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Topic: Got some ideas for a strange bedroom? At wit's end! *lots of pics*  (Read 4393 times)
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« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2010 12:35:00 PM »

That corner nook that is triangular in shape could easily be converted to a useful area by adding shelves but you will have to make them yourself or with your dad's help. You will need wall "L" brackets (Ikea had some reasonably priced ones)  and 1"x10" or 12" (Sorry not aware of the equivelent metric) and you could then make a desk underneath with either plywood or countertop. The different shelves obviously will be different sizes and you may have to angle the circular saw to get the pitch of the slanted wall but that can be marked on the board itself when you decide on where you will place them.

I think you should talk to your mom about resonable proprtions of the house being divided up and shared a bit more. I cannot see why the space your Dad had suggested revamping was vetoed. Maybe she is actually subconciously trying to get everyone to move out by crowding them into smaller spaces. Do you help to pay some of the expences? If so remind her that you are older and are having difficulty squeezing your taller self into the childhood space. And that you have shown adult resposibilities so how about adult respect. Though that may not help if she treats your dad the same.

Good luck

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« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2010 06:49:59 AM »

Lots of good ideas already, just have one about the old things you can't bear to throw away (memories, gifts) but don't use and regret the space for.

Why not take photos of them? You could make a "memory lane" file for your computer that you can "stroll" through whenever you want to. Those CDs would make nice additions to it. You don't listen to them any more, so they're just really memory touchstones, right? Photograph them and then give them to your local charity shop (and help your favorite cause while clearing your room)!!

It's worked for us. REally all that's wanted is the opportunity to remember. A digital photograph does that just as well as the real object but takes less space and never requires dusting!

Best of luck!

Words to craft by: Un homme a cheval va jamais voir ca...  "A man on horseback will never notice that."
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2010 09:18:27 PM »

Firstly, my sympathies!

As someone else suggested, those CDs really would work so much better as mp3s, and then you could get rid of the stereo too - just use your computer to play music.  Or replace it with an Ipod and get one of those tiny speaker sets to go with it.  I am all for scanning papers too - I used to be a teacher, and I have boxes of resources that I can't get rid of - a future project for me is to scan everything  and make several backup copies.   It would be a great habit to get into now, at the beginning of your career - I have so many boxes to get though -- it would be so much easier if I had done it along the way!!

A few ideas:

The shame corner might work as a bookshelf or closet?

Could you rearrange the furniture in the room?  Shifting things around might give you a little more space.

I would definately paint those walls a solid, cool colour, to make the space look bigger.  A similar idea to make the space look less cluttered, but without really changing much would be to put doors on your shelving.  All the different book spines and photos etc are too close to appreciate in such a small space, and just contribute to the closed in feel.  

 If you really love those pictures you have up there, maybe you could use scans of them as your backgrounds on your computer desktop, or get a plain photo frame and change the picture every month?  Just get it big enough to fit the largest one, and make the others fit by placing sheets of card or paper behind them.  

Also, how about changing your computer to a lap top? Then you could store it in a hanging messenger bag, and maybe get a smaller desk, or at least have more room on your current desk.  Maybe then you could get some document trays or the hutch someone already mentioned.  

Under-bed storage would be great for you.  If your dad is handy, maybe he could make you a new bed or desk.  This desk would be fantastic for a small space:

The free plans are here: http://ana-white.com/2010/02/plans-bedford-secretary-top-insipred-by.html
There are great bed ideas there too: http://ana-white.com/category/plans/plancollections/storage-bed-collection

How about some hanging shelving - like those old fashioned kitchen pot hangers that are on a pulley?  If you had a rectangular one you could screw heavy duty cardboard boxes to the top of the rack and store stuff you don't use too often up there.  A round one could be used to hang things from.  

Do you have access to the attic?  I think your real problem here is that you are trying to fit an adult life into one small room.  We have so much more in our lives when we are adults - your Mum really should recognise this, and be less greedy with 'her' space.  Could you negotiate to take over part of the attic?

I am currently going through a de-cluttering process myself, and it is *so* hard at the beginning, but once you get into it, it really does get easier. I have a hard time throwing anything out, so I donate everything I can.   I would start by getting rid of everything you don't currently use or need - think how much fun another kid could have with that jigsaw you love?  

Best of luck!  Tell us how it turns out!
« Last Edit: November 14, 2010 09:27:00 PM by Bodkins » THIS ROCKS   Logged

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held it's ground

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« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2010 01:19:07 AM »

I feel for you...you have a small, odd shaped space.  I think there are several things you can do to help.  You've gotten some good ideas.  Sometimes it's hard to know where to start so I would suggest concentrating on one area at a time and once that is done move on the the next.  Some things will be small projects others big and you can pick which ones to do as time and money allow.

First purge...

1) Get rid of the stuff you don't use anymore.  You mentioned the bean bag chair, old nintendo games, CDs you don't like anymore.  Find a charity shop and donate it all.  That way someone else can use the items and you're not wasting/throwing them away.

2) Get rid of everything you're keeping that you're not using right now but still have because you might want to use it sometime.  Like that drawer full of old binders.  Binders aren't that expensive so if you have to buy some more in the future wouldn't it be worth spending the few dollars someday to have more space now?  Again give them to a charity or maybe donate them to the school you teach at. 

3) Try to get rid of all the things in your room that are not yours.  You don't even have space for your own things is it really fair for you to store your fathers things too?  Is there any way you can box up his book and store them elsewhere (maybe in the garage or other part of the attic)?  If they can't be taken out of your room I'd still box them up.  I'd put them under the bed since you don't need to access them and they'll be out of the way and out of sight under there.  And those comic books.  I know you mentioned some are yours but not all.  Can you pair down the collection?  Only keeping the ones you like the best?  Or if some belong to your brother/sister box up the ones that are theirs and put them in their rooms.  Let them figure out what to do with them.

4) Get rid of those CDs.  As other have said turn them into MP3's on your computer.  If you absolutely can't/don't want to do that at least get them out of the cases and into some storage.  These boxes are nice and look good but http://www.amazon.com/Discgear-Selector-Auto-Retrieval-System/dp/B0015A70O8 but binder style CD wallets work well too. 

5) Digitize as much of your papers as you can.  If you have papers from uni, teacher resources, references, etc that you still need try to scan as much as you can onto the computer.  Be realistic about what you really need to keep.  I kept almost all my textbooks from uni and moved them around with me for years.  I finally got rid of all but a few when I realized I hadn't actually used them at all since school.  Also so much reference material is available now on the internet.  Do you really need to book or is it something you can easily look up online? 

Next to clean and organize.....

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« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2010 03:06:10 AM »

Now that you've gotten rid of some stuff you can start to think about using your space wisely.  

That "horrible" corner has potential to be a really nice space.  I'd either make it a craft nook or a reading space.
- Craft nook:  If at all possible the built in shelves others suggested would be great.  Make one large/wide enough for a work surface and then smaller ones above for storage.  Here are some ideas...
It looks like the wall where the comic book shelf is now if straight so if the other walls are too difficult you could still put shelves on that wall.  Another idea to put a craft armoire where the bookshelf is now.  That way everything will be hidden behind closed door and you can have some space that pulls out for a work surface.  Something like this is nice http://www.sauder.com/furniture/product.asp?p=473.  Or the one Bodkins posted could be used as a craft space.  The site Ana White site she linked is great.  There are all kinds of great plans there and if you can use some of your father's woodworking tools you can easily make them yourself.  Or even better if you father can help.

- The reading nook option:  I'd clean out everything from this nook and put your chair in there.  Maybe get a very small corner table and use it to keep library books (so they don't get lost).  Maybe clean up that small table the stereo is on and move it into the reading nook.

-Clothing closet: Move your clothes stand thing into this nook to get it out of the middle of your room.  Maybe put a small dresser where the comic book shelf is now.  Or even better how about something like this http://www.wereorganized.net/closets/size.html You should be able to find something like that or even build your own.  Having the side would help hide the hanging clothes from the room and make it look neater.  If you can't manage the enclosed system some shelves with a rod like these could work http://www.closetmaster.net/showcase.html. Then you could have a rod to hang clothes and some drawers for folded clothes below.  Maybe this would even let you get rid of that small clothing thing.  The other side of this nook could still have some boxes or small organizer shelves.  

The bookshelf
once you've gotten your fathers books off here you should have a lot of space for you.  Keep just the most important books to you.  Get some organizer boxes or baskets in a nice color pattern.  Mix a shelf of books followed by one or organizers.  Having something that matches will make the room look more grown up.  Use the boxes to organize and store all the random stuff you have around.  

The desk corner
It sounds like you could really use a new desk if the one you have is breaking and not functioning well for you.  Can you afford a new one?  Maybe something smaller.  Like a separate desk and cabinet maybe the Ikea ASPVIK  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50146689 A low cabinet like that would let you still have the extra counter top space/work space,fit with the sloping wall, and give you some more covered storage.  It'd look a lot better than the boxes and piles of stuff you have under the desk now.  

Here's some different ideas....

« Last Edit: November 17, 2010 03:07:35 AM by ChrisSews » THIS ROCKS   Logged

« Reply #15 on: November 17, 2010 05:34:00 AM »

I noticed that you keep your bed in the same spot. Is there a reason for that? Also where is the entryway to your room, I was kind of lost on that...I know in that  there is some rule about the beds not facing the door. Which is pretty much impossible in my bedroom. its filled with doors. LOL. I personally loved the staircase with all the books.

« Reply #16 on: November 22, 2010 03:11:00 PM »

I feel for you! Organizing overwhelms me and I have more space than you have to work with. I can relate to the slanted walls though, because I have a loft-style bedroom.

1. Slanted walls/nook: A clothing bar is what I was thinking too. You can get rods that stretch to whatever lengths and I think there are fittings for slanted walls. If not that, then put shelves againt the back/slanted wall with brackets. I've done it successfully, and it's not too much work.

2. CD's onto computer, then you could use the CD shelf for the comic books.

3. You can actually buy bed legs that twist into a bed frame. And then you could store stuff under there, like the blankets, etc.

4. If you really can't part with some things, like the puzzles, maybe put them together and then coat them with a lacquer and hang them.

5. Paint. Decorate with colors you love.

6. Over the door hanger for toiletries, meds, etc.

Good luck girl, you are not alone!!!
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« Reply #17 on: January 23, 2011 01:00:10 PM »

I whole-heartedly agree with some previously-mentioned solutions. 

1.  PURGE!  I am a terrible hoarder, too, especially of sentimental things.  Digitize photos or take the best ones and combine them into a scrapbook that takes up less space (and it's crafty, too).  Turn your CDs into MP3s and donate/sell them.  Go through your clothes and do the same for anything that doesn't fit anymore or that you don't wear.  It's hard to start purging at first, but once you start, you can get pretty ruthless.  Find creative ways that take up less space to keep stuff you can't toss -- maybe putting a puzzle or two together on your desk under a sheet of glass?  Commemorative and decorative Smiley

2.  Put your bed on risers and buy/make shelves under it for books, clothes, whatever.  If possible, you could even make a small built-in shelf out of a headboard or foot board.

3.  Over the door organizers are AMAZING for keeping track of little things like hair stuff, toiletries, craft bits, etc. and you can make one to use up fabric and stuff you have lying around.

4.  Find a home for your papers.  If you can't scan them, get a portable file folder, or organizer them in the binders you have already.  As a writer, I know how quickly the papers pile up.  Go through them and see if you *really* need them, or if there are ways to downsize.  For instance, I had notes for one writing project scattered everywhere on separate bits of paper and stuff, so I finally went through them and copied the info into a spiral notebook.  Less space, and less chance of losing something important.  I also was bad about collecting brochures, business cards, stuff like that.  I tossed all mine, but you could also put the info into computer files or something.

5.  One idea is to take everything -- down to the furniture -- out of your room and then move it all back in, starting with what you consider most important.  Rearrange if necessary and be critical with stuff.  When your room gets filled up to a limit you can stand, stop and think hard about what's left.  Can it be tossed/sold/donated?  Can you find a creative way to keep it around?

Also, one last idea -- is it possible to move your shelf against the space where you have the sheet?  It might free up space and provide a better draft blocker to keep you warm Smiley

Just my ideas.  Hope your efforts pay off!

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