Many people say that the kitchen and living room are the ‘heart of their home’ and I’m sure for the majority of families that is true. For me and my family however, the heart of our home happens to be our master bedroom. It’s the place where we gather in the morning to go over our schedules for the day and the place we reconvene in the evening to discuss how our days went. It’s the room where we read to our daughter, where we watch TV, and often where we work on our laptops.
It also happens to be what my mother would call ‘the dumping ground’. It’s the place in our home where clutter and chaos accumulate and where (I’m sad to admit), hopes and dreams go to die.
Let me explain. Last year I stepped on the scale for the first time in months and (gasp!) there were 10 extra pounds on that stupid thing that weren’t there previously! Panic set in. I had to do something. A quick phone call to our local fitness supply store ensured the prompt delivery and set-up a band new Bowflex. I convinced my husband (and myself) that our bedroom was the best spot for it. Having that large, heavy, chunk of metal sitting smack dab in the middle of our bedroom would make for easy and convenient daily work outs, right!?
One of my hobbies is ‘being crafty’. I love to create things with my own two hands, especially if it involves wool and a crochet hook. I am fortunate to have an entire room in our basement dedicated solely to all things crafty…but…it’s…in…the…basement. That’s not where my family hangs out! We hang out in our master bedroom! And so, a quick trip to our local craft store provided me with a large, white metal storage cart that would sit in our room and house ‘works in progress’ that I could pick up and work on while my family watched TV or read.
Well, thus far the Bowflex has had about 10 hours of use and my ‘craft cart’ has sat abandoned for months. Hopes and dreams….
As icing on the cake, several months ago, my daughter (who often makes her way into our bed sometime throughout the night), woke up mumbling something about not feeling well. Before my husband or I had time to switch on a light, there was a small child vomiting all over my beautiful duvet cover. I made several failed attempts at getting the stain out but when I realized I had been defeated, I made a quick trip to our local home décor store (are you seeing a pattern here?) and grabbed what looked to be a decent replacement.
And so there you have it, the story behind our sad master bedroom. Slowly, over time, my favorite room in our home had become a place of chaos. I had a difficult time relaxing in what should have been ‘our oasis’ and so I decided it was time to take back our space!
The first thing that had to be relocated was the Bowflex (I still have good intentions and high hopes for that chunk of metal) followed closely by the abandoned craft cart (I’ll get back to that scarf someday). Next, our ‘replacement duvet cover’ needed to be replaced and finally, the frames above our bed were in desperate need of an upgrade. My husband made them years ago and I’ve always liked them, they just needed a little facelift. The room came together by adding some new lamps, a pair of cozy reading chairs, new curtains, and some fun new accessories. The room feels much lighter, more serene and downright peaceful.
We have our heart back.