A couple years ago we became ‘minimalists’ and I have been decluttering our entire house. Along with the process, we have babies and toddlers who are constantly adjusting how they use their spaces. 

After shuffling three kids around two rooms on our main level, we were settling on giving my daughter her own room. This room met the needs for the time and now we wanted to create a new space for her. 

So for her FOURTH BIRTHDAY, we renovated her bedroom. 

Things heard around the house on a certain day known as (our daughter) Nena’s birthday….

• Dad will you tell me happy birthday again?
• (quietly to self) ‘birthday giiirrrrrl’
• I don’t like it…I LOVE IT!
• No! I get to pick! I’m the birthday girl!
• Absolutely beautifulllll

The last one was heard during the big reveal of Nena’s birthday present….a room remodel.

 

This room makeover was her present, as well as two of my childhood popples and some chapstick which she ate within the first two days and then lost at the park #toddlerlife

After about five years of shuffling kids and furniture between rooms, we know that she is settled here. Conor had picked this dark colour when Levi was in the room because he knew if I picked it would be a form of ‘wedding planner white’ – not manly.

So now that I had free range to Nena-fy this room,  I raided the paint stash in the basement and made my wedding planner white dreams come true! I think it just needs some mason jars and burlap and I could book the space for a wedding venue, no?

I even sacrificed the closet to their need to be 110% involved in/can I help?/what can I do?/are you done yet?/oops, I spilled! participation in this remodel. So I gave them brushes and followed them around with wet wipes for a while.

The best part about this birthday present was that Nena loved it.

I loved that we had everything on hand so it didn’t cost us anything, and it wasn’t just adding in more toys, and it was ‘an experience’ for the kids – which we are trying to focus on.

Side note, we put all the toys in the basement for this reno and they have not once asked us to bring them back up.

 

I also underestimated how many feelings would bubble up in me when I saw some of my childhood pieces in her room. Like this toy chest I got from my grandparents and I repainted pink. Then there are some of my old popples and rainbow brite dolls, and some doll clothes my gran had made.

When I walk through her room and night and see the silhouette of this toy chest I feel that rooted familiarity of that little girl in me who placed all her treasures inside there. Now she has a place for her treasures.

My big takeaways from creating a ‘minimalist bedroom’:

1. Kids really just need space to play and a few of their favourite things.
2. You can always freshen up a space, use what you have on hand, move furniture out that doesn’t work there anymore. 
3. The more storage you, the more storage you will use. When we reduced the dressers we had to reduce the clothes and keep the best. 
4. It is a beautiful gift to give someone their own ‘space’ that echoes who they are and what they love.