Reclaim Your Abode: The Bedroom Edition
I think it’s natural for most people to feel like their homes have been overtaken by their child(ren) at some point. Toys everywhere. Smudges on literally every surface. The remnants of something that just wasn’t durable enough to stand up to the wear and tear of an energetic creature. The level of chaos is palpable.
Even though our children are of the fuzzy variety, we experience many of the same struggles.
I looked around our bedroom at one point last week, and while I certainly noticed little casualties piling up along the way, I finally saw the room as a whole. I saw it as a culmination of all the events and mishaps that resulted in its current state. And I felt the need to deal with it ASAP.
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been in a bit of a fog the last few months. I’ve started a project in just about every room inside (and outside!) of the house. And as the fog has started to lift, I’m seeing some of these things with clear eyes for the first time in a while. Our bedroom has gotten to a place I’m no longer excited about, so it’s time for a change!
I bounced the idea for this series off of a few friends who expressed similar feelings of frustration and suggested I trudge on, so here we are.
Our bedroom was just about the last room we started renovating after we purchased our home. Because our house needed (and still needs) so much work, I’ve placed more emphasis on rooms and common areas that would be seen and used more by our guests. But these things can no longer be ignored. So it’s time to say goodbye to the island of misfit home decor items that this room has become!
This is what our bedroom looks like on any given day.
Here it is. The non-jazzed up, standard version of our bedroom. Teddy insisted on participating in the photoshoot.
These upgrades won’t be done all at once for a few reasons:
Money (DUH)
I’m very…selective. I don’t always have a specific idea of what I’m looking for, but I know what I do and do not like. So I’m going to try to be patient to find exactly what I think will fit in with the style of our house and existing decor. And I really want to make sure it’s cost effective (in case it gets destroyed again!). Oh, and durable, too!
This is what I would like to upgrade:
The Blinds
One sunny afternoon, when I thought I could sneak out to the nearest World Market in peace, I came home to discover Teddy had actually escaped his crate and all but destroyed the plantation shutters that came with the house. As a result of being abandoned, Teddy had horrible separation anxiety as a pup, and he took that anxiety out on many surfaces and fixtures in our home. Were these blinds my personal taste? No. But did they serve a purpose? Yes. And ever since, they’ve been haphazardly attached to our bedroom window. Chewed up. Flipped in different directions. One side won’t even open because he chewed the entire track off. They sort of block out the sun? I’ve added blinds to some of the doors and windows in the house, but I don’t exactly know how to mount some in this window because the area is so narrow. But I framed and built an entire wall in our mudroom, so I’m sure I can tackle this! I’m also not opposed to getting rid of the shutters altogether and replacing them with longer, blackout drapes.
The Rug
I bought this rug from Overstock when we lived in our last apartment. It originally hung out in our kitchen, but in our current home, it takes up residence in our bedroom, and this is why: on the same day she chewed up Justin’s kindle (she didn’t have many bad days, but when she did, she REALLY went for it), Scarlett chewed up the corner of the rug just enough to make it look like it was falling apart. There’s a rug I’ve been eyeing on Wayfair for the living room or our bedroom for forever, and I’m finally about to pull the trigger. We have a secret room over our garage, so I think I’m going to put this rug up there until we come up with something better!
The Paint
I painted this room entirely by myself as a surprise to Justin when he was out of town one weekend. The surprise was less “Don’t you love it?!” and more “Hey, look! Here’s one thing you DON’T have to do!” The paint didn’t adhere to the walls as well as it should have, and I think it’s because the previous owners burned a lot of candles or used wall plug ins. And when our dogs lay across the pillows and springboard off of the wall to get up *face palm* their toenails actually scratch the paint off of the wall. I don’t think this is entirely their fault, but it still looks pretty trashy! Ultimately, I want to sand the walls down and paint the room again, but until then, I would love to touch up the area around our bed and possibly get a headboard or different bed frame. The color on the walls is Greenblack by Sherwin Williams (and all their paints are 35% off through Aug 12, btw!).
The Pillows
For some reason, I have a really difficult time finding throw pillows I like that also match our decor. I also have a really hard time keeping Teddy from treating the pillows like a chew toy! While he hasn’t chewed the pillows on the bed (YET), one of them is beige (or was) and therefore shows a lot of dirt. And what’s worse — the case can’t be removed. So while I figure out how to clean it and place it in an area that isn’t as highly trafficked by the dogs, I need to find some new pillows with removable cases that can be washed like the rest of our bedding!
The Throw Blanket
I think I made the mistake of placing our current throw blanket over Teddy’s crate shortly after we got him. He pulled it almost all of the way inside of the crate and pretty much shredded it. I still use it every night, but it’s pretty sad looking. I think I hang onto it because I bought it with a gift card from our wedding. But it’s time to throw this on one of the dog beds and upgrade! I purchased this cute patterned throw blanket at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (still marked down!) that may or may not work depending on which rug ends up in there. Our living room rug might make its way to our bedroom, so we shall see!
He worked very hard on this swiss cheese blanket.
Other things I would like to change:
The lack of Storage
I’ve yet to find a solution to store their toys that Teddy hasn’t destroyed. He doesn’t quite understand what’s a toy and what isn’t. But as we’re constantly tripping over them and their toys, it’s time to come up with a creative solution.
relocating the dog bed
Teddy sleeps in the shower in our master bath at night. That’s a story for another time. But! That bed isn’t being used, so it might as well go to another room they do lounge in.
The sconces
They’re cute and way cheaper than the ones I originally wanted from Rejuvenation! But unfortunately, you get what you pay for. The sconce that was originally on Justin’s side broke over a year ago, and because he’s an avid reader, I switched ours out. They were sold out of them for the longest time, but I just checked, and they’re back in stock! I think I’m going to buy a matching set (in case there’s a slight color variation) because that’s easier and cheaper than any alternatives I’ve found so far. Here’s the link if you’d like to check them out, too!
Things I’m not changing
The white comforter
When I first posted a picture of our bedroom online, I had a lot of comments from people not knowing how I could possibly have a white comforter with 2 dogs. Am I a masochist? Slightly. But it’s honestly been the easiest to maintain! This $28 down alternative duvet insert from Target has held up incredibly to 2 wild animals and weekly washings for YEARS. Also, if I use the Seventh Generation bleach (environmentally friendly, helloooo!) in our washing machine dispenser, it comes out white as snow! Easy squeezy!
Letting the dogs on the bed
They totally own us, so obviously that’s a no-go. Scarlett sleeps cuddled up next to us, which, aside from being absolutely precious, helps cut down on the electric bill in the cooler months! Besides, they have free run of the house during the day, and it would be impossible to enforce.
