Second and Third Bedrooms, Upstairs Bath, and Laundry Room
Executive summary: So much space, so little need for it all. The guiding principle up here is “simple.”
We have three bedrooms upstairs, one of which is the primary bedroom, and I’ve kept them relatively simple. Our kids still share a room, because bedtime is so much more fun for them this way (although way more noisy/stressful for the adults, but we allow it because it probably helps them bond). Now that their toys are downstairs in the playroom, there isn’t anything in the kids’ bedroom besides their beds and clothing, and one basket of stuffies at the foot of my daughter’s bed, as she likes to choose among them during nap and bedtime. We transitioned her to a twin bed when we moved (she’d been asking for a while to have a “big kid bed” like her brother), so I went on the hunt for a frame, mattress, and bedding. Everything else in the room came with us from the condo: the dresser and light fixture are from our former primary bedroom, and the curtains, to my surprise, are from the kids’ former bedroom. I had thought the higher ceilings in this house would mean they wouldn’t reach the floor, but somehow, they magically do! And finally, for decor, I once again relied on the kids’ art to color the room, and I love how it adds such a personal touch.
Left bed frame: Crate & Barrel | Right bed frame: IKEA | Sheet sets: Macy’s and Crate & Barrel | Blankets: Costco | Dresser: IKEA, with knobs from Home Depot | Scalloped basket: Target | Pendant light: IKEA | Curtain rods: Rejuvenation | Curtains and rings: IKEA
One room over is the guest bedroom, which is grandma’s (my MIL’s) when she visits every month or two. I admit that this room mostly contains items repurposed from the condo that otherwise didn’t have a home in our new, er, home. But grandma isn’t complaining, since she’s getting an upgrade from a full to a queen-sized bed (the bed frame is from our former primary bedroom, as are most items in this room, even down to the hemmed curtains, that once again somehow magically reached the floor). I did add the light fixture (an iconic design from IKEA) and a throw pillow (I admit to having a moment of weakness here), but I otherwise made do with what we had. If I were starting from scratch, I might get blocky nightstands in here to counterbalance the leggy bed and bench, but it’s fine. In a few years, this room will be turned over to one of the kids once they stop sharing a bedroom, and I shudder to think what kind of design decisions they may make for themselves. >_<
Stools: IKEA | Bed frame: IKEA | Coverlet: Amazon | Throw pillow: IKEA | Art: DIY (frame from IKEA) | Lamps: Target | Upholstered bench: Target | Leaning ladder: Yamazaki Home | Floor mirror (not pictured): Target | Pendant light: IKEA | Curtain rods: Rejuvenation | Curtains and rings: IKEA
These two bedrooms share an upstairs bathroom, which is the most underutilized one in the house. The kids shower and brush in here, but otherwise it sits empty during the day, as we generally hang out downstairs. The design is simple, but I did bring over my beloved sconce from the condo to give this room a design upgrade. I like the hits of black from the sconce, the picture frames (there’s another one behind the door that you can’t see from this angle), and the rug. The rug is not waterproof, but don’t worry, it’s not our bathmat — for years now, I’ve been throwing a dedicated hand towel on the floor every night when we shower, because it’s easier (less bulky) to run in the washing machine than an actual bathmat. It hangs on a hook during the day, to ensure it fully dries out. My biggest complaint with this bathroom is that there is no storage, so I had to acquire a box to tuck in the open vanity to hide unsightly teeth-cleaning supplies. It’s good that the laundry room is down the hall and offers an extra set of cupboards to store things like Costco-sized packs of toilet paper.
Shower curtain: IKEA | Rug: Costco (Rifle Paper Co x Loloi collab) | Art: DIY (frames from Amazon) | Hand towel: Target | Wall sconce: Rejuvenation | Bamboo box: IKEA
Speaking of, here is the laundry room. I can’t believe we have a whole room dedicated to laundry — that’s just more proof that this place is unnecessarily large! When we bought the house, there was a set of wire shelves attached to the wall. I do not care for that industrial look indoors, nor for having to dust the empty shelves, as I have zero open storage needs in my laundry room. So I asked the handymen to remove them, but unfortunately, the wall patching doesn’t look great in person. Oh well, I hung up a sign over where some of the holes had been (not visible at this angle) and have also since put up a tension rod spanning the room to use as an occasional drying rack for when we have to hand-wash stained kids’ items and such. It’s simple but functional (you hear that phrase a lot from me), and that’s how it’s gonna be!
Vase and branches: Target