Moving Around Furniture

We moved to northern Virginia three years ago. I never cared for the placement of the bed in the bedroom. The head of the bed was under the window and could be seen from the doorway. But it was the only way we could fit the bench at the end of the bed that made it easier to put the bedspread and decorative pillows on before going to sleep. The den on the other hand, had a couch that faces you when you walk in. I don’t like walking in to furniture and prefer it on the side of the entry. You are also in full view if you are lying on the couch. Ideally I would prefer a Murphy bed in the den but we aren’t interested in spending any money in a room that is only used for extra coat storage. So I finally got my husband to agree that we should move things around. Yesterday we switched the bed to the side of the room under the artwork and away from the window. The bench is now under the window - a bit inconvenient when removing the bedspread but something to get used to. It will make it easier to clean around the window too. And then we moved the couch to the side of the room and put the footstools back in front of the couch. It looks better - to me. It takes a while for my husband to get used to the change. It does feel like we should have curtains on the window, but I’m not interested in getting any. We will stick with the blackout shades for now. We are also looking forward to getting the Room and Board dining room sideboard that we ordered a few months ago. We have a plant stand under the large mirror that needs to be switched out. That distressed white table may go behind the living room couch. We haven’t done the usual makeovers in this house that we had done in our Midwest and DC homes. So every little bit of minor improvements helps - especially since we are in the house all of the time. 

Who Needs a Den and Several Monk Room Transformations

Who needs a den these days? I suppose if you have the extra space it makes sense. But when you have a one bedroom condo with a den it may not. So we tried to duplicate our Capitol Hill tiny monk’s room with this space and it’s been a challenge using furniture that came from another place to work in a new space. We wanted to keep our rollaway twin bed available just in case the grandson stopped in, or a single visitor from overseas. But with one bathroom, it might be tough having more than that. We added a larger carpet, a bedside stand and chair that used to be in the living room. The hallway coat rack hutch is also stored away in there for boots, umbrellas, and other paraphernalia. Arranging the space has taken me two months to figure out. So finally after several iterations I think we may have got it somewhat right after removing the laptop computer stand, switching out the monster mirror to the dining room, exchanging wall hangings between the kitchen and this space, and trying two different lamps. Because there is no natural light it is a bit dark, but the IKEA mirror tiles on the wall bring it to life. I think a different wall color would help or maybe even a foolproof wall paper might add some interest. We rarely use this space but we are happy to have it. Maybe I should move that other wall hanging back?

The Monk’s Room is Giving Me a Headache

We had a fairly large closet in our Capitol Hill condo so I turned it in to a monk’s room. It had a rollaway twin bed, shelves above it, a very large window with a blackout shade, and a small white vertical dresser. Everyone liked it because it was so cozy but also had bright light during the day time. It’s hard to duplicate something quite like the original, but I’ve tried a few times now to do just that - and it’s not working. Yesterday I moved the bedside stand (that used to be in the living room) next to the head of the bed rather than in the corner at the foot of the bed. But the bed is horizontal across the back of the room instead of vertical to the left as you walk in. The old necessary hallway coat rack is in the rear of the room - used for hanging coats, umbrellas, walking shoes. It’s required when there are no closets, practical but ugly. But the worst part is that it is reflected in the mirror tiles I put on the wall that you see as you walk in to the room. The mirror tiles are nice, but they belong on the other wall that doesn’t reflect the coat rack contents! The DWR lounge chair is stuck in the corner next to the computer stand that we really don’t need anymore. That chair was just exchanged with the rocker in the living room. The printer was moved to our bedroom. I’ve switched out the large framed Persian print with the other one in the kitchen three times now. The bedspread is very masculine, but too nice to get rid of. The Persian carpet came from the old living room and actually is the best piece but doesn’t really go with the bedspread. If I had the guts to do it all over again I would - but my husband would find that very hard to believe and it would mean patching the walls. So I turned the bedspread so the stripes go the other way. When you look at the room facing the bed or the chair it looks quite nice - it’s just on the wrong side of the room. I’m rather content with most of what the rest of the house looks like. But the monk’s room? What worked in DC does not feel right in Virginia! 

Monk's Room Update

I never knew what a monk's room was until we stayed at a B&B in New Orleans many years ago. It's basically a closet with a twin bed and nothing more. A few months back we decided our storage closet could be turned in to a monk's room - which transformed our tiny studio apartment in to a one bedroom condo! It has a huge window, high ceilings, a mirrored wall, and great shelves. I even put in some battery operated undercounter lights above the head of the bed, and had black out shades added to keep out the light at night. And of course, three tiny monks are scattered about the room for fun. But the space was still missing a couple of items. So today, the folks who renovated our bathroom, added those couple of things. They installed shelf doors on half of the lower section that provide a bit more privacy for articles we don't want to see, and a dimmer switch that was left over from another project. I wanted to add a white wooden frame around the cushioned head board, but that will have to wait for another time. All I know is we have had two guests stay in that space and they loved it. There is just something very cozy about it. Luckily we have another closet in the apartment that us used for storage. When you live in such tiny spaces you need to make use of every square inch. So if the Murphy bed isn't your cup of tea, there's a monk's room that may do the trick. 

The Torture Chamber

It looks nice enough. But looks can be deceiving. For the last two weeks, both my husband and I have been suffering from an incessant viral respiratory illness. We both had flu shots but to no avail. The holidays were completely spoiled. Finally, we are beginning to feel more like ourselves and have begun to go out a bit here and there. During the day, all this stuffiness and coughing is tolerable only because there are so many distractions. But when night falls, things change. When I have to go to work, we generally are in bed by midnight. But lately, we have been staying up until 1:30 watching old movies...or perhaps I am just trying to avoid going to the torture chamber. As soon as I get in to bed, the coughing begins and doesn't stop - even with NyQuil or DayQuil. I think it has all lost it's impact by now. It's 3 AM before I can even start to settle down. The pillows just don't feel right, and it's tossing and turning all night. The bedroom isn't supposed to be that way and I am dreaming of a good night's rest. Luckily these things do come to an end, and I know I am making more out of this than is necessary. I'm sure we will eventually get back to our old schedule, and I can't wait. There is no room for torture chambers in anyone's house.