Sometime earlier this year, I got the idea to turn our ‘office’ (AKA a dumping ground for pseudo-important papers) into a library/arts-and-crafts room. The dining room was bursting at the seams with scrap paper, markers and crayons, and no matter how tidy I tried to keep it, it always ended up looking messy. So, I decided it was high-time to fix the problem and started making a plan.
At first, I thought we’d put a twin daybed in the room, so that it could double as a guest room when my parents visit, but it wasn’t big enough. (I can’t stress enough how small and ‘barely usable’ this room is. It’s in the shape of an L and neither side is very big.)
The room currently held a queen bed (mattress only, the exact width of which was one side of the L) and a desk and small filing cabinet on the other side. In the middle (the ‘elbow’ of the L) was a small console table with two shelves. We hadn’t anticipated giving Maelle the queen bed, but we hated to part with it (it’s very nice and not very old) and it fit better than we thought in her room. So, she got a new bed, which then got me thinking about redecorating her room… (I’ve started, but haven’t finished yet.)
For some reason, I knew I wanted a ‘palm-themed’ carpet for the room. And since we’ve used FLOR before and the room was an odd shape, I found this one first and FELL. IN. LOVE. It was the one, and the only one.
Interestingly enough, the room was already a similar shade of blue as the photo (minus the wallpaper print), which inspired me to paint the trim blue. I found blue curtains I liked, then picked a color to match. Painting the trim was NOT FUN, but I persevered and am so glad I did.
My plan was to simply paint, throw in some shelving units, and decorate. Andrew, of course, had a different plan. He wanted me to repair some cracks in the walls and ceiling, which was no small task, since they are PLASTER. I was not on board with this plan, but, he convinced me/did it anyway, so I added ‘dust for days’ to my list.
In the end, it all worked out, if not as quickly as I would have liked. I tried to bring in all the other things I liked about the inspo photo as well: the bright colors, as well as gold and ‘woven/natural’ textures.
I knew I needed storage, and lots of it, and I love the IKEA Kallax units. We already have one in the workout room, so I chose two more for this room, but added the feet. I’m so glad I sprung for the eight woven baskets, as they add so much to the look of the room and are a way to conceal messier items.
Other than the IKEA units and the carpet, we basically already owned everything else in the room! I can’t believe how many books we have! (I’ve always considered that a good problem.) The top two shelves of the taller unit are all grown-up books, most of which are all the classics we both brought with us when we got married, plus our Bible/faith-based book collection. The third row are all educational books for Maelle, organized by topic (science, arts, animals, etc..) and the baskets all hold more educational items, like experiment kits, building sets or musical instruments.
The leather chair, while lovely, won’t stay in the room for long. It’s too big for the space, and I’m hoping to use it downstairs after our house project. I have a cherry rocking chair (from Maelle’s room) that I’m thinking will replace it. Would you believe we already had those great face planters? They’re from Sicily and I love them. They’re perfect for the room.
I’m hoping to use this room for my daily quiet time and Bible reading. It’s cozy and quiet, and helps keep my Bible/journal/devotional, etc.. in one place instead of tossed on a side table downstairs.
The desk area is a perfect spot to store all Maelle’s art supplies, but she doesn’t seem to want to actually DO a lot of her art up in the room yet. (It’s just as well; I’m not sure I’m ready for her to be too ‘independent’ with her art supplies. The Sharpie-covered face from last month was more than enough to convince me of that.) So, for now, it’s more a place to keep all the paper and crayons and glue where they belong. One day, I do see us using this space for school (we plan to homeschool) as well as a spot for her to do her coloring and drawing on her own.
I absolutely LOVE how the room turned out! It’s so bright and colorful, yet calming and a complete departure from any other room in the house. The carpet is really what puts it all together, and I love it. I love that I have a space for all our books, a place to display her art work and even just another spot in the house to read or play.
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