The SIFTED | Bedroom
"Is this really what your bedroom looks like all the time?" my friend turned and asked me as we walked in to sift my wardrobe. I winced inside - I wanted to tell her no, fearing she found me unrelatable or self-righteous, but the truth was simple as was our lifestyle - this was in fact how it always looked. Sometimes the bed was unmade, but our belongings are Spartan and thoughtfully chosen and even should our closet's contents lay on a chair, it still looks relaxed and uncluttered. This is one of the many reasons we love the sifted life.
We surround ourselves with only those things we love. Our rooms are not overflowing with superfluous objects. When a few things have not found their way back to their respective homes, it does not turn into a mess - although maintaining a clean space is remarkably easy and compelling when you own little.
Everything has a job and does it beautifully. Thrifted chairs repainted and upholstered for bearing the day's castoffs. Vintage nightstands I stripped and stained for holding books and water. A gorgeous dark basket from West Elm The Mister gifted me for gathering laundry. A dresser and closet to house our clothes. A mirror for which my dad and I built a solid frame. A marble lamp base from grandma that was her parent's when electricity was first introduced. Frames with whimsical photos by an artist friend. Thriftstore frames with paintings I did myself. A refreshing fern from a friend, potted in a clearanced ice-bucket I picked up at Target. An inherited frame with a reminder of the raw, awe-inspiring Highland landscape I took almost a decade ago. A quilt lovingly and painstakingly crafted by another dear grandma. Accessories nestled in darling vessels. An heirloom baroque cherub clock to remind us not of the time, but of sumptuous detail and a measured dose of extravagant beauty.
This is our retreat.
Under the bed? An emergency fire escape ladder. Dust bunnies.
Eventually I would love to add a headboard and bed frame to our oasis, but after thirteen years of cultivating our life together, I am quite content in our sanctuary.
Does your bedroom bring you peace and quiet? Or perhaps it tends more toward chaos and aversion? If the latter, and if you are ready, begin consciously dreaming about the room you want. Think of specific words you want this space to embody. For example, ours were light but moody, romantic and clean. Once you have this clear vision, begin taking steps to get there. Maybe part of the problem is the sheer volume of clothes you own. It is hard to be uncluttered when not everything has a home. Perhaps things that don't belong in your bedroom keep wandering in from other parts of the house, sometimes through no fault of your own. Make sure these other objects have their own homes in other spaces and make that rule well-known to the others you share a house with. Maybe you like to read and so you have books scattered everywhere. In that case, find a new home for your library and bring in one at a time. It is rarely the case that your space is too small, but rather that you simply have too much stuff.
Are you ready to sift?
