Tales From the Box

My first project when Olga came into our lives was to make runners for the dressing tables in our bedroom. And I had one main reason for wanting runners: I was sick of dusting. Yes, you heard me. I’m confessing my complete laziness right here in public.

I love our Malm dressers, I love the crisp white furniture. But I hate the fact that you can see the dust quite clearly just 2 days after cleaning them. So I figure if I make 2 sets of runners, I can just swap them out every week or so, have one on the dressing tables and one in the wash.

No, my husband’s dressing table does not usually look like this. He is human after all.

To make the runners I simply measured up the fabric and overlocked the edges. That’s it. Took me all of 10 minutes. Awesome. Of course they look home made. But I don’t care – they ARE home made.

My dressing table occasionally looks like this. It usually has a hairbrush and hairdryer on it. Some random jewellery that I haven’t put away. Some of the Widg’s toys.

Here is a detail shot of the fabric. I still need to find some different fabric to make a second set. I’m looking for something with geometric shapes in colours that will match our various doona covers, and overall, something cheap. I am anticipating getting bored with looking at the same pattern all the time, so if I have 2 options, I can change them when the mood strikes.

You may remember from previous posts that a) I tend to be quite organised, and like things neat and tidy, and b) we have the Malm 6 drawer in the Widg’s room to store his various articles of clothes, blankets and other random accoutrements.

We had some friends over just before the Widg arrived, and they were having a sticky beak through his room. One of them noted how neatly I had organised his things in the drawers, and commented that his belongings wouldn’t remain in such a neat state for very long.

Well I can proudly state that the drawers have remained neat and tidy for the first 6 months of his life, so we are off to a good start.

He has 2 drawers of clothes that currently fit him, 1 drawer of clothes that he will grow into, and a box hidden behind the chair that contains clothes that he has grown out of. One drawer holds his cloth nappies and things, another is for bibs, burp cloths and towels, and the last one holds blankets and sheets.

I use these Skubb boxes from Ikea to keep the small bits and pieces organised.  And I go through his clothes every few weeks to rearrange things slightly as he grows into or out of them.

I also have a box under his cot for winter blankets and clothes that he will need to really really grow into (since I won’t need these for at least another 6 months). I must say that his friends and family are incredibly generous in giving him lots of gifts – the kid seriously has a lot of clothes! Takes after his mother obviously.

I have blogged about our bedroom before, and how important it is to me to keep it tidy and organised. Well I thought I would add some info here about how I achieve that.

Our Pax wardrobe from Ikea is great for keeping clothes sorted and organised. It is made up of 3 sections, 2 for me and 1 for the man of the house (I easily have twice as many clothes).

As you can see above, in my side of the wardrobe, I have things double hung, which gives me twice the space. In this section of the wardrobe I only keep tops, cardi’s and skirts. I keep long pants, dresses and coats in the second section, which isn’t double hung. Hubby’s section is also double hung.

Then in both of our double-hung sections, we have this awesome little pull out drawer (they are from Ikea also, but I don’t think they make the same one anymore. I think they sell a similar one, but I haven’t found the link yet. If anyone would like to enlighten me, feel free). I use mine to store scarves and jewellery, and his is full of belts and ties.

There are also shelves above the hanging spaces in each section, which we use to store spare blankets, doona’s and pillows, my wedding gown, and a few other random bits and pieces.

Of course, I always have way too many clothes, and I am constantly getting rid of some to allow for the new. But this also means that I am constantly re-organising and tidying the wardrobe. So my shopping habits are really a good thing, right?

A little while ago I promised that there were some more projects I was yet to complete in Widget’s room. Well, I have successfully completed said projects (almost – more on that later) and here are some pics.

This one is the Bekvam shelf I had already bought from Ikea.

I have used it to display some of the cute little toys that the Widg received from some of his “uncles” (John and Buzz), a lovely little handmade jacket and booties and some special stones from a dear friend of mine (thanks Rhi) and of course his first Swannies attire (thanks Grandpa). I have a few more items that I would like to put here too, but I will rotate them so that the Widg has some variety to look at. The hooks are just basic ones from Bunnings.

And the reason I said this project was “almost” finished, is that there is still some debate among the grownups at the Box about whether to paint the shelf white or leave it as is. Stay tuned (but don’t hold your breath).

This idea (below) I had seen in many variations on heaps of blogs and in magazines, and thought it was a great idea, so I had to rip it off.

I plan to hang different things from it over time. At the moment it has a selection of cards that we were sent or given on the birth of our dear Widg, welcoming him to the world. But I also plan to display things like Christmas and birthday cards, photos and his artwork.

I am using old-style wooden pegs to hang the cards. They were given to us as part of a gift at the Not-a-baby-shower-shower (it’s a long story), and since I don’t have a clothes line (another long story) I decided that this would be the perfect use for them (thanks Tony, Amanda and Ivy).

So as you can see, the decoration/completion of the Widget’s room is a moving target, as is the rest of the Box really. Keeps me out of trouble. Most of the time.

I found this amazing little boys bedroom over on Ohdeedoh.

(from The Bumper Crop)

No, we have no plans to have 3 sons. But if we did, this would be the coolest shared bedroom ever!

(from The Bumper Crop)

It even gives me ideas about how the Widg’s room could evolve as he gets older. I love the colours (I have a thing for grey) – the yellow and black on the beds, the white bedding against the raw pale wood. There’s just the hint of a nautical theme (with the thick rope and the blue step stool) without being really obvious and naff.

(from The Bumper Crop)

And of course the whole suspended bed thing is just too cool. Can you imagine being a kid and playing in a room like this? Great for pirates! I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it!

So I always knew our baby’s room would be relatively gender neutral, in terms of its design and colours. Even after we found out our Widget was a boy, I was still drawn to colours and themes that could easily be adapted for a boy or girl. Throughout my pregnancy I trawled my usual favourite blogs for inspiration: apartment therapy and young house love, as well as Ikea (most of our house is furnished by the collective Swedish genius). I played with a few ideas, but kept coming back to shades of grey with green and white.

I liked images like this one (below) for the grey walls and white furniture, but also how they used accents of aqua and taupe to add interest. I also loved the animal decals on the wall.

(from Ohdeedoh)

I also really liked this one (below) – the shade of grey was very close to what I had in mind, plus they have used the same cot we were planning on buying.

(from Ohdeedoh)

I had been scouting the Ikea childrens range for a while, and after much discussion with my husband, we decided on the Gulliver cot in white, the Malm 6 drawer chest in white, and the ever popular Poang chair.

We liked the versatility of the Gulliver cot (it converts to a toddler bed), and the Malm unit was big enough to fit lots of tiny little clothes, blankets and such, while the top of it would serve as the change table. We thought about buying an actual change table, but other more experienced parents than us told us how their little ones grew too big for the table quite quickly, or that they ended up changing their kids in or on other places (even standing them up when they were old enough) then it just became a useless piece of furniture. Always ones to consider the cheaper option, we decided that a chest of drawers would be far more useful and could serve double duty for us. So we simply added the Gullunge change mat to the top.

Oh, and people have asked if it’s difficult to change our little monkey while he is laying sideways, but we have actually found it easier this way, and we feel awkward when we have to change him lying facing us (like brushing your teeth left-handed). Plus I think we get peed on less. Always a bonus.

We then added some Lack shelves above the Malm drawers for more storage, using the Agen and Branas baskets to hold various bits and pieces. We also use the Fabler boxes on top of the Malm for nappy changing paraphernalia.

You’ll have to excuse the wonkily hung pictures – they are cheap frames, and so don’t sit straight. Noah doesn’t seem to notice. And the white coat hanger you can see hanging from the basket is actually a rush job I whipped up. We hadn’t gotten around to buying a mobile for Noah (he was born 2 weeks early) and one day he seemed suddenly much more aware of things than previously. So I decided to hang something above the change pad so that he would have something to look at. The hanging objects are actually some animal socks my mum bought for him, which are too big for his little feet. They are a tiger, a cow and a lamb. He thinks the cow is hilarious, and he learned to smile at the cow before either of his parents. Good times.

The Poang chair currently sits in our grown-ups bedroom, as this is where I feed the Widg in the middle of the night (so that I can watch DVDs. We are currently working our way through Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Someone has to educate the little man.) But once he no longer needs these feedings, the Poang will be moved into his room to become his story time/reading chair. It will look like this:

Oh, and that lovely quilt you can see hanging over the chair was made for Noah by his wonderful godmother Jen.

On the floor we are using the Nasum basket to hold a few blankets like these Vitaminer (and later will be filled with toys) and the Knodd bins for dirty clothes and nappies.

My grandfather made this stool (which I plan to re-paint), Noah’s Great Grandmother crocheted one of the rugs, and the other one was a gift from Noah’s Gran’s craft group ladies. And above this stool is where I plan to hang this Bekvam spice rack for small toy or book storage. I also have some hooks to hang underneath it for hanging bags and coats and things.

I use these Len fitted sheets on the cot, and this Renate rug is on the floor to add a bit more colour. We bought a few of these Frosta stools, which so far have been great as little side tables, but will also function as seats or Widget-sized tables. I plan to buy the Kusiner boxes to put under the cot for more storage.

I bought a whole bunch of these Krama washcloths and Nackten hand towels, which have come in very handy for general baby fluid cleanups. (And since they are so cheap, we don’t care if they get stained or ruined. I am going to buy more when I go to Ikea next.)

We also wanted some kind of image on one of the walls, and we really liked the idea of trees. There are heaps of decals or wall stickers to choose from (you can find them online), but my talented hubby decided to paint it himself.

Making and dressing the bed has become one of those things that I am endlessly fascinated with, and constantly changing. Don’t get me wrong – making the bed is a chore, and I don’t love it every morning. But I love to look through magazines and blogs, getting ideas on how other people dress their beds.

(from Apartment Therapy)

I drool over the countless options and combinations of blankets, doona’s, sheets and bed spreads. Then there are the pillows (both standard and European) and cushions and throws (oh my).

(from House of Turquoise)

As a result of my fascination, I have purchased way too many bedding sets, sheet sets, pillow cases, throw cushions and throw rugs (most of them cheap from Ikea or Target, but still.) I rotate them and mix them up constantly, and I have to really refrain myself from buying more (especially when Ikea releases a new range).

(from Ikea)

(from Ikea)

At the Box, we are a fitted-sheet-and-doona-without-a-topsheet kinda folk. The husband likes a thin, soft pillow and I like a thick, hard one. When the bed is made, we usually have 4 standard pillows (2 each) and 2 European pillows (one each). Then there are often a few throw cushions, and sometimes a throw rug. It depends on the colours I am using at the time, and my mood.

There are times when I really just couldn’t be bothered “dressing” the bed, and I am lucky if I even throw the doona up and straighten the pillows. But then I go through stages when I really take joy in making the bed properly, choosing which sheets to put on, which cushions to use and all the rest. It’s wierd, I know. But it almost feels as good as buying a new pair of shoes. Almost.

I always had this ideal that your bedroom should be a sanctuary – somewhere you can escape to at the end of the day that feels calm, serene and peaceful.

(from desire to inspire)

Of course the reality is that most peoples’ bedrooms fall short of this ideal (mine included). I’m sure that the majority of us would sheepishly admit to clothes strewn over chairs or the end of the bed, wardrobes stuffed to overflowing or with clothes falling off the hangers, chests of drawers with clothes stuffed in rather than folded, laptops or paperwork piled up on the dresser or bedside tables, and shoes and socks thrown about wherever they landed. Possibly even some dirty dishes, a coffee cup or two and maybe even a stained, empty wine glass.

Well, this year I vowed to maintain our bedroom as the sanctuary I craved, even if the whole rest of the house went to ruins. I would always make the bed, put away my clothes and keep all surfaces tidy and clutter-free. And I have to say, I have almost always succeeded. There have only been a few days so far in the whole year that have failed to live up to this standard, and all of those have occurred since the arrival of our dear son.

How have I managed this, you ask? (Well, maybe you didn’t ask. But it’s easier to write these posts if I imagine some people on the other end reading this and conversing with me as I write. Crazy? No!) Well, firstly, it’s all about storage space. Have enough of it, use it correctly, and everything else pretty much falls into place.

Now, I have no problem confessing to my shopping addiction, and the excessive amount of shoes, clothes and accessories that have resulted. So I have always needed more storage space than most in the bedroom. We have (thanks to Ikea) a large wardrobe (Pax), 4 large chests of drawers (Malm 4 drawer) and 2 bedside tables (Malm again).

All of these are very full, but very well organised. I have dividers inside the drawers to keep everything neat, and I make sure everything is neatly folded and stacked. I also have dedicated storage for my copious amounts of accessories, scarves and the like (little boxes and special hangers). And I make sure to purge every 6 months or so and get rid of things that I no longer wear, thus making room for the new things I buy.

The main thing I do to keep our bedroom schmick is to have a place for everything and everything in its place. That means putting things away as soon as I am done with them, and reworking my storage if things are no longer fitting. It’s really not a lot of work, and all I have to do every day is make the bed. The rest has just become habit.

But even if it took more work than that, I would still try to do it. Because at the end of the day, when everything else is going nuts, there’s nothing more satisfying than dragging myself up the stairs, walking into my room, and seeing that all is right with the world.