Bedroom Makeover (and Hippie Window)

Shortly after we moved in last August, I realized that the original furniture arrangement in our bedroom was not going to work. Although the room is (very) small, and I had spent a good bit of time before we moved in measuring and brainstorming potential layouts, I knew there had to be a better option.

That was the old set-up. Although you can't really tell, the bed was flush against the walls on the far left and the foreground. Beyond simply not liking the arrangement visually, making the bed each morning drove me crazy, fighting with those walls!

I pestered my husband a few times about helping me move things around, but we hadn't gotten around to it.... until one day when the urge overtook me. I don't know about you, but when I get the bug to rearrange/redecorate, there's no fighting it! I was home alone but determined to make it happen.

The new layout is a great improvement. Yes, the bed blocks an outside door, but it's a door we never used, and it was a much higher priority to have a layout that works well for everyday life. It never ceases to amaze me how a room can seem so much smaller or larger just by shifting some furniture around! I've since added a lamp to the bedside table, and some additional artwork to the wall on the left.

As for the uneven window/door combo, I'll be ordering matching bamboo blinds for the door, which I'll hang at the same height as they're at for the window. I'll also work some magic with the locations of the curtain rods, and hang matching curtains on the window and door, so the final product will look like two centered windows. All that once I find the perfect curtains!

A few more shots of the new set-up, which I love so much....

earrings and other jewelry on tiered stand from flea market and in silver bowl from Goodwill

Playing around with different ideas after the rearranging was completed, I propped a recently discovered treasure in the window just for fun, although it can't stay there permanently from a practical standpoint (not really stable, also the blind won't close neatly over it).

There's a fabulous spot near our home, Building REsources, which carries all sorts of recycled, reclaimed and reusable building materials. In the rows of windows I found this treasure and had to have it! It's simply an adhesive design attached to one side of the window, but I wouldn't know where to find such a beautiful pattern, and with the perfect colors! The frame needed a bit of TLC, but a light coat of fresh paint did the trick. (I intentionally applied a light touch, to retain the aged look.)

Another customer spotted my treasure and was explaining to his kids that when he was growing up, his "hippie" mother treated every window in there house like this! My husband started referring to it as my "hippie window" and I believe the name has stuck.

My eventual goal is to somehow prop or hang it in front of a window, since it looks so much more beautiful with the light shining through, but I haven't found the perfect solution yet - so it's currently resting on a sideboard in our living room.

One last look at our much happier bedroom.