the new book nook

At the top of our stairs is a teeny-tiny closet room. For years, we used it as a kid bedroom. It was ridiculously small and typically crammed with all sorts of kid junk — the sort of room that, whenever I’d walk by, I’d have to half close my eyes to retain any sort of emotional equilibrium. 

Here, let me show you.

Evolution of a Closet Bedroom

circa 2006

circa 2010

circa 2020

circa 2021, mid-dunging out (I hope)

Then when the kids outgrew it, we turned it into a little library.

circa 2026

As a “library,” the room was never much used. The space was too small for hanging out with other people, and everyone had their own rooms to go hide in, so it ended up being cluttlered dead space. 

But then when we were renovating my younger daughter’s bedroom last year, I had the brilliant idea to knock out the walls and create a hallway sitting area.

My husband wasn’t too sure.

But a space at the top of the stairs, I argued, would be the perfect little getaway spot when we had a house full of people. We could put in a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, a soft rug for lounging, and a loveseat for a nursing mama or napping toddler [insert star eyes and melty faces]. Plus, since we only have one main living area, when guests come over, we have no indoor space for kids to run off to so the adults can have after-dinner chitty-chat. This would solve that.

Persuaded (coerced?) by the brilliance of my logic, my husband heaved a sigh and played along. Over the last few months, the transformation inched forward.

My older daughter knocked out the walls and wired the room.

She and my husband built bookshelves.

My mom scoured Facebook marketplace for little loveseats, and then my husband and I drove over the mountain to pick one up.

We found a second-hand rickety coffee table and my husband shortened the legs, tightened it up, and painted it white. 

My big contribution was the carpet.

using blankets to determine correct rug size

I visited multiple rug stores, alternating between dragging my husband and mother along with me.

After much belabored discussion, I finally landed on a white remnant.

It was the most time I’ve spent being interior decorator-ish in years. 

My mother donated an old electric candle to use as a nightlight, and we bought a new lamp, curtains, a world map, and, voilà! A book nook was born.

P.S. My husband likes it.

This same time, years previous: cracked all-the-grain sourdough, live it well, the quotidian (7.6.20), fresh strawberry cake, one weekend only, the quotidian (7.7.14), let’s revolutionize youth group mission trips! please!, grilled flatbread, for hot summer days, playing make believe, sniffing for cake, cake for breakfast.