We’re bringing someone else into the bedroom. And it’s… gasp… a TV.
We were originally anti-TV-in-the-bedroom, so we know it’s not for everyone (and it’s downright sinful to some) but we only have one TV in our entire house – in the living room – and this guy was just sitting unused in the playroom (ever since we upsized the living room one since he wasn’t large enough to actually see from the sofa)… so we’ve gone and changed our minds. Haha. There’s actually a real reason behind the decision: more and more we’ve been thinking about how we have issues with work/life balance and it’s hard for us to “shut off.” Which is why we always end up working on the couch with our laptops and the TV on in the background. But a TV in the bedroom could become a no-work-and-no-multi-tasking spot – so we wouldn’t allow any laptops or work to take place in the room and we could actually concentrate on our favorite shows.
Just pure relaxation and zombie-apocalypse/Dexter viewing. What can I say, that’s our idea of a hot date. And I know there’s an old saying that a TV in the bedroom might keep you from… ahem… other activities. But we figure if things like caring for a toddler, renovating rooms, writing a book, and maintaining a blog don’t get in the way, that’s nothing a little TV in the bedroom could change. Aaand, now I’m blushing. Moving on.
Not gonna lie, it sounds downright heavenly to wake up on a lazy Sunday and watch a movie in bed with the bean instead of sitting on the sofa and immediately snapping into “we should be working” mode and grabbing our laptops.
And let’s just say a wall with a dresser and a TV are straight up spa-like when compared to this ridiculously cluttered before:
So I returned from all of our tour flights with a fire burning under my buns to whip the wall that we stare at every. single. night. into shape. The first step was just putting things where they actually belonged (books we had read went under the built-ins in the dining room with the rest of our collection, empty boxes got broken down and stashed in our recycling bin, the lamp moved back to where it should be, etc).
Then I moved our mid-century side tables (remember we phased them out here?) into the guest room. Now that we yard-saled the old dresser that was in there we have a completely bare wall – and two of them next to each other actually look like a console against it. I owe you guys a picture, but it definitely works for now. We don’t know if we’ll eventually use them in Clara’s big girl room, so we’ll have to keep you posted.
Anyway, once those were out of the way we could properly center the dresser (which was one of the only secret book projects that we paid for and kept since we were so in love with it – you might recognize it from this video). It sits directly across from our bed – for our prime viewing pleasure – and then we just plopped the old too-small leftover living room TV on the top.
So far, it totally works for us. Wait, except not literally. It’s not actually hooked up to cable or anything yet, so… womp-womp. Nothing to watch. Maybe I’ll “dude, get on that” in a week or two (returning from tour stuff + Thanksgiving week = too much going on to sit on hold with Verizon). Perhaps I’ll have the patience next week?
Oh and I’ve heard that it’s bad feng shui to sleep across from a TV or a mirror, but we actually slept facing a giant floor length mirror for a few years at our first house and didn’t have issues sleeping or anything like that- thank goodness. So maybe we’re immune? Haha.
Honestly, my favorite thing about the dresser actually being centered and cleared of clutter is that I get to put cute little jewelry dishes up there (which tie into the color of the rug, you know, because I’m coo-coo-for-stuff-like-that).
Also hanging out up there: wood blocks in our initials and our favorite number. Oh yeah, this stuff makes my day, guys. #noshameinmygame
So that’s where we are. Slowly inching towards a bedroom that looks less blank-wall-here, cluttered-junky-wall-there. We’ll let you guys know how the whole TV thing goes once it’s up and running. Who knows, we might end up never using it, hating it and removing it, or pretty much deciding we should never leave our room! Mostly I’m just excited that we can share photos of one of our favorite book projects on the blog. Yeehaw.
Do you guys have TV’s in the bedroom? I’m dying to know the breakdown (is it 50/50? way more than not? very rare indeed?) but the last time we embedded a poll it crashed our site, so we’ve cobbled this tiny poll together over on Facebook so if you feel like playing along or checking out the tally, click here. Can’t wait to hear where you guys land!
Psst- Have you guys seen baby Weston yet? It was so exciting getting the call in the middle of the night that he came into the world safely and all was well with Katie and the fam. Clara loves him already – and after I showed her a picture in the morning she lovingly said “I want to bother him.” Cute, right?
heather s. says
I love having a TV in the bedroom for when I’m sick (the bed is way more comfy than the couch), folding laundry/cleaning or weekend mornings when I just don’t feel like getting up yet but I need something stimulating (Law and Order!).
Danielle says
We had a TV in our room for a while but we found we stayed up too late watching late night talk shows. Then, I would spend hours on the weekend laying in bed watching decorating shows and movies on TBS, I’d seen 1000 times.
When we moved a few years ago, we got rid of all but one television, which we keep in the den.
Sherry says
Pro TV! It makes mornings easier when the kids climb in and watch it and let us relax for a bit longer :)
BTW, do you remember which curtains you used in your room? I know they are from Ikea but curious which ones. I have looked at a few recently and just not sure what to do.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re Ikea’s Vivan curtains. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Trisha says
We don’t have a TV in the bedroom. My hubby gets up for work at 4:08am (random). So he needs to be sleeping pretty early, so I do TV watching downstairs.
Janelle says
I guess I’m sort of anti-TV in the bedroom, but NOT because of the sex thing. Moreso because I think I would never want to leave my bed. Haha. We got a new mattress recently and it is so comfy I have to drag myself out most mornings. So cozy!!
Also, Dexter was SO GREAT on Sunday. Jennifer Lawrence, AKA Deb, proved herself in that one scene. I wasn’t into that storyline but I think they did a good job in justifying it and tying it all together. Can’t wait to see what happens next week! Sorry for the long comment :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it was great!! So nervous about a certain someone finding out that Dexter moved where his boat was though. Ack!
xo
s
Janelle says
I meant Jennifer Carpenter. Sorry! Haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, I knew what you meant!
xo
s
sara says
I wonder if sleeping in hotels during your book-tour was a bit of inspiration for TV in room. We love watching TV in bed in hotels.
Currently our tv is downstairs, but one winter I brought it up so I could try to catch a flick or tv show before falling asleep … baby & boy snuggled beside me. I would get tired so early, but sometimes I wanted to unwind / veg in front of tv. It worked well for awhile, until I was staying up way to late, clicking through channels, mindlessly.
Katherine says
We are a four person family – me, hubs, two daughters 16 and 10 years old, and we are a two TV family: one in the family room and one in our bedroom. So you copied us! We are also a one computer family. That’s right, even with a teenager, we still just have an iMac in the family room. I suppose the teenager will need a laptop when she goes off to college, but until then, we are OK with just one computer. Weird?
YoungHouseLove says
Woah! A one computer family with two tween/teens is amazing!
xo
s
shannon c. says
We had a TV in our bedroom for a long time but it never got turned on except when my partner was out of town, then I’d watch marathons of my favorite shows on DVD late into the night. It was like a special (no sleep) treat for me! But since we never used it, I moved it out to my studio once it was built because out there I turn it on in the background while I’m working. I think it’s totally a matter of personal preference though- my Dad has always had a TV in the bedroom and turns it on every night when he goes to bed (at like 8pm). When my mom comes in two hours later he’s snoring away with the TV still on and when she turns it off he always startles awake and says “hey, I was watching that!”
Ashlea says
We always watch our shows in the bed, but since we don’t have cable, we are Netflixing and such on the laptop. Nothing like going to sleep after getting up close and personal with a “kill room”… ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah!
xo
s
Laurie says
We do have a TV in our bedroom (and family room and two other bedrooms). However, we have a lights out, TV off rule when we want to “know each other in the biblical sense” (we have 4 kids so as you can tell nothing is interfering with other activities). Mostly, I have the TV on so I can listen to the news when I am getting ready in the morning and I DVR all my decorating shows on that TV without hogging up space on the main family TV. When the little kiddo is in bed it is nice to have a place to watch a movie or a show without worrying that noise from the family room is keeping her up.
Ashley S says
Love the Ombre Dresser!… It has given me ideas for a dresser we have in our office/guest room that could use some TLC. Now I just need to get hubby on board and pull the trigger. And I say good for you putting the TV in your room and declaring a no work zone. I think if I worked from home the same thing would happen.
Sue says
Love, love, love that dresser! Nice work!
Ryan says
We’ve always had a TV in our bedroom (even though we never watched it unless someone was sick in bed) until we moved into a tiny midcentury bungalow in February (moved out of the burbs and into the city). We just flat don’t have room, and this timing has coincided with our son turning into a toddler. He wakes up EVERY. SINGLE. Saturday and Sunday at 6 AM and wants to watch some Yo Gabba Gabba. I would give ANYTHING to have a TV in our room so we could throw him in bed with us, turn it on and then doze back off. Such is life.
So, I officially approve your TV decision. :)
And I’ve never heard of a TV in the bedroom interfering with the boom boom. People know they turn off right? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahahhah! You had me cracking up at boom boom.
xo
s
EmilyThompson says
Boom Boom made me laugh out loud at work. Oops. Busted. Also I am so glad to know you guys made time for boom boom during your crazy photo-shooting, book-writing, blog-tending, baby-wrangling life. Boom Boom is very important to me so I worry about it for other people. I know. I’m weird. I just don’t ever want to buy the Young House Love Divorce edition book :).
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, no worries! We work it in there :)
xo
s
Nikki says
Hy hubby and I have one in our bedroom. The deal was there was to be no cable hooked up to that one. We use it only for Netflix. It’s nice curling up in bed together watching a Saturday night movie or a new TV series. Much more comfortable than the couch. It stays off more than it’s on, and we don’t find it gets in the way of other bedroom things ;)
Kristen @ LoveK says
I love that dresser!! I’ve been planning on doing an ombre thing with the dresser in our guest bedroom, and seeing yours solidified that it’s a good idea! :)
We don’t have a TV in our bedroom anymore just because it was an old school tube TV that took up a lot of room and it didn’t get used much at all. We actually remove the back cushions from our couch and snuggle that way when we watch TV.
P.S. Weston is so cute!! And it’s adorable that Clara is excited to “bother” him. :)
Monika says
I love/hate TV in the bedroom. Love because of all the reasons you gave but then hate because eventually it makes the family spend time apart (like the kids watching one thing, and parents another in a different room). OK, maybe I’m worried that I would never see my husband who would take this opportunity to watch football non-stop. LOL! Btw, whad up with the Dec. 1st event? The few holiday weekends are hot commodity, so it sucks not to know the deets (or even if I could get into the event!). Happy Thanksgiving your way btw! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ack, I think it’s supposed to be posting today or tomorrow! Stay tuned!
xo
s
Joy Franks says
We have a night time ritual. Bed and HGTV. . .in the bedroom.
Amanda @ Living on Grace says
we don’t have a tv in the bedroom, but i’d love if we did. especially for nights when my husband stays up late watching football — i’d love to fall asleep beside him rather than shuffling off to the bedroom alone.
everything in moderation :)
Brad @ Mr. Write Away says
I should have saved my question from yesterday! Having a TV in the bedroom is the ONLY way my wife and I are able to catch up on our shows… between working 40 hours a week, chasing after a one year old, staying caught up on house chores, blah etc blah there’s no way we would ever watch anything otherwise. There are days we don’t step foot in our living room, unfortunately.
I’m glad you decided to add one to your bedroom (love the dresser by the way) – you won’t regret it! If you missed the AMAs the other night, I’ve got a recap up if you want the highlights (and lowlights).
Lastly, I haven’t seen the Walking Dead yet but everyone and I mean EVERYONE has been talking about it… do I need to Netflix the seasons? I feel left behind.
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhh- you have to watch it! It’s on A&E so we Netflixed the first season and now watch it live!
xo
s
Rachael says
AMC, not A&E :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, duh! Sorry!
xo
s
Emma S. says
We have a TV in our bedroom and really just use it for the occasional SNL or movie night when I’m sure to fall asleep on the couch.
We didn’t hook up cable to it and just went with a DVD player and HD antenna which works great for as little as we use it. THe antenna’s tiny – the size of a magazine and just sits on a shelf or can be mounted to the wall behind the tv.
“flat antenna”:http://www.bestbuy.com/site/RCA+-+Indoor+HDTV+Antenna+-+White/8939839.p?id=1215217075905&skuId=8939839
YoungHouseLove says
Smart!
xo
s
Kasey M. says
I don’t have a TV in my bedroom. I did when I lived with my parents, but it was rarely used. When I moved out, I actually forgot to take that TV!
However, my laptop makes its way into the room all to often.
Tina says
My boyfriend and I have a (gasp) TV in our bedroom too! The way I justified it was by not hooking it up to cable so I can’t necessarily zone out and watch Bridezilla’s all day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just being used as a snowy screened, white noise machine. We have it hooked up to our fabulous DVD/VCR combo, perfect for a movie before bed or on a weekend morning and it’s also hooked up to a ROKU box which allows for me to watch Glee on Hulu+ in private, mostly because my boyfriend can’t stand it. It definitely doesn’t get turned on most days of the week if any but it is definitely nice when a sports game is on that I’m not particularly interested in or if I’m home sick. Overall, our bed faces both a mirror and a TV (it’s a vanity/dresser thang) and our relationship is just plain peachy, so get your TV on girl! (and boy)
Cara says
I like having a TV in the bedroom. When my husband is hosting poker night or if I’ve had enough of football (the man’s a junkie – NFL AND college), I have a place to watch TV in peace. Same for him – if I’m hosting book club or an all-girl party, he’s got a place to retreat. I also like watching the news as I get ready in the morning. I do need a better set-up for it. I’ve thought about doing one of those photo galleries where the TV is mixed in with the photos.
As for watching Walking Dead in bed, I’d veto that one. I live in Atlanta and when I recognize the locations, I get the creeps! I need some separation between the episode and turning in for the night.
Kristin says
I’m personally anti-TV-in-the-bedroom. My husband and I just have one TV, and I think it limits us from watching too much because for the most part, we only watch things that we both like.
When we do want to watch something in bed, we just bring the laptop in and we can stream TV online from most major networks or just pop in a DVD. When we were out of power 10 days from Hurricane Sandy (and missed the SoHo signing!!!), we would preserve laptop battery during the day so we could watch Friends in bed at night…laughing helped when it was SO COLD in our apartment!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that’s such a great idea! Friends always helps.
xo
s
Emily says
We have a TV in the bedroom and really enjoy it. It’s fun to be able to watch a show while getting ready for bed or putting away laundry. Plus, my husband can watch football on that TV while I get the living room TV for movies or whatever. I’m a bit fan of the Roku device. It’s pretty inexpensive and you can stream Netflix, Pandora, Amazon, etc.
Kathryn says
We are one of those couples who truly wouldn’t go to sleep if the TV was in our room…or do other things (ahem!). However, once in awhile we will lug our big 46 incher up from the basement and watch a movie or two while snuggled up in bed.
Elisa says
Mount it on the wall, mount it on the wall! Haha. We actually sold our old smaller tv just so this wouldn’t happen. There’s definitely been times when I wished we had a tv in our bedroom!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, maybe someday! Have to see if we need a cable box, yada yada. Haha!
xo
s
Christine says
love love love the dresser
TJ says
When we moved to our new house I decided to go with the no TV in the bedroom because of all of the reasons you mentioned…
Sadly, I then found out that I have trouble turning off my brain and sleeping without some mind numbing TV to watch, so now I just watch it on my laptop or iPad in bed – kind of defeats the purpose!
Susan M says
I must be the last person in the world not on Facebook. but anyway…we have a TV in the bedroom, and I can’t imagine life without it, although I have fallen asleep in my clothes watching it more than I care to admit….
Jenn says
Nothing is better than staying in bed extra long on a Sunday to watch a DVR’d show!
dawn says
Just wanted to throw my two cents into the jar…
We are anti tv in the bedroom…however…There is no right or wrong here, its all dependent on not misusing them in the bedroom (staying up all night on tv, or choosing tv over other, ahem, more bedroom appropriate activities). We do have one that we use to watch movies that we’d rather snuggle up with each other than sit on the couch to watch. Also-Im telling you right now even though we are never really sick…when you are there’s nothing like being able to lie in bed and watch a comforting movie to distract you from how junky you feel. We think its invaluable during those times and very much worth it! If you can be disciplined with it, I say go for it!
Betsy says
OH, me too! I recently gave up on the “no TV in the bedroom” rule and I think as long as it’s not on 24/7 or causing clutter, it’s fine. There is something very delicious about watching CBS Sunday morning in bed with the Sunday paper and some coffee and eggs with the sun streaming in.
YoungHouseLove says
Mmm, that sounds amazing.
xo
s
Beth says
We don’t actually own a tv. But before that starts to sound snobby, it’s because we’re (1) cheap, and (2) decided that we could watch our favorite shows on our laptops/iPad/desktop computers. We usually wind up taking our iPad with us when it’s bedtime and plop it between us. Surprisingly, this system has worked really well and the iPad is unscathed (something about the case makes it decided unslippery). Our days are usually filled to the brim with graduate school work (comparative education and development for me, veterinary medicine for him), so turning on a tv show often feels like the only way to turn off our brains. It works :-) And it doesn’t interfere with… ahem… other things (cue blushing).
Kathryn says
My first knee-jerk thought was ‘NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!’ But, of course, you’re perfectly right; work/life balance has to be a priority, and your reasoning is sound. I seriously don’t know how you guys do it as a two-man (er, man and lady) operation without putting in 24-hour days! Heck, just modding the hundreds-to-thousands of daily comments would be a full-time job for me!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re sweet Kathryn! It’s definitely one of those things that we’re always trying to adjust to and keep up with! So every little change in our lifestyle as this whole “blogging” thing evolves seems to help in small ways.
xo
s
Emily says
I have no idea how I missed the dresser, but I LOVE it! The colors are awesome. I wonder if I can talk my husband into letting me do that with his dresser :-)
sarah k @ the pajama chef says
i’m anti-tv in the bedroom (wasn’t allowed as a kid and now it feels weird as an adult) BUT i can see why some people love it & others don’t. we live in a small apartment now but maybe one day when we have more wall space i would mount a flat screen on the wall. i just am not a fan of most tvs on the dresser (yours looks great, but many remind me of dorm living. ha!)
Katie Rose says
FB is blocked at work so I’ll just have to answer your little poll here :)
I have a TV in my room. I only watch it in the morning as I am getting ready for work (the local news so I know the weather, traffic, etc.) & only occasionally before bed (if I don’t have a book or magazine to read). If you’ve never been HUGE TV people, I wouldn’t worry about it changing your habits too much.
Shauna @Satori Design for Living says
When I stay in a hotel, I’m really bad at laying around and watching TV for too long, so I don’t think a TV in the bedroom would be a good idea for me.
BeckyB says
Not an issue, since I haven’t owned a TV since 2000.
Miranda says
We have the same TV setup at our house. My husband likes to have the TV on while he falls asleep and while I can usually fall asleep with it on, the light wakes me up in the middle of the night, so our solution is to turn the “sleep” button on. We set it for an hour and by that time we are both already asleep (and I don’t wake up cranky the next morning).
Gabriella @ Our Life In Action says
We are much like you – TV is in there but not hooked up. Our little man crawls in bed and we watch halloween or christmas cartoons on it while we cuddle. This is a once in a while thing though.
Shelly says
I am a no TV in the bedroom girl myself because I’m kind of a dork about sleep hygiene. (As in, I think it’s very important that my mind knows the bedroom is for sleeping- not watching TV or checking email or talking on the phone or knitting, etc…. and as a result, I’m asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow) But as long as it doesn’t impact your ability to fall asleep easily, to each their own!
I do love the dresser!
Jamie says
We used to have a TV in the bedroom, but I just can’t stand it. I grew up without one and there is no way I can sleep while it’s on. My husband wishes we had one, but he’s a night owl and I’m an early bird so it’s just easier if there isn’t one, that way my sleep isn’t interrupted.
Sara says
We don’t have a TV in our bedroom. We did when we first got married but we never used it, so we moved it to a spare bedroom and I just used it for exercise DVDs. (It’s a tiny, tiny TV that my husband’s uncle won at a dinner and he gave to us.) We only have one other TV–in the living room–and it is not hooked up to cable. Best decision we ever made! We just catch shows on Hulu or Netflix if we miss any and we have a $40 digital antenna hooked up which brings in non-cable channels very clear! I can totally understand why you guys would want a TV in your bedroom. Makes sense! Hope you enjoy it!
Amelia says
We’ve also got a TV in the bedroom (which I was dead-set against – I was very anti-TV-in-the-bedroom too, Sherry). But my husband begged and pleaded…but we rarely use it. Our compromise was no cable (since I just saw that as a possible downward spiral of me never leaving bed ever), but it’s wonderful when either one of us is sick or we feel like watching a movie and cuddling!
Debbie says
No TVs in the bedroom here (only one TV and it’s in the living room). Not having a TV in the bedroom makes vacationing and staying in a hotel so much fun—watching a movie while laying in bed is a treat. If we did it all the time, we wouldn’t appreciate it the way we do. And I also have trouble sleeping with the TV on right before bed, so I’m happy to reserve it for vacations. No judgment here though—enjoy the TV! :-)
Carolyn says
I completely agree! TV in bed is a treat for me since that’s how I grew up. Makes hotels so much more fun! And I too don’t sleep as well if I’ve been watching a screen right beforehand (unwinding with a book is my cup o tea) … although now that we have an iPad it is really hard to not watch a quick show in bed!
Laura says
I think this is the case of whether you are the master or the slave to the TV and you’ve got that figured out. If it’s there for occasional use, great. If it’s blaring all the time (extreme example, I know) then boo!!
I have banished a TV from our bedroom for years because I have a night owl husband that would want to watch it too late. But having a kid and being a homeowner with a long list of projects pretty much takes care of that. We put a spot in our bedroom for a TV but haven’t filled it yet because we are waiting to upgrade our *too small* main TV also. Our lives have switched gears to where it would be used for snuggling up to a movie or sick bed entertainment.
One rule I will stick to though is no laptops/work done in the bedroom. Occasionally I have snuck one in to Christmas shop, but it’s not a bedtime activity.
ruthy says
we actually haven’t owned a TV since we got married…then after I had a baby we bought one and my husband wanted to pu it in the bedroom. I resisted at first, but it actually is quite nice to cuddle up and watch a movie in bed. We are just intentional about turning it off for…”ahem.” :)
Tana says
We have a tv in our bedroom. My husband has permanent ringing in his ears and can’t fall asleep in silence. We love the sleep timer!