The Bedroom Shuffle

We spent the great majority of last weekend making some bedroom changes. If I had realized beforehand how much time and effort it would take, maybe I would've said no when Brandon broached the subject. I am pleased with how it all turned out, but after the craziness of last weekend and then a full week of fine tuning, tweaking and de-junking it all, I'm glad to be done! (Hanging pictures and blinds in Brandon's room got finished up this evening.)
Here's what we did:

This room in the basement has been a craft/excersize/junk room. Brandon, desperate for a change, decided he wanted to take over that room. I told him I needed to talk to his older sisters first. For the past few years that wing of the house has been dubbed "Estrogen Alley." Would they be okay with Brandon encroaching on their domain? After extracting a promise from him that he would wash his hands each and every time he used the common bathroom so as to not spread boy germs on handles and doorknobs, they agreed to welcome Brandon to the basement.Moving out all the "stuff" to make room for Brandon's furniture. Find a new home for it all was arguably the hardest part of the move.


Brandon's new room:



We quickly decided that Brandon's vacated upstairs room would actually be better for Lilian than the bedroom she was currently in. So the day after moving Brandon down, we started moving Lilian over. Her move was easier, obviously. Moving furniture next door was much easier than hauling it down the stairs.

Lilian's new room:


All that other "stuff?" The treadmill went in the basement family room. Some things got boxed up and put in the storage room. Other things went in the garbage can. And all those scrapbook/craft supplies that used to just sit out and available...they got organized into containers and stashed into the closet of the now empty room that used to belong to Lilian:
And the rest of this room? I thought about taking it over and making it into a "Mom Cave." But I don't need a craft room, really. I don't scrapbook anymore. (Thank you Blogger.) And I don't really need my own den....we already have a computer room/den/library that has more than enough room for Bryan and me to each have our own work space and I really love that room. What I really want is a little TV/sitting room. We have one TV in the house. Just one. I can't count how many times I've wanted to watch something but couldn't because the kids were down there playing playstation 3 or hanging out with friends or watching some teeny bopper Disney channel show. My parents turned my old bedroom into a TV/sitting room a few years ago. And it is the coziest, neatest little room. I love to spend time there when I am visiting. So I am hoping to create a room like that in this empty space. It may have to stay empty for a few months while we get through the holidays. But then...oh, I am so excited and anxious to get to work on it! Stay tuned....