Rearranging and streamlining

11 years ago

I'm having great fun this summer. My 20-year-old sons have moved out, probably for good. Of course I'm not eliminating their bedrooms completely, because I do hope they come home once in a while, but I do get to rearrange - with their blessing.

Room A had a set of bunk beds that can be used as twins, a dresser, a desk, and a foosball table. The boys took the bunks to their apartment. I had a queen bed in storage, which I can now put in that room - once I get rid of the foosball table (I think there's room for it in their apartment, otherwise it's going to the Youth room at our church).

Next up - I get to paint that room! I've been longing for a big wall to do a birch tree stencil, and now I've found it! When I'm done, that room will go from a cluttered, crowded boy's room to an open, inviting guest room.

Then, on to Room B. Not much going on here for the moment, except a badly-needed paint job. But it, too, is more spacious, since some things went off to their apartment.

Finally, I'm going to rearrange my family room. The boys took the desktop computer that was in that room, and I don't expect to get another desktop - I use a laptop. So that desk can disappear. I can move around more bulky furniture in that room, to streamline and improve flow. I painted this room recently, and I'm delighted with the color, so rearranging will complete this room.

Eventually I'll attack the closets in both bedrooms, but for now, they are out of sight, out of mind.

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AnnKH
Original Author

11 years ago

Round two: today I rearranged the furniture in the family room: a bookcase, sectional couch, and TV stand were the big things; now I'm tweaking things like lamps and end tables. The new configuration provides more room, so I might have to go shopping for a comfy chair! I think I'm going to like it this way.

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Comments (11)

AnnKH
Original Author
11 years ago
Progress: I moved everything away fro the walls in Bedroom A, either to the middle of the room, or to another room. Scrubbed the walls with TSP. Spackled the many, many holes in the walls. Bought paint. Stencil arrived in the mail. I plan to bail out of work early, so I can start painting!
User
11 years ago
Wow! You are really moving right along. It's so great when you get inspired and things come together to make it possible. "You go girl!"
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AnnKH
Original Author
11 years ago
Today is the day! I needed a lunch break before I finish the stenciling project. The rest of the walls in the room (currently blue) will be the same gray as the stencil. I need to bring a ladder in to do the edge along the ceiling, and there are two more repeats on the left side.
sandyslopes z5 n. UT
11 years ago
It looks great, and I really like that stencil you found.
AnnKH
Original Author
11 years ago
And the painting is done! I still have to make the bed, but that can wait until tomorrow.

Not shown in the photo is a small chest of drawers. I plan to paint it white - and stencil trees on the drawer fronts. It is to the right of the bed, opposite the tree wall.
AnnKH
Original Author
11 years ago
This morning I tackled some more rearranging. Boxes of my son's stuff went back in his room - along with his cello, canoe paddles, stereo, and camping gear.

I should have taken a photo of Bedroom B when everything was piled in there! Today the foosball table got shuffled to the family room; the desk from Bedroom B went to the family room (temporarily - I'll be finding a new home for it); Bedroom A desk went to Bedroom B (the desk shown in the photos above was in my Dad's office, and was in the family room).

I moved a cabinet to the corner of the FR where the desk had been. My uncle built it for me to hold a 75-gallon aquarium - it's massive. I need a new top for it (it's ugly laminate now), but that can wait. We got rid of the fish tank a few years ago, and have had the TV on it, but the TV will go somewhere else when I rearrange the furniture. I still have to move a 48" bookcase, new TV cabinet, and sectional couch. And I have to find a new home for my gun safe (haven't figured that out yet).

Every room downstairs is going to feel different when I'm done!
talley_sue_nyc
11 years ago
ooh, nice! Thanks for sharing your project with us.

My kids are almost-21 and 17; every now and then I think, "Hmm, when they move out, I'll have a bedroom. What will we do with it?"
talley_sue_nyc
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Did you just rearrange, or did something move out?

Oh, wait--I see, they took the computer desk. Nice!
AnnKH
Original Author
11 years ago
I'm still at it! This week I hung curtains in the freshly painted bedroom, and got under-bed storage containers for extra pillows and blankets.

Next up is my son's closet. Unfortunately I went crazy and started clearing it out before I got a "before" photo. Part of the closet is used for camping/ski storage, and I've figured out how to best make use of the space. And I discovered that the gun safe will fit perfectly in there!

One of my sons will be home next week for a few days; the other will be home Aug 15 for a couple of weeks. I need to have each of their rooms habitable before they show up!
luvncannin
11 years ago
That is a beautiful wall. I wanted to get my daughter to do some painting for me but time ran out.
Your project is very encouraging to me to get mine done and move on to the next project which is sewing.