The SchoolRoom

Earlier this year, Tim (dh) and I made a schoolroom/library/craft room out of what we already owned.   This room is everyones' favorite room in the house.  It is always occupied by some learning or creative soul. 

We moved into this house a year and a half ago.  One of the rooms was listed by the realtor as a dining room, but we are far too relaxed to need a formal dining area.  For a few months after we bought the house, we used the room as a second living room, but it wasn't being used all that often (our children are young, so they are still at the stuck-like-Velcro-to-mama-and-daddy stage).  

One day, I was day-dreaming about having a schoolroom once again, when I stopped myself.  Do you ever get tired of dreaming about something over and over?  I do!  At some point, I say to myself, "Well stop wishing for it and do something about it!"  So, the dining-room-that-was-an-unneeded-second-living-room, suddenly became the new schoolroom.   Knowing our budget could not pay for a fully equipped, brand new schoolroom, we went shopping in our house... 

First, we painted the room with navy blue paint and white trim with paint we had bought several months ago.  We put up a chalkboard given to us. Our used furniture (a couch, love seat, and rocking chair from our old house) was put in the room.  We placed a dry-erase board, child's easle, and bulletin board in the room. And we painted a wooden table that we found in the garage, under a pile of tools.  Tim made benches for the table out of scrap wood that he had, and painted them with paint we had leftover from old projects.  He also made a bench out of a broken bookcase and some scrap wood.  I use this bench to hold the CD player and the abacus.  Finally, we put a couple of posters up on the wall that we had collected over the years. 

The Writer's Nook

More recently, I was trying to figure out where to write, and almost went out to buy a new desk when I remembered the schoolroom success, and decided to "shop" in our garage.

I was able to make a cozy writing space by clearing an old desk, placing it in a corner of our master bedroom, and placing an old bookcase nearby. I decorated the desk with useful baskets and pottery to hold papers and pencils. Tim attached a wire basket to the wall above my desk for picture frames and plants.   I moved a rocking chair from the living room, where it wasn't used, to the corner of my new "office."  For inspiration, I threw Grandma's 65-year-old handstitched quilt over the rocking chair.  In a second corner, near the window, I put a comfortable-yet-kind-of-ugly recliner.   With a pile of books stacked on the bookshelves, plenty of paper, pens, (all of which I also found while "shopping" in my home), and my laptop, I am now a happy writer in my little "writer's nook." But I am most happy that the bank account did not notice our home improvements (Tim is also happy about that!). 

Why keep wishing for a bigger house, or a schoolroom, or a space of your own?  Tell yourself to stop wishing and make it happen!  Shop in your home from your own stuff.  You'll be surprised at what you can find, or make, with a little ingenuity.   

Let us know in the comments if you have any new ideas about this topic of shopping at home. 

by Lori Seaborg

Posted by MySmokyMtnHomeschool

Thanks for the ideas. Perhaps I need to browse around in the barn, and storage building to see what things I can come up with!

Blessings,
Amy Beth <><

Posted by raindames

I shop at home for my little ones. When my babie/toddlers "need" some new toys or clothes or books I search out my older childrens rooms for what they've outgrown. Works like a dream. : )

Posted by thewestiecrew

How interesting that you would post of this when I spent the day doing this very thing, but with a spin. My parakeet needed a new home. He is just too confined in his cage and I have always wanted him to have the freedom to fly if he chose to. Anyway, I transformed one of our back bathrooms into a great big home for him. The boys and I gathered branches and a big fallen limb and brought them in and created (well, rigged) this huge perch for Pretty Bird Star. LOL He is the lap of birdy luxury in his new mansion, and I didn't spend a dime.

Posted by AllThingsHomeSchool

I have taken nothing and created something so lovely. I enjoyed your posts the past few days. Thank you! I love the way you write and it is refreshing to me. I love my writer's nook as well, but call it my "communication center" at present. I posted pictures of my desk area at my blog.Perhaps a name change is in the making. :-) Maybe you can put up a picture as well.
Love, Peggy

Posted by robyx5

Lori, thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. Your comments were encouraging and very helpful. I've decided to listen to my heart and keep my baby home.

Posted by redmom

This is great, Lori! Shopping at home is one of my favorite pastimes. Sounds like a great space.

Posted by Anonymous

Posted by WingsAsEagles

Thank you so much for your ideas on getting the pasta to actually come out of my machine. We'll be trying this in the next few days.

Loved your 'Shopping At Home'. I am always moving furniture around, changing rooms, flipping this and rearranging that. You're right - we can often create several new rooms without having to spend a dime. (Hmm . . . if only I could do that with my wardrobe. I'll have to work on that one next.)

Happy blog - reconstructing!
Mrs. L

Posted by Anonymous

Posted by Homeschoolmum

Lori, I just love the new color - very easy on the eyes! What a cheerful, pretty blue! (Or is it a shade of blue/mauve?)

Your post about shopping for home for free was inspiring! It's amazing how many treasures we have that are forgotten or neglected, that could be put to new use! My 15 year old daughter is going to be decorating her bedroom. I'm going to have her read your blog! (I might be able to save a pretty penny!)

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