A home, in my opinion, can be and should be a sacred place. No matter the size or location, it needs to reflect and inspire us. Not the messy, cluttered side of us we all have, but the sincere, beautiful, and creative side. I wanted this to hold true for each room in my home, but especially for my daughter. My goal was to give her an inspirational girl bedroom!
We have a baby girl (she’s 6), who is sandwiched between 2 brothers. She is a champ at racing small cars, driving Thomas trains and kicking soccer balls. However, she is also dainty, charming and elegant. Her room needed to reflect these qualities and give her a break from brother-world.
The previous owners of our house had a big media room upstairs with surround sound and space to fit ample seating for TV viewing. When we walked through to potentially buy the home, my hubby envisioned it as a media room, but I instantly saw it as our daughter’s retreat. With only 4 total bedrooms upstairs and 3 kids, he didn’t have a lot to stand on if we wanted all the kids sleeping upstairs. To his dismay, he found himself painting the “media room” a soft pink.
I didn’t want her room to be like any other room. She has an imagination that could land her a job on a Disney writing crew and a vivacious way about her. I needed her room to inspire her creativity and bring the “land of magic” directly to her. She has an antique bed, vanity and side table but that was it. I was working with a blank slate. The room has a lot of wall space to fill and I wasn’t interested in doing any sort of collage or anything run of the mill. As I sat one day, staring at her walls, I kept getting distracted and looking out her 2 extra-large windows and the woods behind our house. That’s when it hit me. I’ll bring the woods inside and it will be done in an enchanted forest sort of way.
I grabbed 3 large branches that would frame her windows from floor to ceiling but knew they needed more. I ran to a store and scoured the floral aisle for exaggerated, enchanted looking flowers to glue onto the branches but it still needed more! You can’t have trees without birds and butterflies, so I found beautiful birds and butterflies to add to the “trees”. That’s when the room came alive. I told my sweet girl the little animals fly around at night and sprinkle invisible glitter on her while she sleeps. I could see the wheels turning and the smile expand. Childhood is built on thoughts such as these.
Even after the Enchanted forest came to life, the massive room for one very petite girl still needed one more thing. I kept wondering, “Why should we waste all this space?” Then it came to me. The room needed a swing. Luckily, the hubby had moved on from the media room idea and was all on board for making this swing happen. Plus, he’s an engineer, so any project that requires a structural challenge is highly exciting for him. He made the seat of the swing using wood we already had and ordered soft, white rope to suspend it from the ceiling. The best part was making it structurally sound so that even he could take a ride on the swing.
I love that her room has become known as the “room with the swing and trees” among friends. People who come visit or neighbors who stop by having requested to see the “swing and tree room”. I enjoy standing back as they walk in and I hear complete amazement and laughter when someone walks into her room. I must admit, though, my absolute favorite part is in the middle of the day, catching her dressed up in a princess dress, looking out her window, singing and swinging…..completely unaware that I am watching.
The room is functioning as it should for her. It’s her retreat, her inspiration, her chance to make the most of her childhood. That’s my favorite part.
At Balance and Harmony 360², we can help your home inspire you and become the sacred retreat you need.
Audrey Whiteley, CSE®
works for Balance & Harmony 360², as a Certified Staging Expert in the HOME division. The home environment affects your health, productivity, and happiness. She works with individuals who need to freshen-up outdated décor, “show” a room’s potential, or help homeowners create a lifestyle. Audrey makes the most of your surroundings whether you are staging for a quick sale, building a home, or want to elicit a more productive and peaceful setting in which to live.
Audrey Can Help Create:
- Ideas or Design Boards
- Room Layouts and Arrangements
- Organization Solutions
- Home Staging DIY Reports
- Pre-Move Prep Strategies and Moving Plans
- Purchasing and Hands-On Staging
- Project Management from Start to Finish
Check out more about Balance & Harmony 360² at:
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