26-27 WEEKS PREGNANT
Go from Bedroom to Sanctuary
This week, you can
• Complete the organizing of your bedroom
• Decide on any decorative changes you wish to make
• Schedule time for research or projects
• Consider some organizing solutions for this room
CAN
YOU GUESS what the most common visual I encounter is when I enter a new
client’s home? I find a seemingly organized, clutter-free appearance in
the public rooms. If there’s clutter, it’s hidden away. When I enter
the bedroom, however, the mask is off. A swirl of chaos envelops me.
Now I wonder how this couple can possibly ever get any rest. If the
home is meant to be your sanctuary from the world, your bedroom is your
respite from the demands of daily life that may surround you in the
home. It’s a place for sleep/rest and sex/fun. I know I’ve said this
before but it bears repeating because it’s so difficult to find in this
busy world of ours. In lieu of a bedroom sanctuary, we so often
inadvertently invite the daily chaos into our most private space.
I’m
going to share another secret from my life as a professional organizer.
Every so often I meet a client who says she wants her entire home to be
organized. Can you guess where Mom wants me to start? In her child’s
bedroom! I try to talk her out of that choice and start with her own.
Children need to see that you do what you are asking them to
accomplish. Otherwise the organization of their room will be a futile
exercise. Why not show your child from day one what an organized
bedroom looks like?
When we
make adjustments from within, we become role models for others, and
leading by example is much more inspiring than a lecture or an
argument.” Changing from within is the best way to positively influence
everyone in our lives.
While I am revealing
secrets from the professional organizing trade, here’s one more:
Whenever young children and teens come home from school and see an
organized bedroom and closet, they ask if I can do that in their room.
Children are drawn to order and want it for themselves. Frankly, I
think it’s those color-coordinated closets that hook them. And it’s
never too early to start—you are in the prime position to welcome Baby
into an organized world.
Let’s look at
different issues that may be plaguing your room. Check off the ones
that pertain to you. We’ll take this one step at a time. And do have
your baby journal nearby for any notes you wish to take.
DECORATING ISSUES
• The room is due for a fresh coat of paint.
• The drapes or blinds are old, flimsy, and in need of repair or replacement.
• The bed linens are frayed, yellow with age, and/or completely uninviting; the mattress offers no support.
• The dog or cat’s claws have shredded the bedspread or duvet cover.
• There are stains on the rug from when Fido was a puppy. And that was five years ago.
•
There is a huge flat-screen TV in the room and a computer on a desk.
There’s enough electrical stimulation to take your mind off the fact
this is the sole source of fun in this room.
•
The walls in any room tell a story. Yours may be full of photos from
the past, artwork you had in college, or decorative items you regretted
buying as you exited the store. But worst of all are bare walls! They
always speak to me of a couple who have not yet taken emotional
ownership of the space. It’s as if they are perpetually living in
just-moved-in status. I call this “hotel syndrome” because that’s what
the room looks and feels like.
ORGANIZING CHALLENGES IN THE ROOM
• A stack of books blocks easy access to the bed.
• The nightstands have miscellaneous items piled high and the drawers are equally stuffed.
• Clothes are draped over the one easy chair in the room. The clothes get wrinkled and it’s impossible to enjoy the chair.
• Don’t look to the dresser for solace: The drawers are stuffed to the gills. Who knows what’s lurking in the bottom layers?
•
If there is already a child in the home, this room looks like an annex
for Toys “R” Us. Wait! Maybe those toys belong to Fido or Fluffy?
• There is so much stuff scattered everywhere, you can’t dust or vacuum.
WHERE TO BEGIN?
As we have done
elsewhere, there will be items you know must be tended to; however, the
time may not be right. New window treatments may have to wait for a
year. On the other hand, if you are going to have your baby’s room
painted, why not ask the painter to do both rooms? You may be able to
negotiate a better rate.
The key is to
decide what you are going to tackle immediately and then schedule it on
your calendar. Break the end result down into the steps that will bring
it to completion. For example, you might note that on Thursday you will
shop for paint samples/chips and tomorrow you have to find a painter.
Before you call anyone, select a few dates that will work in your
schedule. Check everything with your spouse on the chance he has a lead
on a painter or plans for the days you think might work. Hormones may
now be giving you “mommy brain” and keeping details in your head is
asking for trouble.
Have you ever noticed
that after a move to a new home your furniture and decorative items
look different? You get to appreciate them in a new way. You can have
that experience just by moving your furniture. (My housekeeper says
she’s sure that if I could put my furniture on rollers it would be in
different positions every time she came to clean.) Last week I
introduced you to Feng Shui. Go back now and reread Ariel’s notes with
your bedroom in mind. For example, are you sleeping with your head in
line with the entry door? You might want to rearrange the furniture in
this room for a different experience. No one has to know it’s for
better Feng Shui!
Old towels and sheets are always needed
at your local animal shelter or animal hospital. Even if you don’t have
a pet of your own, consider donating these items to help abandoned and
sick animals in your city. You don’t need to make an appointment; just
drop them off with a smile.
