January 16, 2013

Bedroom for Two

We moved into our house six years ago now. It's the longest I've ever lived in one place as an adult, after hopping through a line of dorm rooms and rentals.

It is a fine house, and we are grateful to have it. That said, it was built in the 1970s, and it has had a few owners with terrible unusual taste since then. Both of those facts have left their marks on the house, from the popcorn ceilings in many of the rooms to the strange two-tone carpeting choice in the hall stairs. My mind (and Pinterest boards) are full of ideas for changes I'd like to make, both big and small, but, alas, time and money are not unlimited.

When baby Trey arrived, we knew we'd need to figure out the bedroom situation fairly soon, since we now had three children to fit into two bedrooms. Of all the combinations, having Mari and Eddie share a room for the next few years was the one that seemed to make the most sense (and the one they were most enthusiastic about). Snuggled together in my bed one morning, they decided on a nature theme and we set about designing what would soon be their room.

In keeping with Schade tradition, what probably would be a weekend project for some has taken us almost half a year.  Todd and I somehow managed to keep our marriage intact while putting in a tongue-and-groove ceiling (no! more! popcorn!) in an un-air conditioned house during what turned out to be the hottest week of the summer. But over the past several months walls were painted, furniture rearranged, ugly light fixtures banished, and new curtains sewn, all with Mari and Eddie making excited choices along the way.

Yesterday I was putting the finishing touches on the climbing wall mural (there is a climbing wall!) and realized that we were almost finally finished with the room. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's become my favorite space in our house. I love resting on the fuzzy green area rug the kids call The Grass, staring up at the wood ceiling. I love the shared sibling space with its bright, outdoors-y colors. I love that the big kids were finally old enough to help create a space they enjoy. It is the one room in our home that finally feels completely "us," and it's a reminder of the wonderful changes that happened in our family this past year that led to its creation.

This is part of the first Open Adoption Blog Hop. Bloggers are answering the question, "What is your favorite room/spot/piece of art in your home?" 

You can visit other participating blogs (and join in the fun yourself) at Open Adoption Bloggers.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

You blog hates me. it ate my comment, but what i had said was something like: NO PICTURES?!?! i feel cheated. But seriously: glad Eddie and Mari have such a great room (think the climbing wall will support my weight? it sounds super fun) Tell everyone in the Schade house I say hi.

Anonymous said...

Their room sounds all kinds of fun! I love it.

Heather Schade said...

@therapy is expensive - It will support adults! You should come climb it some day. :)

As far as pictures, I said it was
almost done...

Heather Schade said...

@makingmonkeysoup - Thanks!

Andy said...

Who ever decided that popcorn ceilings had any redeeming qualities? Had they never had a balloon float away from them, only to be doomed when it reached a sharp point of popcorn?

Thanks so much for hosting the blog hop!!

BumbersBumblings said...

Ummm yeah, we are going to need some pics when it's completed! Sounds amazing!!

Anonymous said...

A climbing wall? Seriously? Wow, that's pretty cool! I can't wait to see pictures.

Jenna said...

Sounds absolutely awesome. I agree. Need photos!

Anonymous said...

Seconding (thirding? fourthing?) the call for pictures, even if it's not quite done!

Anonymous said...

And seconding Andy's comment about the evils of popcorn ceilings and balloons!

Rebecca Hawkes said...

Climbing wall! How cool is that?!

Anca Prisacariu said...

The idea of a climbing wall seems wonderful. I look forward to seeing pictures.

Heather said...

@Andy @artsweet - Popcorn was the dumbest thing to happen to ceilings, ever. Also dumb: because of the year our house was built, we can't even scrape them off without first testing for asbestos. Argh.

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to see some pictures!
My house growing up had popcorn ceilings. (Still does, my dad lives there.) We'd try to knock the popcorn off when we jumped on our beds. I never thought about asbestos before. I should probably mention something to my dad.

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