouraging you to clean things out and make the home around you the place you really want to live, I am constantly aware of the irony of my situation. This beige apartment is closing in on me almost literally because there is simply no place to put the stuff.
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We shop for just about everything online these days. Books, groceries, clothes. If it doesn’t come from Amazon, odds are, we aren’t buying it. But what about furniture? Online shopping can be convenient and provides a wider variety of options for many people. On the other hand, it can be time consuming, confusing, and overwhelming. And what if you buy the wrong thing?
There are countless advantages to shopping locally, and if you can, I would definitely recommend it. There is nothing like sitting on a sofa to make sure it is just right. That said, many of us no longer have time to the search for the perfect piece. (Ahem. If this is your problem, I know where you can find someone to help you. Just saying.) One of the biggest benefits to online shopping is the ability to compare your options quickly. There are all sorts of online tools that are available to help you really think through all aspects of how your room will look. There are three major things to be aware of when shopping online: size, color, and quality. Let’s look at all three.
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If you have spent any time on Pinterest over the last few years, then you know something about minimalist décor. White walls, black and natural wood accents, simple furniture. Very clean and serene.
I’m sure that you have noticed something else about these serene white rooms because you have kids. And a spouse. Maybe even a dog that sheds. There are no piles. There is practically no stuff. You’ve wondered what the heck these minimalists do with all the crap that comes home from school. And where are the toys? Your house looks more like this than this.
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