Mark Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do ...
Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Rooms with new names

I spent a lot of time thinking about selling our townhouse and moving to another smaller less expensive space.  Now that the old "homestead" houses just two old people, 2200 square feet of finished floor space seems way too big - especially when I am cleaning it.  After all, what do we need with 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms - plus a family room.

But once we determined that moving from a fully paid for home to somewhere else would be more expensive, I stopped focusing on the goal of moving and started thinking about what the heck I would do with the space. It didn't take long to come up with a plan.

The Guest Bedroom
I have always wanted a guest room.  Our "guest room" has always been our pull out couch in the living room and a queen size blow up mattress.  Both are less than perfect for sleeping and very unacceptable for company.  But that was what I had.

I still have that but now I also have this:

Although it isn't evident in the picture, the room needs painting, but it is OK for now.
The maple desk was my desk when I lived at home

I am particularly fond of these lighted flowers.  My daughter-in-law had a set
that I just loved and I had to have my own.
They make a wonderful muted night light.

And what room would be complete without a bull dog.  At least this one
doesn't have to be walked.  :-)

This guest bedroom is located right next to a full bathroom in the lowest level of our townhouse.  This room has changed names so many times it makes my head spin.
  • my son's bedroom, 
  • my daughter's bedroom when she moved back home one time (paint choice was hers)
  • my son's bedroom again when he moved back home one time,
  • my mother-in-law's bedroom (briefly) while she was in hospice in our home
  • the downstairs den - with a treadmill and yarn stuff
  • ... and then finally my son and daughter-in-law's room for about 10 months.  
It now sleeps three guests in actual beds.

Yeah!  Finally!!


The Den
This small bedroom room has really never changed names unless you consider that is was more of a "junk" room over the years.  Most recently it was also my mother's den for 5 years, and then briefly a shared space for my husband and I - my yarn and his computer.  My husband now has a simple uncluttered space for things that are important to him.  Uncluttered is the operative word since open space and free passage are important to anyone with his decreasing vision.



The Yarn Room
This bedroom has a short but varied history as well.
  • Daughter's bedroom
  • A nothing room for many years - I don't even recall what we did with the space.
  • Mother's bedroom
  • Temporary guest room but still filled with mom's stuff
After 2+ years in Assisted Living, I have finally reclaimed the space that was mom's.  This was a hard hard thing to do.  I knew she was unable to return, but for some reason I couldn't change the space - it was hers and would be so until she died.  At least that is what my mind was stuck on.

Now I realize that it isn't a good use of space.  Her bed has been moved into the guest room.  Her things have all been boxed up and moved into storage in the basement.  The room still has her furniture in it, but now it is filled with my yarn and hobbies.  And it is perfect for this use as it is the brightest room in my house.

This room deserves a small tour.

You see I have a whole lot of fiber just waiting to be spun.

I have a teddy that wears my very first knitted sweater - the sweater I made
during my learn to knit class in 1997.

And the wedding flowers I made for my son and daughter-in-law's wedding ...
they had nowhere to live either.

And Max, the now newly installed Yarn Cat who lives in my yarn room - he
also was homeless (well, not really.  He lives part time in my bedroom.  But the
story flows better if he seemed homeless.)


And the bed I bought for the yarn room and the "homeless" cat.

And the yarn that fills BOTH SIDES AND TOP TO BOTTOM in this closet.  It
was screaming for a permanent home!! In its last room it was spilling out of the closet
and onto the floor.  Now if I can only show restraint and stop buying yarn ...
(a wish that I have already broken with a purchase this month and a second purchase this month is on my radar.)
The only thing that might work to "cure" me would be some kind of an "intervention."
But I will go down fighting with my pointy sticks if I have to!!!
You have been warned!!!

So now all these wonderful items now live in my yarn room.
I love my yarn room.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this crafty cluttered space that is just mine.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.



11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed the tour very much...you have lovely big bright rooms.

Anonymous said...

Simply lovely. Doesn't it feel good to have your own space? :)
~Laura

Carolyn said...

I enjoyed the tour and I LOVE your yarn room best of all! As soon as I read "very first sweater", I was wondering if it was one that you mentioned that you might write about one day(?)

Retired Knitter said...

Dear Carolyn, Oh my no. I guess I should have said it differently. My first project in my class was to make this Teddy Bear sweater. Once the sweater was made I found a bear who was that size. It was a little different when I did my first sweater for myself. And that is the sweater I mentioned previously ... and I thank you for reminding me of that sweater I most certainly WILL write about that sweater ... this month! I totally forgot. It will be fun to wear it for pictures and to tell its story!

Retired Knitter said...

Actually only one is bright - the yarn room All the others had many lights on. :-) The yarn room has wonderful natural light which is perfect for seeing the correct colors of yarn.

happyone said...

Makes great sense to stay in the house where you are. You've done great things with your rooms. It is so nice that you have a knitting room. I love it.
That guest room looks nice and inviting.

Lynne said...

I enjoyed the tour . . . Good decision too, maybe too much space for two but paid for, comfortable and each of you have spaces you can call your own. I liked the sweater end teddy too!

Michelle said...

Looks to me like you have the PERFECT amount of space! ;-)

(My husband would have a COW if he knew just how much yarn and fiber I have stashed in our house….)

Paula said...

I loved seeing your house! We changed the names of all of our rooms a few years ago as well. A bedroom that used to belong to my son became my husband's office. The other bedroom was my bedroom. What used to be the family room became the dining room and what used to be the dining room became the Puzzle Room where Richard had a jigsaw puzzle going all the time. Now things have changed again...the office became grandson's room. My bedroom became granddaughter's room and the puzzle room in now the Reading Room since Richard doesn't do jigsaws anymore. And the big living room is now where both of us sleep...him in the hospital bed and me on the couch. Back there in the back of the house is a huge master bedroom that I hope to take back again someday.

s

SusieCraft said...

Love what you've done. Your yarn room is perfect. I am one who thinks that in retirement it's important for each person to have their own space. You made the right decision about not moving.

Linda said...

What a great job you did with all the reorganization - great spaces for everyone and for every activity - looking forward to staying in your new guest room!