Misadventures in Decorating

I’m a firm believer in the importance of what I call “creative cross-training”–doing creative things that are not your primary hobby (or calling). It’s good for the brain, and it’s relaxing in a way that, say, writing a sequel isn’t. *ahem* But that doesn’t mean there are no challenges.

Have you ever watched a home decorating show or flipped through a decor magazine? They make it look so easy. And yet…

My spouse and I have been trying to turn our attic into a cozy sitting room / writing retreat space. It’s been a multi-year process. First the room had to be finished and refloored, then climate-controlled. Initially it was going to be a workout room that doubled as a guest room. We bought a daybed, a padded bench, curtains and storage, a decorative wall mirror that was also big enough to check your form on yoga poses. That worked for a while, but it wasn’t getting used enough in either capacity.

The next plan was to create an at-home writing retreat.

The rest of our house is fairly utilitarian or at least halfheartedly/haphazardly decorated, so I was excited to make one space that looked deliberately designed. I hopped on Pinterest and pinned a ton of cozy cabins and home libraries, lots of wood and an old-fashioned vibe that made me think “fantasy world”.

Then the plan met reality. Even the scaled-down version turned out to be wayyy beyond our capacity to actually create. Did I mention this version of the plan has been in the works for a full year?

• Firstly, making wooden walls made no sense when we had just finished putting drywall over the studs. (In a weird coincidence, the walls are painted almost the same colour as KD’s bedroom walls.)
• Secondly, a tiny attic room with angled walls didn’t lend itself to being lined with bookshelves, and it was too small for most of the extravagant attic ideas I’d been pinning.
• Thirdly, it turns out that my spouse and I have very different tastes in decorating, even when we’re starting from the same inspiration.

So far, we’ve acquired a vaguely fantasy-ish ceiling light and floor lamp, a not-fantasy-ish but practical coffee table for the essential writing drinks and snacks, and a decorative wood bowl-shaped sculpture that can’t actually be used as a bowl because there’s a hole in the bottom (but it was so pretty!). And a luxurious pile of cushions and blankets for the daybed…which we’re using with one of us propped up at each end, because we can’t figure out how to get an armchair up the tiny stairwell, and I haven’t quite resigned myself to buying an IKEA Poäng chair for my fantasy room. (I mean, we own a lot of IKEA furniture. But.)

The room almost, but not quite, entirely fails to resemble the vision I had in my head. Rather like the writing process, come to think of it.

We’re trying very hard to find a nice rug (which is going to magically make all the difference, you see!), but apparently the size we’re looking for is impossible to find, plus see above regarding differences in taste. One day we’ll add a built-in bookshelf around the window, and more side tables for our writing fuel. But we may just wander forever lost in the wilds of Toronto, looking for the perfect rug…

And yes, the space is getting used for writing. Occasionally. 😉