Top Decoration

"Why have a regular bed when you can have a fort bed?"

That's what Owen had to say when given the choice of what kind of bed he would like to have.

After doing a little bit of research online, Will and I came up with a design that would be just right for our little fort builder.

(Owen builds forts as often as he can, dragging pillows, blankets and cushions around the house finding that days perfect spot for a fort. In an effort to contain the inevitable mess, we decided that giving Owen a permanent fort would work best for everyone)

Will headed out to the garage and with 2x4's, a table saw and a whole lot of sanding made quick work of the carpentry. Thanks to Dad, Owen came home to a big surprise after school last week...

And yes, we know it's really just a loft bed.

And clearly, you can see that it is nothing more than a loft bed.

But if you talk to Owen, he will tell you in no uncertain terms that it is a "fort bed", followed by a look that screams "what were you thinking?"

So...a "fort bed" it is!


As expected, Will quickly got a request to build one more. This one for William.

A couple days later, William came home from school to find his big surprise...

We now have two very happy boys.

This is quite a change from the set-up that we've had for the past two years in this house.

Actually, the past five years...

The boys have shared a room nearly their entire lives. Owen was 15 months old when we put them together in a room (that's when he discovered that he could climb out of his crib) and William was just 3 years old.

To say that this split was easy for Owen, couldn't be further from the truth.

He was opposed to having his own room (which would mean sleeping all alone at night) from the moment William started suggesting it.

So why the separation?

We had reached that point where it was becoming more of a hassle than it was worth to keep them together. As with all children, our boys are two very different individuals.
William is the kid who is like a little adult. Very organized, knows what he wants and likes his things a certain way.

Owen is...more...unstructured.

(I can't even type that keeping a straight face. Those that know Owen won't be able to either!)

The problems came each and every day when it was time to clean up their room.

William would clean up his things, Owen would not...

In an effort to just be done and be able to move on from the dreaded chore of cleaning their room, William would end up cleaning up all of Owen's things too, which always led to fighting, crying, etc.

The obvious solution was to give each of them their own room.

Keep in mind this wasn't even possible before since there are five of us living in this three bedroom house, but since we renovated the dining room, closing off one open arch and adding french doors to the other, it made it possible to call it a bedroom and give them each their own space.

This was their room before...

And now it belongs to just Owen and his "fort bed"...

At the ladder end of Owen's bed there are peek-holes to see who's coming...

I am going to paint it to say "What is the password?"

On the other side is a chalkboard for him to draw on. Perfect for Owen - our little artist...

Inside are his books and bean bag to get cozy while he reads...

William's room started out as our dining room. A room that we used only once a year for Thanksgiving dinner. The rest of the year we walked right on by.

A complete waste of space as far as we were concerned...

This past summer we decided to do some construction and close it off to become the kids' playroom.

Finally, truly usable space...

It took some convincing, but William finally won us over and we saw the benefits in letting him have his own room. So where there was once a dining table, there is now a bed.

A "fort bed" to be exact...

They love being able to close themselves off and "hide"...

The beds are big and rugged and perfect for the wear and tear that our kids are capable of...

Will did a great job making the design a reality. I like them even better than I thought I would!


Now that the boys have their own rooms they can, for the first time in their lives, express their individuality on their own four walls.

So for Christmas, my parents have bought them new bedding to get their rooms off on the right foot. We sat down with the Land Of Nod catalog and the boys made their picks...

William's choice:

All Solar System's Go Bedding

And Owen's choice:

From The Department Of Motor Vehicles Bedding

Both choices perfectly represent each boy and I am so excited for them.

I cannot wait to get started on the new looks!

But, just like the boys, I will have to wait until Christmas. That's when the boys will get their new bedding. Until then, I will be planning the design for each room.

They each have lots of input to give me on exactly what they want!

This should be fun!




P.S. I am linking this post to Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps On The Porch
and DIY Day over at A Soft Place To Land
and Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage
and Furniture Feature Friday at Mustard Seed Creations
and Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Custom built storage...

Remember how the wall used to be?

When it was the dining room there was an arch - a walkway, through the room...

When we framed in and closed off the arch to create the new playroom, it presented the perfect opportunity to use the entryway as a truly functional space.

And thanks to my carpenterific husband, the idea of a built-in was turned into a reality!

Three cubbies for our three kids makes storing their shoes in the wire baskets an easy solution to scattered shoes...

Two hooks per locker mean kids and adults alike can hang up their coats and bags when they come in the front door...

And as an added bonus, I got three display boxes out of the deal that I can change with the seasons and holidays...

We built it the same height as the frame around the transom window to give the space a uniform look. This also gives the feeling that the built-in has always been there, from the time the house was built...

I found the hooks at Lowe's and after debating over which color to choose, I'm happy that I went with these one's - I love the black against the stark white...

More often than not, it looks like this:

...filled with lunch boxes,

shoes and coats...

The best part is that we use it every day!

A totally worth while project that made our home a bit more organized and gave it more of a custom feel!





P.S. I am posting this at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

and Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

and Furniture Feature Friday at Mustard Seed Creations

Check them out! You're sure to be inspired!

Ok...you asked for them, so here are the photos!

All of the construction is finished and Will and I stand back and look every day, filled with pride, that we (with our own hands) made all of this happen!

Remember when it was a Dining Room?

And what it looked like before?

(click here to see the progression from open Dining Room to enclosed Playroom)




One small disclaimer:

This room was decorated on the fly! I shopped our home and, in an effort to make it feel more finished, came up with a look. This room is the definition of "use what you have" decorating. Once the kids have used it and lived in it for a while (and we can see what their needs are in the room and how they are really going to use it), I will start to give the room the look that I envision for it.

These photos are of the room as it is right now.

Welcome to the new Playroom!

My plan for the arch is to fill the shelf with small globes - vintage globes, toy globes, metal globes...whatever globes I can find at local thrift and antique stores, I will put on the shelf.
My mother-in-law found two different globes during their vacation in England. They'll be home on Sunday and I can't wait to get them up on the shelf!
(The globes, not my in-laws!)



By sheer luck, the bean bags chairs that we bought for the kids a couple of years ago, in their favorite colors...

perfectly coordinate with the globe that the boys have had as part of their bedroom decor for years...

I am thrilled with this happy accident since this space is for the boys and their little sister! A nice tie in to the girly pinks and the little boy blues.



The things that will remain in this room unchanged are:


all of the letters and words

the pops of red
(I love how it looks against the blue on the walls)

the globes

the kids' artwork

and the old schoolhouse desk

The things in this room that will remain, but will be changed:


These bins (which used to be in the boys' bedroom closet) offer a ton of storage and are totally kid-friendly. But while they are extremely functional, they are also extremely unattractive...

My plan is for Will to build an enclosure for them that will encase the sides and the top, while still allowing full access to the drawers. I will be able to paint the enclosure in hopes that it won't be such an eye sore as the huge, plastic bins!



This toy chest came with the house and I love it...

but I have been meaning to paint it for a while. Now that it has a permanent home in the playroom, it will be getting a fresh coat of paint to coordinate with the room.


This dresser/changing table had been in the boys' bedroom, but we decided to move it into the playroom for more toy storage. The dresser and the red bins will be painted as well...

And I am torn on the armoire. I love the color! But it's so similar to the wall color that I'm not as happy with it as I once was. I'm not quite ready to take the plunge on changing the color (mostly because I have a ton of other painting to do), but if and when I do change it, I know which direction I want to go with it, and I think you might be surprised...

So there you have it!

LOTS more painting in my future.

But that's only after I finish painting the built-in that is now in our entryway. I cannot wait to show you! I found the inspiration online and Will recreated it for our space perfectly!
It's the kind of addition that makes a house unique.
Just what I like!

Time to get back to painting!

Only a couple more hours before I have to pick the boys up from school...





P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the $50 gift certificate to Lowe's! Just leave a comment at the end of my interview on Houzz.com - click here!