A Space for Emma part I of II
When I was pregnant I spent a lot of time picking out things for Emma's nursery. These were things that I, at the time, thought would suit our daughter. I chose shades and colors that were on trend and gender neutral. I'm sure I spent many hours researching and curating that space that was to be hers, without knowing anything about her.
We lived in that house for a year after she was born, before the company Atom and I worked for closed down, and we moved into our guest house to focus our efforts on starting a business for ourselves. The small guest house was about 650 square feet and had no rooms, only a loft and sizable cupboards that we made into a sleeping space for her.
Then there were a series of moves on the east coast until we bought the schoolhouse, and we gave her the only room, but it doubled as a guest space, and stayed somewhat serious for child's room, she often stayed in the loft with us anyway, she was so little and still only cared about being close. We lived in that home for only a year.
Then we moved again into a temporary apartment in Texas, and I did my best to make it a fun space for her, she was getting older and moving away from friends was already getting more complicated, temporary stickers suited the temporary room.
In all the moves and changes, she has always stayed positive, sweet and clung to the most familiar things rather than new... stuffed animals, blankets and us.
We have moved as many times as she is years old, but this time, I am excited to make a space that is custom for her. There is a careful balance of taking what she loves and is familiar coupled with bringing in elements that represents who she is becoming.
I told Emma that she may be moving into the bigger room, and I wanted to bring in things that she loves. I could feel her protest coming on. She was already stiffening at the idea of not being in her current smaller bedroom, that was also meant to be temporary. We moved into the home as a short-term rental until we could find a house to purchase, but we ended up buying the rental we were in. We had moved her into the smaller of the two extra bedrooms because it was light shade of purple, which she liked at the moment and there were less stains on the carpet.
One casual morning, I asked her a few questions. Keeping it casual, keeps change from becoming emotional, she clings to the things she loves, and it's important that she knows I am protecting those things.
I have been navigating this complex being for some time, and knew that I wasn't going to sway her on changing rooms at the moment, just planting the seed would be an important step. So I moved the conversation into favorite things, a casual coffee and pancake interview.
This was all months ago, when I was waiting to get started on the renovation and conjuring pieces that I could spent late nights researching.
Our conversation went something like this...
Me: "If you could have anything you wanted in a new space, and that space that was just meant to feel good, what would you like to see in it?"
Emma: "I like trees, mountains and animals, bunnies and dogs"
Me: agreeably nodding "What are your favorite colors?"
Emma: "I like blues, greens and blue-greens....that color, what is it?"
Me: "turquoise?"
Emma: "Yeah, I like turquoise"
It was a simple conversation that gave me a jumpstart.... we had a few more since then, involving a reading nook, a desk and why we are getting rid of the old office shelves and filing drawers that formerly housed her books and clothes. At one point the discussion about the big room vs the smaller room become so sore that I made her one deal. If she could wait and see both of the rooms in an equal state, fresh white paint like a new canvas and clean floors, I would let her choose, and I wouldn't try to change her mind, but to wait until both rooms were the same. She agreed.
At some point before the rooms made it to that state, she announced she was okay with changing rooms. I reminded her of our agreement but once she makes up her mind....well, a trait I am familiar with. She loves color and struggled with the rooms formerly being a fussy shade of purple and a nagging blue and now they are white, and she is concerned that her new space will be wrought of color. She had already pulled out her favorite colors on my SW color wheel to make sure it was clear I remember the colors we discussed and left it out incase I needed to reference....
When the floors were finished, walkable and she was off to school, I got started. Her happiness is my happiness. Also I ordered this mural and rug months ago and have been aching to see them together. Since this is a 70's house, I love an opportunity to pull that vibe back in. When Emma told me about the trees and mountains, I had a few different ideas, but this mural was only $99, had a vintage vibe and I loved that it is one of our favorite places, Glacier National Park.
I had hung a shower and curtain rod in front of her room [ we haven't re-installed the doors yet ], so she wouldn't see it before her room was done, but she is Emma, and I could tell by the look on her face she had already walked in and saw it while I was taking Bear [ the dog ] outside.
Me " You just saw your room, didn't you?"
Emma wide eyed shaking her head in affirmation.
Me "Well, since you already saw it, let's go look together...."
She was so excited, she and Bear spent the next hour rolling around on the rug playing, squealing and laughing, carefully examining the mural and protesting than anything ever goes in front of it. At one point she snugged up to me and said "Momma, this feels like home".
There is a part II to this, because obviously, her room isn't complete, and I plan to share the complete, but this was a HUGE step in all the steps. Here is her room, before and after, still, next is custom closet systems, trim, doors, lights, furniture....
We lived in that house for a year after she was born, before the company Atom and I worked for closed down, and we moved into our guest house to focus our efforts on starting a business for ourselves. The small guest house was about 650 square feet and had no rooms, only a loft and sizable cupboards that we made into a sleeping space for her.
Then there were a series of moves on the east coast until we bought the schoolhouse, and we gave her the only room, but it doubled as a guest space, and stayed somewhat serious for child's room, she often stayed in the loft with us anyway, she was so little and still only cared about being close. We lived in that home for only a year.
 |
| When I would leave for work, this was our routine, messages through her window. |
Then we moved again into a temporary apartment in Texas, and I did my best to make it a fun space for her, she was getting older and moving away from friends was already getting more complicated, temporary stickers suited the temporary room.
In all the moves and changes, she has always stayed positive, sweet and clung to the most familiar things rather than new... stuffed animals, blankets and us.
We have moved as many times as she is years old, but this time, I am excited to make a space that is custom for her. There is a careful balance of taking what she loves and is familiar coupled with bringing in elements that represents who she is becoming.
I told Emma that she may be moving into the bigger room, and I wanted to bring in things that she loves. I could feel her protest coming on. She was already stiffening at the idea of not being in her current smaller bedroom, that was also meant to be temporary. We moved into the home as a short-term rental until we could find a house to purchase, but we ended up buying the rental we were in. We had moved her into the smaller of the two extra bedrooms because it was light shade of purple, which she liked at the moment and there were less stains on the carpet.
 |
| This face she gets when she is not sure about something. This in particular is when we stopped at a new shop and I convinced her to go on and get a donut she was eyeballing until she was told it was a squash donut, she ordered it, skeptical. |
I have been navigating this complex being for some time, and knew that I wasn't going to sway her on changing rooms at the moment, just planting the seed would be an important step. So I moved the conversation into favorite things, a casual coffee and pancake interview.
This was all months ago, when I was waiting to get started on the renovation and conjuring pieces that I could spent late nights researching.
Our conversation went something like this...
Me: "If you could have anything you wanted in a new space, and that space that was just meant to feel good, what would you like to see in it?"
Emma: "I like trees, mountains and animals, bunnies and dogs"
Me: agreeably nodding "What are your favorite colors?"
Emma: "I like blues, greens and blue-greens....that color, what is it?"
Me: "turquoise?"
Emma: "Yeah, I like turquoise"
It was a simple conversation that gave me a jumpstart.... we had a few more since then, involving a reading nook, a desk and why we are getting rid of the old office shelves and filing drawers that formerly housed her books and clothes. At one point the discussion about the big room vs the smaller room become so sore that I made her one deal. If she could wait and see both of the rooms in an equal state, fresh white paint like a new canvas and clean floors, I would let her choose, and I wouldn't try to change her mind, but to wait until both rooms were the same. She agreed.
At some point before the rooms made it to that state, she announced she was okay with changing rooms. I reminded her of our agreement but once she makes up her mind....well, a trait I am familiar with. She loves color and struggled with the rooms formerly being a fussy shade of purple and a nagging blue and now they are white, and she is concerned that her new space will be wrought of color. She had already pulled out her favorite colors on my SW color wheel to make sure it was clear I remember the colors we discussed and left it out incase I needed to reference....
When the floors were finished, walkable and she was off to school, I got started. Her happiness is my happiness. Also I ordered this mural and rug months ago and have been aching to see them together. Since this is a 70's house, I love an opportunity to pull that vibe back in. When Emma told me about the trees and mountains, I had a few different ideas, but this mural was only $99, had a vintage vibe and I loved that it is one of our favorite places, Glacier National Park.
I had hung a shower and curtain rod in front of her room [ we haven't re-installed the doors yet ], so she wouldn't see it before her room was done, but she is Emma, and I could tell by the look on her face she had already walked in and saw it while I was taking Bear [ the dog ] outside.
Me " You just saw your room, didn't you?"
Emma wide eyed shaking her head in affirmation.
Me "Well, since you already saw it, let's go look together...."
She was so excited, she and Bear spent the next hour rolling around on the rug playing, squealing and laughing, carefully examining the mural and protesting than anything ever goes in front of it. At one point she snugged up to me and said "Momma, this feels like home".
There is a part II to this, because obviously, her room isn't complete, and I plan to share the complete, but this was a HUGE step in all the steps. Here is her room, before and after, still, next is custom closet systems, trim, doors, lights, furniture....
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