Yesterday marked two months since we moved in, and our bedroom was the last space to shift from “dumping ground of unpacked things” to a comfortable room that actually feels like ours. Here’s an update on how it looks now and what’s still on the list (including a little bad Photoshop to share our plans).
If you remember our before tour, this room started out as a living room. We quickly decided to use the larger upstairs living area and deck as the family space and put our bedroom on the same level as the kids. The layout made it easy to add a closet and an ensuite bathroom—so we simply closed up the big doorway and added a door to the smaller opening beside it.
To save you a scroll—voilà: our bedroom as it stands today.
Fun fact: when we moved in the house only had two rooms with doors that closed—the bathroom and our daughter’s room—so being able to shut a door on our own bedroom (and our son’s room) feels like a big upgrade.
We’re thrilled this room is becoming the bright, cozy place we pictured back during our rainy day walkthrough. Most items in the room are things we already owned; the main new pieces are the rug, the bed frame, and the curtains. We still plan to build a headboard (we’re already working on ones for the kids’ rooms) and will likely relocate the round mirror above the bed once a headboard is in place.
One of our favorite features is the wall of glass doors across from the bed that floods the room with natural light and will eventually open onto a private patio. Privacy and light control were priorities, so we covered those doors right away. On our first morning here we used packing blankets temporarily until our curtains arrived.
We still use packing blankets on a couple of windows at night while waiting for shades, but we have blackout-lined curtain panels on the doors now. We chose the panels in an “Ivory” shade that reads closer to light sand against the pure white walls (we used Sherwin-Williams Pure White), which helps the space feel layered instead of stark.
We hung the curtains on brass rods with matching rings. After the fabric relaxed we moved the visible clips down to the looped backing so the top looks cleaner. The long rod is actually three standard rods butted together and leveled to appear as one continuous piece.
We’ve sketched a privacy fence for the yard outside the bedroom to create a small, secluded courtyard. The Photoshop is rough, but the idea is a cozy outdoor seating area—maybe a fire pit and some flowering vines—so we can relax after the kids go to bed.
From outside at dusk you can see the stairs leading down from the bedroom to the yard. We already strung some string lights, which look charming from bed, but the outdoor space isn’t fully inviting yet.
The fourth set of double doors sits by Sherry’s side of the bed and is where we plan to add an ensuite, built into part of the side porch. The ensuite is a lower-priority project, so for now the doors still need curtains. We bought a second wood-tiled dresser to match the one we already had and are using them as nightstands—handy for extra clothing storage while we’re still without a closet.
We chose a subtle rug in an 8×10 size to anchor the bed and add a soft landing for bare feet. It reads with neutral tans and grays and even a hint of lavender in person—softer and more complex than the online photos suggested. There’s also a certain someone—Burger—who’s thrilled to have a comfy spot to flop down.
Turning to the fireplace side of the room, things are still a bit of a jumble: a filing cabinet, an air purifier, a small end table, and a lone lamp. We imagine built-in storage flanking the fireplace eventually, which would be both pretty and practical in this compact home.
We’ve ordered window shades, and once the gas line is connected for our tankless water heater we’ll convert the fireplace to gas logs. We’ll add a mantle and settle on furniture for in front of the fireplace—right now it’s an eclectic vignette that we jokingly describe as “a potted plant enjoying a good book on a fur rug in front of a roaring fern.”
One corner of the room is oddly angled and became the only feasible spot for the minisplit AC/heater. Instead of enclosing a closet in the side porch as originally planned, we realized enclosing and squaring off this corner could solve multiple problems: it would tidy the awkward angle, reclaim unused floor space, and give us a closet without taking room from the bathroom. My quick Photoshop shows the basic concept—drywall on the side and two lattice doors in front so the minisplit can vent freely while the closet adds texture and function.
It won’t be a huge closet, but our clothing needs are modest: most hanging items currently live in our son’s narrow closet and the rest fits in our dressers. We’re inspired by a framed, warm wood look with a substantial top piece for a finished feel.
Overall, we’re excited to see how far the bedroom has come in two months. The wood bed frame provides impressive under-bed storage, which has been unexpectedly useful. Now if only those window shades would arrive so we can finally retire the packing blanket curtains for good.
P.S. Follow our full renovation updates in the Florida house archive for the complete story.
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