This is a sponsored post in partnership with the Barn & Willow. All words and opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help us do what we do!
One of the things that we love most about our house is our bedroom, which is actually a converted attic. With three kids, it’s often hard to find peace and quiet, so we really wanted to make our room a space where we can unwind after a long day. Despite it being the attic, our room actually has relatively high ceilings, windows all around, and two skylights, so it’s flooded with light, even on the dreariest of Seattle days (like yesterday!).
When we moved into the house, the room felt stuffy and the opposite of modern. We wanted to transform it into a space that was serene, perfect for spinning some tunes on the record player, relaxing with a book (one day!), or just catching up on the day’s events. It took us a while, but I finally feel like this space is “complete” — something I’ve realized is hard to achieve when you’re a homeowner!
Essentials of a Serene Listening Space
The color palette / mood
Creating a serene listening space comes down to capturing a feeling. I love bright colors, but for our room, I imagined what it would be like to lie on the bed while listening to rain softly rapping on the skylight. Even though our room feels inviting, the color palette is actually pretty cool. We painted our entire room white, matching the walls to the ceiling to make it feel more spacious. We alternate between gray and white bedding, keeping with the neutral theme, and decorated with a few cozy essentials, mainly a rug and throw pillows.
The views
As I mentioned, our room is surrounded by windows. When we first moved in, they were covered by the most hideous gray plastic blinds that have been one of my biggest eye sores. For months, though, I wasn’t really sure what to do about them. Should we get curtains? Should we simply upgrade the blinds? Try cellular shades? When I discovered Barn & Willow, I knew immediately. Their luxurious custom roman shades felt like they’d be the perfect fit for our room. Each shade is made to order, and literally took less than 5 minutes to install (I kid you not). We went with the blackout lining and a cool roman shade in “Oyster” and I seriously cannot tell you how many times a day I stare at them obsessively. In the afternoons, we roll them up about 1/3 of the way up the window to flood the room with light.
The setup
In our room, unlike the living room, we have a pretty minimalist turntable setup. We moved our Gramovox up here and usually grab 3-4 records from our downstairs collection to throw on. Some days, it’s a SOUNDS DELICIOUS release, others it’s a throwback; last week, we were listening to Feist’s debut album. Years ago, when Matt and I went to the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, we stayed in a room with a turntable and a few records. I’m usually a go go go sort of person so it was an unusual vacation for me to just lounge, but it was amazing. I had always wanted to capture the feeling of ease I felt on that vacation, and this setup is definitely it.
The plant life
Before I became a homeowner, I was really ambivalent towards plants. But my plant appreciation has really gone through the roof in the last couple of years. I’ve become mildly obsessed with not only outdoor, but indoor plants, especially after reading how good they are for the air inside your home. Bringing plants into our bedroom really added a lot of life, beauty, and serenity. And if you’re curious, that Monstera leaf plant has grown wildly out of control, without me having to do much to maintain it. A bonus is that I occasionally trim the leaves and display them in vases around the house.
The scents
I find that scents can evoke really powerful emotions and memories, and I have an uncontrollable habit of accumulating candles. Depending on the mood I’m trying to create, I typically opt for woodsy scents (particularly in the winter), or ones that bring me back to my memories of living in California (like eucalyptus!).
A special discount and $200 giveaway, just for Turntable Kitchen readers!
I remember reading once somewhere that physical clutter can contribute to clutter of the mind, so when creating a serene listening space, I try to think about what adds to the feeling, and what adds clutter. Now that you know how we’ve gone about creating a serene listening space, I wanted to share a special giveaway to help you create yours! Our friends at Barn & Willow are offering all Turntable Kitchen readers 10% OFF orders over $99 using promo code BW&TurnTableKitchen. And what’s more, they’re giving away one $200 gift card to one lucky reader. Enter below, and good luck.
Which shades or curtains would you choose? Also, what are some of your favorite rainy day albums to listen to?
This is a sponsored post in partnership with the Barn & Willow. All words and opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help us do what we do!
