A Woman, a Man, a Weird-Shaped Bedroom

A few years ago, a friend told me about a book that she had read that had really helped her marriage. It illustrated how all people have a love style, a certain way that they show and prefer to receive love. It can be words, affection, time....well let me just cut to the chase: if I love you and know that you are in need of some support, I will come and move your furniture. I will even drive eleven hours each way to do it....but you have to really rate.

My cousin lives in Cincinnati with her husband of three years, and her oh-so-wonderful baby boy, Henry.  I live in Philadelphia with my husband (who shows love through driving long distances so I can see my cousin) and two children.  There are 560 miles between us, and that was not going to stand in my way when I knew that they all were experiencing a Hard Time.

Professionally it is what I do. I redesign people’s environments so that they can enjoy a sense of peace and balance. Your home should nurture you, support you, and provide an intentional, well-designed framework for you that makes day-to-day life more livable.

Does yours?

Anyway, my cousin’s DIDN’T.

These photos are all of the bedroom that she shares with her husband. They downsized and moved to this third floor apartment about a year ago. The small space is punctuated by the angles of the roofline & alcoves created by dormers.

“Where do we put the bed?!” I can hear many generations of renters crying out.

As is the case almost always when experiencing a Hard Time, clutter had collected, and since there was general frustration with things both in life and with the space where they were living, there was no energy to even try to make things look good. And it was just getting worse each day.

The feelings that my cousin had expressed to me about her home were the same that most of my clients do. She said she felt ashamed and overwhelmed--not feelings that exactly welcome you home, but we have all been there.

What are the words that would best describe your feelings about your home?

You have seen the “before.” Tomorrow we will see the “after” and talk about all the steps in between!