Remember the Secret Reading Room we had in our old house?
That middle boy of mine loves to have a private place to do his schoolwork. We have a little area in the playroom/guestroom that is awkward and long and skinny and useless. If we owned this house this would be a great place to build a little platform with storage and stick a twin bed in here all cozy like.
I also had a coffee table that was entirely too big for the family room. So, I saved precious space in the room where we hang out and utilized this table that was just the right size to park a few child sized chairs. I love it when things come together.
Just folded and clipped some fabric {using this method} and put them on the only thing I had. A stark white shower rod. I'll keep my eyes open for a black one, until then, this one will do just fine.
Lest you think we have a clean playroom. See the threshold where I pushed the toys over for the photo?
Secret Reading Room Take Two
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67 comments:
Yay I get to be first today! I love the idea of a secret reading room, every since you posted the first one I've added that to my list of 'must haves' for our next house. Not for the kids, for me. So I can hide from them LoL I love cozy spaces like that!
WHOA! I can be so lucky as to comment NEAR the top of the list... in hopes that you may ACTUALLY read it.
NESTER-- YOu are a GOD send!! Thanks for your ideas, inspiration, quirks, and humor.
Aja
Oh yeah... love these fabrics. Those colors are amazing... its like summer meets fall! Gosh I was overwhelmed by being one of the first ones to this post. You will have to excuse my stupor of thought.
I love reading your blog.
I'm currently making my way through each and every post.... sad and weird, i know. But i just love your ideas, creativity, humor, etc.
Have a fantastic week!
Nester!!! How Shameful!!! Do you mean you have not ONE can of Black Spray Paint for that ROD?!?!? LOL!
Nice job, m'lady!
What a great little nook, well done, Nester. As ususal, you're an inspiration!
You have the cutest posts! I have gotten so many cute ideas from you!
Love the colors of that room! :)
My oldest daughter would love a little space like that. Very creative!
I too would love a secret reading room. I would go there all the time. Great ideas.
Love the secret reading room idea! My playroom is the same way! Toys are everywhere!
I need to make one for me. Have been thinking of carving out a little place in the closet...
oh my goodness, girlfriend.
my boys' room looks like that too with all the legos.
but not the pretty fabric.
not until you fly to IA and save me from myself. ;)
What a great little nook! I had to LOL at the last photo because that's exactly what I sometimes do, and then I get people emailing going, "your house is always so perfect" - yeah, in front of the camera. Don't look behind LOL
You are a genius!
You have taken a room you call long, skinny and awkward and made it into a multitude of uses.
I love the secret nook. And I love that your playroom has about as many Legos on the floor as mine!
Great idea! I think everyone should have a secret place.
OOH neat idea!! Love it! Our playroom looks like that too!!!
I love it! What a wonderful little hidey-hole for your boys. And that fabric is fantastic!
I'm with everybody that wants a secret room for themselves! When my kids were babies we lived in a tiny rental house with no place to go. I had a half-bath off the master bdrm that felt like it was the most secluded spot in the house. I always wished there was room for a comfy chair in there.
You just gave me a GREAT idea for my daughter's room. Thanks so much!!!! I love how the pictures put us in this imaginary world where the WHOLE house looks perfect.....then you show us THE REAL PICTURE....teee heeee. I love the toys on the floor...
This is a great idea. My kids would love it. There's something about cozy little hiding spaces that they love more than anything. My nephew moved into a walk-in closet that had a window--all that fit was a twin mattress, but it was his little hideaway.
How fun that you got to hang out with all of those fabulous bloggers! -Julia :-)
I love this.
That is all.
Now, git back to changing the decorating world!
Thought you might be interested- I am trying to spread the word about the Butterfly Project from the Holocaust Museum Houston. They are trying to gather up 1.5 million handmade butterflies to represent the 1,500,000 children killed in the Holocaust. For more info on how to participate, please stop by my post about it here:
http://birdsofpaper.blogspot.com/2008/10/butterfly-project.html
and if you can, maybe you could do a post about the project, too?
thanks!
I love that! Great idea. I too even like a secret room. Only mine comes padded.
LOve that! I will bet it encourages the kids to study. Great idea!
Cute little reading room! My kids would love that. I especially like the last picture. ;-)
~Heather
What a neat little room! Do you have a can of black spray paint? Just paint your white rod black with it! Spray paint is my favorite invention I think. :)
Thanks for showing your mess. I like mess. And if people HONESTLY think you have three boys and a clean house, they're crazy. So thanks for setting us straight. AND I had a great time at brunch. :) Hope your visit in the G'boro was great!! See you in a month!
Hi, nestor. My name is Mary and I emailed before because I couldn't figure out how to post. LOL. I figured it out now. (embarrassed)
I'm a big fan. I am the one headed for a little vaca in Savannah THIS AFTERNOON. Can you tell I am excited??? Oh, fun shopping....
And now back to the point-
I love the idea of your middle child in his own private space. Good for him. And you've created an ideal little spot that fits the bill. I'm sure it makes him feel quite special.
Keep doing your thing. You are talented! I've learned so much from you.
xoxo, mary
Once again, LOVE it. Your son must love it! Very cool!
Love the Secret room! Great idea. The last picture was great too.
Oo! Fun, love a secret reading room!
When my bro was in kindergarten, his teacher had an old claw foot tub with pillows in it as the "reading place." I always wanted to do that in my house. LOL
Love love the coziness of a secret place. Also, love the curtain you put up. So clever.
Have a wonderful day.
that is some fabulous fabric. and i love that you are keeping it real by showing the threshold of toys!
haha, you would have never known that room was dirty in the first shot! That secret little space would be so nice to have. I want one!
I love the idea of a secret room! I want one!
What a wonderful and creative idea! I even love that you're honest enough to post the toys. Hey, they're a part of life with kids so we know they're there somewhere! My poor feet have been abused by more little toys (think Legos, etc.) than I can even count but that time passes soon enough! Once again, love the secret room!
Oh my, those legos on the floor of your family room looked familiar. Can't wait to visit the rest of your beautiful blog!
CountryMom
That's hysterical about the toys!
I think the last pic makes me a wee bit sad. My house USED to look like that....but they outgrew the Legos......I look forward to grandboys....they, too will love Legos! I LOVE the curtain idea....what a neat mom you are!
Suzanne
Laughing at the last picture! I do love that nook!
I like the reading room! But I love that we are in the "Lego-stage-of-life" more. I will miss it one day. So you have actually inspired me to take some more pictures of my toy mess for future reminiscing.
Cute. I'm wondering if there is a tiny cubby hole somewhere here that I can make a secret place for me. Set up a coffee maker, ear plugs and I'll be ready to go.
Oooh, fab idea Nester! I also LOOOOOVE that hanging light in there...do you remember where you got that? And don't you dare say you origami-style folded it from a left-over piece of scrapbook paper.
Christy
My 8 would so love this. I was thinking, instead of buying a new curtain rod-just go out and spray the one you have black. Much cheaper and pretty easy. thanks for all of your great ideas!! I lurk here a lot-I just wanted to share the thought of the spray paint! Have a fantastic day!
ps-here I was thinking that I was all creative-guess i should have read the comments! Sorry! :O
Wild applause for your showing the LIVED in part of your home! I love that it looks like how I used to clean my bedroom....rake eveything to one spot and THEN clean! LOL
Ooooh! I LOVE it! I could totally do this same thing in my oldest's room...will have to wait...as I am off to Costa Rica for a week :) But I will try to take pictures when I do it :) Thanks also for keeping it real with all the legos! My family room looks just like that as we speak..or rather...type :)
Thanks for sharing your ideas, Nester. I am in the midst of a room redo/update and realize as I look at your pictures that I shouldn't have even started until I had ring clips! :) It will be beautiful anyway, but I appreciate the inspiration from your blog!
Love the ideas. Thanks for Keepin' It Real and showing the second photo! :-D I LOVE your blog.
Oh! What I wouldn't do for a secret reading room!
Who do you think you are Pioneer Woman! How am I supposed to win when 800 birds are flocking to your contests?! You are so big time Nester, I love you and your successful blog so dang much it hurts.
Wow it looks like my Avery has been playing in that room.. Love the little secret nook.
Oh, that fabric is gorgeous~it looks terrific. Black spray paint for the rod!
Melissa
I dreamed about stuff like this when I was a kid- I used to make nests in the closet or turn my bunk-bed into a cave. So I totally get how your son likes to have a cozy hideaway. It looks great!
very cool hideout!
A very clever way to hid the lego mess!! I need that!
Secret reading room... I like it. Your creativity is inspiring!!
I love when you reveal all your messy secrets :)! I love the casualness of the denim with the rich red in your fabric treatment! SO pretty!
Cute idea! We have dormer areas in BBC's room and the master. I may have to add this project to my ever-growing list of things to copy from you!
I made a pumpkin tassel and it turned out pretty good for a novice and if I do say so myself. I gave you props on my blog for the inspiration! Thanks!
So cute! How funny about the toys...I have done that many of times! What fun to have a secret room!
-Sandy Toes
I forgot to say this yesterday...
You zoomed out the camera!!!!! You're my hero!!!
What a cool space! That looks like my play room too!
I just wanted to tell you I have been "lurking" on your blog for a long time. I love your ideas, your houses. You made me laugh when you showed your "photo barrier." I love how you keep it real. Thank you for always bringing a smile to my face when I read your posts. Sincerely, Patti from Livonia, Michigan
I don't mind being commenter 63 because I know you read all your loyal commenters words......(don't you?!)
I love two things the most about the room pictured (and my love is in NO WAY influenced by the fact that I do both of these things in my own house.) I love mixing denim fabric and black painted furniture - - - and I love putting great fabric on windows in places you wouldnt expect it (like my boy's room or my play room.)
I have the most wonderful silk floor-length curtains (from Target) in the room 5 of my boys share. And everyone is so impressed. Just as I was hoping :)
I love it. Of course you thought of it and I never would have. Or, I would have thought, "Somehow I can change this little space, but I just. can't. put. my little finger on how to do it."
Your messy playroom has nothing on my, um, whole house since my children think EVERY room is their own personal "I must destroy" place. Bathrooms and laundry/furnace room not exempt.
Help.
And of course there is the ever-present pervasive odor of stinky diapers. Maybe I'll miss it when all I smell is teenaged- boys-sweat-refired-beans-dirty-feet-B.O. smell. Oh, I meant reFRIED beans, but refired might be more appropriate anyway. Oh mercy, I bet they don't make an Oust strong enough.
At least they don't wipe their hineys with the guest bathroom's towels, right? (Dork me that still remembers that post because I thought it was so funny.)
debbie,
yes, i read them all as far as I know!
And that fabric was from walmart! can you believe it?
I love this idea! I am so glad that you showed the other side of the room too! Now I know that you're a real woman living with real kids!! :) I am a new reader of your blog and am really enjoying it. I am trying to convince my father to paint his kitchen "tobacco road."
Did you get the fabric recently at Walmart? It's beautiful!
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