One of the reasons I love a vacation house is because it doesn’t have a lot of clutter. When I decided to create my own “staycation-vacation retreat” and remake my home into something that feels more vacation-home-like, I knew I would have one huge challenge. To live in clutter-free spaces, I must face the problem of organizing and storing all of the everyday stuff that we own. My dressing room is one space that deals with that. By having a separate space for clothes, shoes, handbags and the like, our bedroom can remain a clutter-free and cozy zone that is as comfortable, even more comfortable really, than any vacation home I’ve ever stayed in.
The top floor of our home is a finished attic space with two bedrooms and built-in storage. The entire floor totals less than 500 sq. ft. My husband and I live alone and had no use for a second bedroom, which gave us the opportunity to create the dressing room. It is one area of the house where a make-over is not required. I created the space long ago and I’m satisfied with both its function and decor.
Instead of a bed, a futon takes up less space along the north wall. I replaced its original flimsy mattress with a thicker, more comfortable one which allows us to use the room for an occasional guest. Mostly though, it’s a place for us to sit with a cup of tea and watch the news as we get dressed in the morning. The futon faces a row of back-to-back black dressers and chests that run through the center of the room paralleling the southern wall of hand built-in closets and cabinetry.
A few years ago, I papered one entire wall with a large mural of a mossy woodland scene and I painted the remaining walls and slanting ceilings a vivid lime green. Hawaiian travel posters in sleek silver frames add more color. A recent installation of a sky light brings in much needed sunshine to the room where a single, small window faces north. White carpeting keeps the vivid colors from becoming over-powering.
Home improvement gurus will tell you that this is exactly what you don’t want to do. Things like wall murals and bright colors will lower the value of your property and make it more difficult to sell your house. But unless you are trying to sell your house, what does it matter? I have no plans to ever sell my house but if I do, I’ll worry then about repainting the walls a bleak winter white after repairing my multitude of picture hanging holes with spackling. In the meantime,I love both the wall mural and citrusy lime green color which remind me of past travels to warm, tropical islands. After several years, I still have not tired of it.
I realize it’s not possible for everyone to set aside an entire room for use as a closet. If you’re going to create a staycation-vacation retreat however, it is still important to pick up and pack away all of the clothing and other items that detract from the appearance of your bedroom which should be quiet, tidy, comfortable and ready for afternoon naps and bedtime reading. Maybe this means you revamp a closet or move seasonal clothing to a rod that you hang in the attic. Build a cardboard wardrobe in the basement or buy some underbed storage boxes. There are lots of creative ways to keep bedroom clutter in check. Start with a good sorting and donate anything you haven’t worn for a few years. Then check out all of the organizing ideas available on-line. There are lots of creative answers out there. Find those that work best for you!
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