Besides bed, what is in your Master bedroom?

12 years ago

we will be done with our Master addition next week...I am so excited! But...this will be the first time in years I won't have baby stuff in my room (changing table, etc. are going). The room is 15x17 approx, and none of the walls are closet walls (we have a doorway to a walk-in).

I have a queen bed, a bachelor's chest/night table, and a smaller night stand on DH's side. That's it! (we never got the matching dresser and I had to cancel the matching night stand because we realized our old master didn't have enough room...now my set is discontinued :(

I want to 'fill up the room' a little, but not just for the sake of it. A seating area? DO people really use them? Reading corner? I would love to see some pics and hear ideas...thanks so much!

Featured Answer

tinam61

12 years ago

Mountain, I have to disagree about the tv. If you've been here long you will probably know I do not watch much tv. Neither does my husband. So, it may surprise you that we have a tv in our room. On work mornings, we like the local news on as we are getting ready. Many evenings, our tv(s) are never turned on. We are usually doing this or that until 9:00 or 10:00 and that's when I start to really wind down. I usually have my little projects going. If we do watch tv, more often or not, it's in the bedroom. I may be sitting in the chair reading (or on my laptop) and hubby may be on the bed watching something (or dozing LOL). It's convenient for us. However, if you are really into tv, I get your point and it could be a problem. But the same thing would go for books, computers, etc. Whatever works for each of us!

tina

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Comments (46)

porkandham
12 years ago
Hi Painted Peggies!

We have:
King bed with just a headboard
2 nightstands. Mine is a leather topped hexagonal pedestal, and DH's is square with an lower shelf.
Serpentine dresser
Antique baker's rack
2 chairs in front of the fireplace

Nothing matches, and that's on purpose.
nutmegxo
12 years ago
We have a sitting area in our bedroom - our master is L shaped. I don't feel the desire to put a couch or reading area though because I like to read in bed (or watch tv in bed). Can you post pics of your actual space?

Sometimes when all the furniture matches, it can be bland. If you could find an interesting accent piece or dresser it might make your master look intriguing. I do have matching furniture in our master (queen poster bed, 2 matching nightstands, wide dresser w/mirror mounted on top, vertical chest of drawers - all matching from the same set). However, I am in search of a media stand to house the cable box/DVD player and also looking for a bench to put in what is supposed to be the sitting area. I figure it would be a nice place to sit and put on shoes, etc. I am not going to try to match my furniture with these pieces, but going to try to find something that is maybe similar in style, but maybe a different color.

My grandmother always said it is nice to have an "odd piece" in the room! lol

What inspires you? If you could fill your bedroom up with anything in the world, what would you want? Shelves for books? Drawers for storage? A wall full of framed pictures?
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I did just what you describe and I'm tickled pink with it. In my case it WAS a load-bearing wall, but that just meant I had to header off the opening. I created about a four-foot archway between the two sections of the (now one)room - making one section the bed area and one the sitting/dressing area. I can't tell you what it costs since I did it myself, but I really don't think it would be that bad, depending on what needs to be done. I had to move a electrical box and add another (to stay up to code) but it was mostly a framing/drywall job. I would say the most important thing is visualizing the feel/scale of the new room as well as new traffic patterns and usage patterns to come up with a good design. In may case I created a couple of new walk-in closets to keep the scale of the resulting room comfortable. I know I've been in several "de-partition" rooms that feel just like that - two rooms with a wall knocked down.
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Snookums I agree: Everything does not go with everything, and the bathrooms pictured do have to be considered in context of the adjacent rooms. And if I recall, all of these bathrooms were complementary to the adjacent rooms in terms of color, wallpaper or window treatments, and architectural style. The blue bathroom in particular was a Jack and Jill between two bedrooms, and it coordinated very well with both. But one bedroom was 1960s French Provincial and the other bedroom (and much of the house) was 1960s Asian Moderne. (This was one of the most intact and beautifully furnished time capsule houses I've ever been in, the owner was around 100 yo when she died, I think). Anyway, the bathroom coordinated with both (even though it is unapologetically blue instead of neutral). But since this post started about Vanities in particular, lets look at that: One bedroom is furnished in French Provincial with a painted sort of grey blue patina finish, and has French looking curly hardware and such. One bedroom is furnished in Asian Modern, in blonde wood and little oval recessed pulls. So if you are redoing this vanity to coordinate with furniture, which one? While the rooms coordinate as a "whole" within the house, I don't think you could really swap any of the case pieces from one to the other bedroom. The notion that the vanity is built in and looks like "generic cabinet" and not like a freestanding furniture style at all means it can bridge both rooms. Mtn: maybe the examples are far afield from what a lot of people are doing now, since furniture vanities are a trend (not a fad but a trend), but my idea is that technically a vanity, if it coordinates in some plain fashion with the House, rather than a particular piece of furniture, it does not need to Match Anything to coordinate with Almost Anything. The examples you pictured definitely do NOT belong in adjacent rooms. But, take down the wallpaper paint the vanity the color of the walls in the bedroom and put different hardware on the vanity, and it Would. The vanity does not have to be a combination of Queen Anne and Chippendale just because that's what the current bedroom furniture is--if it is treated as a cabinet and not a piece of furniture. The problem with the two rooms you show is that each is treated as a "theme". I am not even sold that the bedroom is an actual bedroom but is a catalog shot to show a "Bedroom Set" for some furniture company. But I do see this sort of adjacency a lot. Look at real estate in areas where full-on decorating is very popular. Sometimes you can say "This room is original; this room was redone around 1985; this room was done in 2000; they just freshened this room up to put the house on the market this year". Each room has a distinct and discordant "theme". For anybody who lives in this area look at Cherry Hill, Penn Valley, Elkins Park, Rydal, on occasion and you will see time capsule houses and time capsule by room on a pretty regular basis.
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lynninnewmexico
12 years ago
Our MBR has two reading areas. I know, I know, but we both love to read. And, yes, we do use them both, although it might be overkill for a couple that isn't big into reading in the evenings. Here's the one in front of our (kiva/ it's a New Mexican) fireplace. BTW, it's not so cluttered now, as I've relocated everything on the FP except for the firewood bucket and the one candelabra.
{{gwi:1409068}}

And here is the other reading area. It's also where I sit to iron DH's shirts most evenings while I watch the news or to get on my laptop . . . like right now (LOL!)
{{gwi:1499187}}

In another corner, I have my dresser . . . and our dobie's bed. This is an older pic and the tea cart has since been moved and a shallow, white, antique-looking glass-fronted bookcase is there now:
{{!gwi}}

. . . but, I do use the tea cart to hold breakfast trays M-F, so it's not just some cute thing with no purpose (LOL).
{{!gwi}}

We have an armoire across from the bed. The lower half holds some of DH's clothes; the upper half holds a tv and books. The tea cart now sits on the other side of the armoire.
{{!gwi}}
This is the bed area, so you can see where the bed is located. This pic was taken from the mbr foyer:
{{!gwi}}

And, on my side of the bed I have an NM antique table instead of another nightstand. It's big, unexpected, and holds books, mags, etc. The gold plated mirror is an heirloom from DH's family. He ties his tie there every morning.
{{!gwi}}
That's it. Lot's of stuff, but it all works for us.
Lynn
mtnrdredux_gw
12 years ago
Ours is a similar size, with an little alcove. I like serene uncluttered space, and more so in the MBR. We have a lot of windows, a vaulted ceiling with beams, and a fireplace, so even empty it has personality. We added a delicate chandelier in a rusty iron finish, a needlepoint rug over wall to wall sisal, and the walls are American Clay off white, to give a sense of history (we think this room was a barn at some point)

I have always felt it was luxurious to keep casegoods out of the bedroom, and in a closet or dressing room. The busyness of dressing separate from the calm of sleep. Whatever you do, no TV. Once you turn them on they have a way of sucking your life out of you. You know, like www.

In my experience, people rarely sit in MBR, since they are so out of the flow of the house. Any seating area ive ever had ended up being a collector of discarded garments.

We have the king bed, with pulley reading lamps, night tables for either side, and a french provincial settee in plain linen at the foot of the bed. We have two former DR chairs flanking the fpl because they were homeless. That's it.

As I write this however, I am contemplating the destiny of a lovely crotch mahogany armoire that, like so many armoires in the era of flat screens, is now a refugee seeking a family. Lovely though it is, I do not really want it's hulking dark mass brooding over my airy light room ... but alas it nags at me for both sentimental and economic reasons.
User
12 years ago
We have a seating area with a sofa and club chair (at ninety degrees to each other), coffee table (painted chest with a 3/4 glass top), floor lamp next to club chair and piecrust tilt top tea table (in down position) between sofa and chair. It has a lamp, a sonos speaker, and family photos on it.
On one side of the bed is a 36" diameter skirted table with lamp, flowers and photos, and on the other is a 48" table with lamp, photos, reading glasses and a small folk art chest from NC. At the end of the bed is a green lacquered settee upholstered in yellow.

Finally, we have a scrubbed pine Dutch secretary and an upholstered French chair. The upper shelves of the secretary have glazed doors and contain books, family photos and a few ceramics (vases, majolica).

This shows the new black door:
User
12 years ago
I just read your post mtnredux, and wanted to put in a good word for sitting areas :) We use ours on a daily basis-- in the morning for me with the news and the first cup of coffee and often late at night when the dogs have settled and I am talking with one of our far flung kids. We have a deck with really comfy chairs and an awning out the French door and I move out there in good weather. I agree about dressers, though, we've never had them in the bedrooms. All our clothes are in the closet and it is large enough to dress in, or else you might have a point about clothes draped on chairs.
mtnrdredux_gw
12 years ago
Lynne -
Even though everything Ive said is 100% contrary to your space, LOL, I love your room ... the walls, the floors, the fpl. How romantic!

Maybe I would sit in my BR if I didnt have kids? But it would feel remote for me to choose to read there and not in the LR or library or FR, etc ... not to mention too far to get a cup of tea!
User
12 years ago
I wish we had a fireplace--- Lynn's looks so welcoming!
mtnrdredux_gw
12 years ago
kswl - we cross posted while I was responding to Lynne's post. I love yellow rooms! I like the bench at the foot of the bed - not what you'd expect. The whole effect is like a lovely suite, and outdoor space too. Very cool. I am not going to ask you about that mirror.
User
12 years ago
Lol, mtn, that was one of the designer's surprises :) He said the yellow color (it's BM Hawthorne) needs a lot of reflected light . He actually decorated this room with all our own furniture and accessories, and pinched a few things from my mother, who he's also done work for !
lolauren
12 years ago
We have a loveseat at the foot of our bed w/ a tiny coffee table in front of it. The loveseat is the width of our bed. We use it every single night... DH often works night shift, but comes home for "lunch" while I am in bed reading/watching tv/whatever. In his work attire, he is comfortable visiting because of that loveseat. This little sitting/TV area is a lot more cozy than our great room, also.

The bed has end tables on either side.

There is a TV in need of a more adequate console.

There is also an extra dining chair w/ side table to fill an empty corner. I NEVER use this "seating area," but can pull the dining chair into the dining room, if needed.
lolauren
12 years ago
mtnrdredux- "I am not going to ask you about that mirror." I had to scroll up to find the mirror to know what you were referencing. LOL.:)

RE: reading in a MBR... I think you are right about the kids comment. When I read your post, I thought you lived differently because of your kids. For us, it's just two...
lynninnewmexico
12 years ago
KSWL: how beautiful!I love everything about your room! It looks elegant, warm and inviting.

MTN: I understand, and ours does work for us because our children are now 27 and 17 y/o, not young ones that need more watchfulness like yours. I can see (and remember well) why other choices work better for you.

The beauty of being individuals is that we can create homes and spaces that work for us specifically. What works for one person may not work for another. Whether it pertains to TVs, desks, closets, reading areas, wall colors, furniture or clutter vs no clutter, it's all a matter of choices for very different lives.
This is what I love the most about interior design . . . the choices we can make to create something very personal and workable for us and us alone.
Lynn
pps7
12 years ago
Our room is a little smaller 14x16 in a pretty large house. We have a king bed, 2 nightstands, and an armoire. The armoire is in there b/c we already had it, but it's turned out to be nice to store extra linens and blankets. there's room for a bench, but we put the bench in the closet instead. We would never use the sitting area and it would just end collecting clutter. My preferences are similar to mtnx- less is more. I like dark colors and calming soothing space. Nothing matches, but that's how we like it. We do need mre art on the walls.
sable_ca
12 years ago
I am really enjoying looking at these bedrooms! Such different styles, each one unique and beautiful.

Our master bedroom is about 13'x20', and is separated into a sleeping area and a sitting area with a pony wall on one side between them. In the sleeping area we have a king-size bed with matching nightstands in pine on either side, and matching lamps on the stands. The bed areas in the MBR and the guest room are the two places in the house where my eye requires symetry! Under the double windows is a low dresser, also of pine, which also functions as a perch for our cats to watch the birds. In one corner is a dark wood and wicker chair that I got from Sturbridge, cut with a square seat in order to fit against the corner.

Between the two areas is a little white-painted cabinet with a swivel stand that holds a small TV.

In the sitting area is a large secretary-hutch painted white with a Parsons-style armchair upholstered in RH Silver Sage chenille. On this side of the pony wall is an antique solid maple bureau, Shaker-style, from my mother. Opposite it, next to the door to DH's study and the rest of the house, is a pine-ish file cabinet and a rounded Mexican patio armchair make of pigskin.

Last year we gutted this room, down to the subfloor, which needed repair, and installed Pella windows with integrated blinds - recommended by you folks, thank you so much, we lovelthem! We had the walls repaired and smoothed and painted them BM BLonde Wood, with BM Alpine White for the trim and doors (we added crown moulding and other trim). Then we laid down a lush, thick w2w carpet in teal blue and hung white lace curtains on the windows. All the old furniture fit perfectly and looks IMO very appropriate.

I use the sitting area every day after my early-afternoon shower, to relax, brush my hair, and assemble myself, while talking to the cats and watching the news. But when DH and I want sitting time together we are in the den or the LR.
Oakley
12 years ago
Mtn, it wasn't until my children left for college when I put a TV in our bedroom. I love going back there mid-evenig with a book, iPad, something to drink, and just relax while watching TV.

It doesn't mean I've gone to bed, but I'm saying "goodbye" to a hectic day.

This is one of the reasons I don't like daylight savings time. It interferes with my evening! lol
User
12 years ago
We had a tv in our room for about two weeks. The day (or night, actually) I found myself watching it instead of reading was the day I decided to get rid of it. We had got rid of our family tv a few weeks prior, and have now been tv-free for 14 years. I highly recommend it! (We do have a movie screen, just no "channels.")
Sueb20
12 years ago
We have a similar size room with a "sitting area" alcove. We have an enormous walk-in closet so for clothes, we just have one tall dresser for our undies and pajamas. Our nightstands match the dresser, which I regret now because I always prefer non-matching furniture, but it's all here to stay. The nightstands each have a drawer and an open area under, which is great for stashing our books. DH seems to need to read about 10 books all at the same time.

We do have a small TV, on a vintage console-type-thing. We rarely turn it on, but occasionally I do when I'm folding and putting away laundry or whatever, or on those days when I just want to go to bed early and watch TV by myself.

In the sitting area, there's a wall of built-in bookshelves with cabinets under, which is great because we have a ton of books and the cabinets are for our sheets/towels, my pocketbooks, etc. We have a black leather loveseat there, where our two dogs used to sleep. Now they're arthritic and don't like to come upstairs, and I'm thinking of replacing the loveseat because I really don't like how it looks in our room. It's so stark. But it was very practical for the dogs! And no, NO one ever, ever sits in that space, but I think if I had a nice cushy chair there... I might.
porkandham
12 years ago
Our master addition is about a year old. It's still a work in progress. I need window treatments, art for over the bed, and another piece of furniture for an empty wall.

This picture was taken before we added in any other furniture.

{{!gwi}}

The baker's rack used to be a bar in my family room. I haven't figured out what to do with it in here. It's only been in this location for a couple of weeks.

{{!gwi}}

Fireplace and dresser. We have cable and electric outlets above the fireplace and behind the dresser. Right now we have no interest in having a TV in the bedroom, but we wanted the option.

{{!gwi}}
User
12 years ago
I need to stop looking at these photos of mbrs with fireplaces! Yours is lovely, porkamdham.
beekeeperswife
12 years ago
Current house has a King 4 poster bed, 2 side tables I just picked up last year and a big dresser that I found at Home Goods, dragged home and gel stained. It's a Drexel Heritage piece, on sale for about $200 but it was so very ugly....had a weird finish. Nothing gel stain couldn't correct!

We do have a small TV in the room. Love to go up to bed early-ish and get ready for bed and just watch some TV under the covers. It's my escape from the rest of the house.

New house will have same stuff but we went ahead and added a 10x15 sitting room off the back. Originally we were going to do a deck off the master. But then someone said, "the views will be even better when the leaves are off the trees, you won't sit out there in the winter". So a sitting room was born. I know I'll use it because my dh travels and when he's gone the last thing I want to do is hang out downstairs by myself. (side note, we just saw the view from the 1st floor this week after they put the floor down...omg, I can't wait to see that view from 10' higher!!!)

Here's my current room:
tinam61
12 years ago
Lovely room porkandham!!

I do not like matching furniture. That's just me. In our bedroom we have a metal (iron?) bed - but it's not old. :( Everything else is. There is a chest on each side of the bed - the one on my side is actually like a small chest-of-drawers and the top "drawer" front pulls down like a desk top (think secretary). That's my nightstand. On the wall across from the bed we have an armoire - which houses the tv and bed linens, pillows,etc. In the corner on that wall we do have I guess what you would call a reading area - a comfy armchair. I'm envious of Lynn's fan back chair - have been looking for one or either a new armchair and ottoman. Have room to add a small sidetable there. Near the secretary/chest that is my nightstand, there is a small wood chair with upholstered seat. Rarely used, but it looks pretty! LOL

I am one that does like a dresser. We have a pretty antique one on the wall between our bedroom and master bath. There's a doorway into the master bath and then on down the wall, a doorway into the walk-in closet. Perfect place in between those doors for the dresser. It has a beautiful carved mirror attached. I like dressers in the closet too but while we have a walk-in closet and there are cabinets/drawers at the end wall (wall you face), there is not room for a dresser in there.

tina
joyce_6333
12 years ago
There's a king size bed, two nightstands, a bench with storage, my MIL's Gr-Grandmother's chair, and a tall, narrow dresser with doors, more like a small amoire, I guess. Dressers are in the closet.

Porkandham, love your room. Can I ask about your rug? Thanks.
susieq07
12 years ago
Queen bed, 2 nightstands, triple dresser, chest on chest, hutch style PC desk,with 2 PC's and 2 chairs a corner bookcase, with TV on top, 2 chairs flanking the FP, a silk white dogwood tree in one corner, and yes the room is big!with bathrm. the master suite is about 37' x 20'
lynxe
12 years ago
Our MBR is not large by many standards. The walls are a mushroom-brown, similar to the color of beekeeperswife's walls, but a bit lighter from the looks of it. The ceiling is dark, with wood beams, and the floorboards are wide and polished. The five windows are six over six. Windowsills are deep. Woodwork is a warm but bright white (Mythic's Warm Welcome).

The furniture includes a king-sized sleigh bed in cherry, end tables are oval and also in cherry, but they do not match the bed. There is an antique dresser in a very dark, nearly black-brown finish (oak?), and it has a marble top. That's it.

There are seven pieces of art on the walls. Four paintings, two Japanese prints, and an odd little Rockwell Kent-looking piece I picked up years ago in a junk shop. They are all primarily in shades of blue, many are in gold frames, and they all have some kind of water scene. None of that was intentional, but the overall effect is one of serenity I think.

There are not many accessories. Lamps are unlaquered brass or brass look. One has a silk shade in an antique-gold; the other has an unfortunate green shade. It's flowery, meant to look like damask (but fails miserably), and it will be replaced. The green-shaded lamp sits on a piece of vintage crewel (?) work to protect the dresser's marble top, but I might replace that with an antique Japanese textile in indigo and white. (I'm not sure, but it might be a tsutsugaki remnant).

One oriental carpet, in dark blues and reds. A small print (with water in it!), in a vintage pale blue glass (?) frame; it's on a windowsill, on a metal easel. Other than that: a Japanese vase, celadon color mostly, on the floor; a large, round Persian-looking tile, on a stand on another windowsill.

The room still needs some kind of window treatments, and I'd like to find a blanket or quilt in mostly blues or blues and very light tan/mushroom.
natal
12 years ago
Pps and porkandham, love your rooms!

Our bedroom is much smaller than most here. Have a metal bed, antique armoire that sits opposite the bed, cedar chest under two of the windows that also serves as a window seat for the kitties, two unmatched nightstands, a small Bob Timberlake chest, a director's and wicker chair. A small TV sits atop the Timberlake chest.

I also disagree with Mountain's statement. I think the computer is the real villain when it comes to wasting time. I would never consider taking mine to bed.
User
12 years ago
Such beautiful rooms!

pps7 - Can you tell me where you found a king duvet cover that actually comes all the way down to the side rails? I want to replace mine and cannot find another that really works. Size matters and I find you can't believe the measurements found on-line.
tinam61
12 years ago
"I would never consider taking mine to bed." I don't guess it matters if you are alone. ;)

I don't sleep well when hubby travels, so I have been known to take the laptop to bed with me . . . .

tina
natal
12 years ago
Even if I lived alone it's not something I would practice.
User
12 years ago
Even though we do not own a television, I don't consider it "wrong" to watch, nor do I consider checking email (or gardenweb) late at night in one's bedroom to be an inherently bad thing. People's sleep habits are individual and varied, and there's no right or wrong way. IMVHO :)
Painted Peggies (zone 6a)
Original Author
12 years ago
thank you all for those gorgeous photos and descriptions! I am not so worried about being matchy now! We just chose our paint color today; I am so excited (it is the infamous gray but we are doing picture frame moulding also). I will post photos as soon as it's done!
tinam61
12 years ago
Even though we do not own a television, I don't consider it "wrong" to watch, nor do I consider checking email (or gardenweb) late at night in one's bedroom to be an inherently bad thing. People's sleep habits are individual and varied, and there's no right or wrong way. IMVHO :)

I agree with that kswl. I also agree with mountain that they can suck the life out of you - but so can other things - and not just in the bedroom. My only problem with these things in the bedroom would be if you are spending more time with the tv/computer/etc. rather than the person in the room with you. I can see where it could cause a problem.
amykath
12 years ago
In my old bedroom I had the bed and a nightstand, two trunks stacked for the other side of the bed, an upholstered bench, dresser, chair and beagle. Haha
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Oh and the rug under the beagle.

Nothing matched, but I liked it that way.
bird_lover6
12 years ago
A king-sized four poster bed, 2 nice-sized chests on either side, a large dresser, and an armoire holding a tv and bed linens.

We said we would never have a tv in our bedroom, but once the older kids got to be teenagers, and they were occupying both living areas, we recognized the beauty of a tv in our room. I just don't want to see it when it's not on. I also like to "watch" the news as I get ready in the morning.
robin_DC
12 years ago
Our MBR is about 15 x 20, easily the largest room in my small bungalow. The narrow stairway & door limit what we can fit into the room (nothing with arms). We have a queen bed, flanked by two nightstands, and two slipper chairs at the foot of the bed. There's a bookcase near my side of the bed, although i keep most of my books in my nightstand or on my kindle. DH has a huge dresser, I have a smaller dresser, and we have a tv on an oversized nighstand (which I'd like to replace with another dresser or bookcase).

We use the chairs at the foot of the bed daily. I sit in 'my' chair while getting ready for work in the morning. DH sits in his if he wants to watch something on tv (usually a basketball game) while I'm watching something else on the downstairs tv.

I'd like a separate 'sitting area' but with 4 windows, a door, and the closet, there's not a good space to create one.

I enjoy having tv in the bedroom while getting for work, and on lazy weekend mornings. Since 9/11, I've watched the morning news while getting ready for work (on 9/11 I didn't turn on the tv before work, & left my rowhouse & headed to downtown DC a few minutes after the pentagon was hit; I had to walk back home given the congestion & shutdown of public transportation).
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
12 years ago
Oh, a beagle! That is what our room is missing! Not really (we have our own mongrel horde here-ha), but I love the way you put that, aktillery, and what a cutie.

We have an antique bed resized to a queen, bedside tables, blanket chest, chair, and one bureau (antique that was mine as a child-still use it). Lots of books piled on tables next to bed, no electronics. One dog under bed. Oh and a little stool so I can actually get up into the bed!
lynninnewmexico
12 years ago
OMG Robin!!!! How horrifying that must have been for you!

We don't watch movies on our bedroom tv, but like many of you, we enjoy watching it on weekday mornings as everyone gets ready for work or school. We like to catch up on the national and local news, the weather forecast and the road/traffic conditions before heading out. Once everyone is gone, I do enjoy sitting in bed for a while watching the Today Show. As Robin mentioned, I too don't like to see the tv when it's not on. DH wouldn't mind, but for me, it's nice to be able to close the armoire doors when the tv is off.
Lynn
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
12 years ago
Aktillery, I loved your room until I saw your beagle. Then I was smitten. I have a beagle/mix and he is my bff.

Robin, Yikes! But I'm glad you are ok.
amykath
12 years ago
Aww thanks bumble! He is a character to say the least!! Hopefully, yours listens and obeys..mine just has selective hearing. Now he is an old man and cannot really hear at all, so we are in big trouble now! He is one sneaky pete but I adore him!

Cyn, thanks for the sweet words!!!!
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
12 years ago
Haha! I think they are brothers! Mine has very selective hearing and he also is old but I know he hears very well! We had a thunder storm last night and he slept next to me.
But, being elderly, had to go out for a quick tinkle at 4:30.
amykath
12 years ago
Awww...poor guy! Somehow my dog sleeps in and even having to go potty does not keep him from getting his 10 to 11 hours of beauty sleep. Haha

Even I can not go that long and he is 15!!! I do not even want to think what that is in dog years. :(
work_in_progress_08
12 years ago
Our MBR is 25'x20'. Having a king size bed with two night stands takes up a good bit of room. I have a triple dresser. DH has a tall chest and armoire. DH's closet is accessed is from the inside of the MBR, my closet can be accessed by MBR or upstairs hall. We each have a bookshelf to accommodate what we are currently reading as well as a few decor items, pictures, etc. My bookshelf is long, and being only 2 shelves high, it accommdates our tv perfectly. We do watch the morning news most weekdays while we are getting dressed. Don't usually watch tv at night in our BR.

While we have enough room for a small sitting area, I really don't think that we would use the space to justify furnishing our room in that way. We do have an antique rocker in the corner, and a bench at foot of the bed to sit and put on shoes. Also, I have a vanity where I sit to dry my hair or whatever. It is handy as all of my "tools" are stowed away once I am done.

Floors are hardwood with an 8x10' area rug at the end of the bed. Oh, can't forget the two large dog beds, lol.

Wow, by looking at what I've just listed, it sounds like the room is jammed packed. It isn't. We have plenty of floor space on each side of the bed and the tv shelf is about 5' from the end of the bed.
mtnrdredux_gw
12 years ago
In re my points about no TV in the MBR

1. I've read that for maximum restfulness, the BR should be used only for sleeping and, not sleeping. I think that makes sense and try to adhere to it.
2. We have a no-TV-no-tech lakehouse and we found that when we stayed there we talked more, read more, and slept more. All things I value
3. Human nature is "path of least resistance". I try to configure my house to encourage behaviors I value most.
4. I personally have a very high sloth quotient. I could easily while away much of a sunny spring day watching really bad TV, like "The Learning Channel". When I am away, my DH has been known to stay up till odd hours watching old PBS documentaries.
5. That said, I forgot about news in the morning. I am now in the habit of going into my office to check the web for news and weather. I miss all of the morning news nonsense and popular culture though!
6. We need the Daily Show, daily, and it's followup. I really miss that at the lake.

In re seating areas
1. In this home and the last, we never sat in the MBR. I still don't get that (though I love the lunch date someone described!). If our kids are up, I would want to be near them. If they are asleep, I would probably want to enjoy my house in solitude!
2. That said, right now there are 2 chairs and a settee in my MBR. Frankly more as storage than anything else.
enailes
12 years ago
I have a Cherrywood 4-Poster Bed, 2 glass-topped nighstands, serpentine dresser in mahagony, wing back chair and small cherrywood tilt-top table, 5 pieces of artwork on wall and 2 sconces. I'm currently searching for a High-boy to use in room, and at the foot of my bed I have a small persian rug that I've flipped to the opposite side, because I like the muted colors there more. My main colors are peach/pink, moss and seaform green, cream/white and yellows.
susanka
12 years ago
We have a pier cabinet for DH's stuff, achest of drawers for mine, chests at either side of the bed that don't match but harmonize well, an antique cedar chest at the foot of the bed, a small chair across from the bed with a small area rug in front of it, and a mirror and a few favorite prints on the walls. Plus a big window to look at the view and a door onto our deck. We read a lot but there's just not room in our fairly small bedroom (13x16 or so) for more furniture. We have pillows with arms to use for reading in bed.