February, Week One: Bedroom Questions

The focus this week is to diagnose my bedroom's shortcomings, devise a plan for transformation, and take a clinical look at my wardrobe.

Here are some of the questions Leeds covers, and my answers:

Childhood sleeping arrangements: This is an interesting point to ponder, as when I was a child, my parents felt it was important for everyone to have his or her own space. Even though we didn't have tons of money, I always had my own bedroom. Until I was 14, we had a four-bedroom house, and then in my later teen years we had a five-bedroom house. At one point, my sister and I shared a room to try it out, and we enjoyed it, but eventually went back to having separate bedrooms because we liked having our own space.

I have always wanted to give our kids their own rooms, too; however, then we ended up having three kids! In order for each of them to have their own rooms, we'd have to give up our study or family room. (During my childhood, people were less likely to have designated "office" rooms.) On the other hand, they spend a heck of a lot less time in their bedrooms than we did as children.

Control over bedroom decor as a child: Fortunately, I had complete control over my bedroom decor as a kid. My parents helped me with paint, bedding, and curtains. When I was younger, I had a red, white, and blue room--with flag curtains and a royal blue carpet. (To this day, I still like blue carpet!) Those of you who know me well probably find this fascinating--who would have thought me to be such a patriot?! :)

Then when we moved into our newer house when I was 14, I took the smallest bedroom in the house, and my dad built me a fantastic loft bed with a built-in desk and dresser. (Even though he'd never even made a drawer beforehand!) I LOVED it. My walls and curtains were yellow, and my desk and matching bookshelves were in green formica. I know...sounds very 70s/80s, but it was great.

Current bedroom: When we moved in, the bedroom was painted a wine color, and we haven't gotten around to repainting it. The color has grown on us, but the room is way overdue for a paint job and new floors. So I'm not that crazy about our bedroom, but it's okay. Leeds asks what I like and dislike about my bedroom, and the answer is (1) not a whole lot and (2) the clutter. The bedroom desperately needs a complete redecorating, and we just haven't put a lot of energy into it.

Can I remodel easily? Yes, I think that we could repaint and refloor, and it would vastly improve the room. Also, new furniture would be a big improvement!

Is the room filled with things from my past, and is the past heavily represented in my space? Our bedroom furniture is mostly hand-me-downs. Our bed frame (which we are not using at the moment) and my dresser belonged to my grandparents. We bought a matching cherry dresser for Mike. Our bedside tables are both hand-me-downs we got from my cousin (along with other furniture) when we got married. None of it looks new or nice; it's functional but nothing particularly pretty. I actually fantasize about having a four-poster bed (like Regina Leeds' childhood room), but it would probably take up too much space in our smallish bedroom. That's why we still have a full-size bed. Bedrooms in older homes are not usually very big.

Do I share this room with someone? Yes, my husband...and fortunately, we have similar tastes in decor. I probably do occupy a lot more of the bedroom than he does...most of the closet space is mine!!

The next step is to make a plan for the room--what I can do this month, and what I will do over time. That will be the topic of my next post.