Quick note: Tonight we’ll be in Minneapolis at the West Elm on 3879 Gallagher Drive for cookies, cocoa, and a book signing at 6pm (we hear this parking lot is small, but there’s a larger lot at a nearby Macy’s as well as a ramp that leads to a parking garage which should hopefully help – as will getting there early, carpooling, or getting dropped off). More info here. We’d love to see ya there!
Remember how you guys were asking us to take photos of the holy-cow-that’s-crazy playroom packed with secret book projects, stuff for our yard sale, and future projects so we could share them when the book was finally out? Well, I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly…
Were you ready? I told you it was crazy! But thankfully now that the secret book projects are out of the bag, we can share the insanity with you (since it’s no longer a spoiler for you to see our partially stenciled wall, the gray trim around that window, the green planter, that wooden headboard, the yellow branch wreath, or anything else that you might recognize from zee book).
Here’s a vertical shot. Just as crazy, right?
So when my mom came out for a visit a little while ago, we decided to tackle it together (me + mom = organizing nerdfest). Literally the second I put Clara down for her nap it was as if someone fired some imaginary gun at the starting line and we shot off in different directions to get that room cleaned up. Completely comical.
When you’re dealing with such an extreme volume of things that need to be sorted (since some were book projects that were going to be auctioned for charity, other things were going to be yard saled, and other items are still waiting to be made over and used in future rooms like the sunroom, Clara’s big girl room, the guest room, etc) – the first step is definitely clearing the room. So we scurried to bring everything out into the entryway, where there was more floor space for sorting. We had three zones going on:
- one spot for yard sale stuff
- one spot for the book auction items
- one spot for things going back into the playroom for future projects
Most of what you see in this picture are things that were going back into the room (the luggage goes in that closet, those shelves are for a future project, etc). And there’s my mom going through all the gift bags that I save to reuse (she was almost entirely on closet-duty, so she got to play with things like tissue paper, gift bags, and ribbon while I sorted things for yard sale and auction piles.
About an hour and a half later, we could see most of the room again! It was weird. Like those dreams that you have of discovering an extra room. Tip: don’t fill a room with junk and you won’t feel like you’re discovering said room after hours of cleaning it out.
Sure enough, as the cluttered playroom got emptier, the areas in the entryway (and the adjoined hallway) got crazier. This was our yard sale pillow pile. Yikes. Note: You can read more about how the yard sale went here.
Here’s what the room looked like after we loaded things back in (the items under the window were smaller auction items that we didn’t want to leave out in the sunroom with the bigger ones, so they’re actually gone now). But the rest of everything is still in there since we put the yard sale stuff into the sunroom to keep it separated. Oh and you’ll notice that we tossed up the old curtains from our bedroom just to keep them hung so they’re not wadded up in some closet (but clearly they still need to be ironed/retrained so they don’t look all ganked up).
Still looks pretty darn cluttered, but it’s not nearly as bad as it looked a few hours earlier. Whew. Thanks momma!
Here’s the view looking back at the daybed (Clara’s future big-girl bed) covered with pillows (yes, I have a pillow problem, but in my defense we still have a daybed in the sunroom and Clara’s big girl room to use them for). Then maybe we’ll need to have another yard sale… haha.
See that big rectangle of blue paint? Just another wall we painted for book shooting. That wall actually got painted three times (navy for a headboard project, paprica red for cloud shelves we made, and then blue for a tip about not painting all the way up to the ceiling). It’s crazy to think about how many things we painted and repainted back in January! Oh and see that green chair and twig mirror in the bottom corner of this pic? Those are book auction items, so they’re cleared out and no longer on the floor.
Speaking of the auction, we made $500 for charity thanks to generous locals who bid on our secret book stuff in the silent auction last week at the R. Home for the Holidays event. Woot! We’re so thankful to you guys for giving those items a good home. And we wish we could have opened up the bidding up to a wider span (nationally or even internationally) but shipping things (many of which were large and heavy) made it too complicated for a two person “company” like us (it also would have diminished a lot of the profit we were trying to make for the charity). But to any locals who went home with something, we’d love to see pics of things in your rooms! And to anyone else anywhere in the globe, if you DIY anything from the book (since you’ve definitely got the info on what we used/how we did it) of course we’d love to see those pics!
As for the closet, here’s my mom’s handiwork. She’s awesome, eh? I think sorting all of my gift bags and ribbon might have been the highlight of her trip. Well, that and seeing sweet Clara of course. Ok, Clara wins.
Oh and see that weird line of paint to the left of the closet in the pic above? Yet another wall that we painted at least three times for book backdrops. We so crazy.
Ahhh, but behold: nothing’s in the entryway or the hallway anymore. Can I get a what what?
I hope these long awaited playroom before and not-as-bad-now pics were fun for you guys. Seriously, this before picture gives me the willies:
Please tell me you guys at least have a closet or a junk drawer that’s looking pretty hairy, just so I don’t feel so alone. Haha. And you know what partially clearing out this room means… we’re one step closer to converting it into Clara’s big girl room (although we still have the hall bathroom and the basement to finish along with an untouched sunroom, carport, and guest bathroom). You know we’re all over the place, so it’s only a matter of time before we bounce in there too. Bring on the paint, the fabric, and the moose lamp!
Update: Nope, I’m not prego! Maybe I need to add an update to this post? Yup, I’m doing it. I, Sherry, hereby solemnly swear that I’m not with child. Haha. Spread the word!
Mandy S says
Thank you for this post, it makes me feel better that I am not the only one with a room like this!!
Oh and also – people, leave Sherry’s uterus alone!!! It really makes me mad that you have to keep saying over and over again that you aren’t prego. Pretty sure you will announce when it happens, once you are in the safe zone. Seriously everyone, STOP MAKING THE BABY COMMENTS!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Mandy!
xo
s
Jennie says
Agreed. Sherry, girl, you have lots of class to so politely answer these questions all the time, but it really is an invasive line of questioning. If you had a nickel for every time someone asks you if you are pregnant, you could go on a shopping spree!
Sarah says
I feel like I turn the guestroom into a big mess every weekend & then desperately try to clean it up on Sunday night. I just dump all my projects on the bed to get it out of sight & it turns into a pile of craziness!
Sarah
Emily F says
You guys are so not alone! We dont have a garage, so our 4th bedroom (it’s just my husband and I, so we have the master, an office, a guest room and the 4th bedroom) is our storage/garage. I try to keep it organized, but it seems like once every 6 months I have to go in there and do a major clean up and clear out! :)
Good work on the playroom clear out! That’s impressive! :)
Megan says
This is totally off topic but your book is one of Amazon’s Best books of 2012!!! Yay for you guys.
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhhhhhhhh!
xo
s
Val says
Ah, I can’t even express to you how happy this makes me. I know, it’s completely weird to feel validated by a messy room in total stranger’s house, but I do.
I love how your Christmas deer look like they’re on guard duty in the first picture. Like they were milling around and then you opened the door and they were like, “Who’s there??”
Maybe that’s just me, though…
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahhhahahah!
xo
s
julie s says
Amazing! I wonder if you should just start every post with the disclaimer, “No. I am not pregnant”. If not every post then maybe just once a week? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s a thought…
xo
s
Ellen says
Oh, man. Have we had rooms like this. First it was our office/craft room/attic staging area. It was a disaster! So much random junk ended up there. Then we turned that room into the nursery, so all the random junk got moved into our guest room. Then just a few weeks ago we were going to have a guest come stay so we did a push and got most of it moved out to the attic or other permanent places. It still needs some work, but it’s WAAAAY better than before.
Anyway, we are looking forward to meeting you all at the Dallas event on Saturday!
Patricia says
When she moves into that room and the nursery isn’t being a nursery anymore, would you make it a playroom until you do have another kid? And if/when that happens would you move them into the guest room for their big child room? Lol I know, I’m thinking way far ahead in your future. And what is the 2nd book going to be about? Will it be like a part 2 to this book? Or will it have other categories? I’d love to see your take on things like wedding projects, projects that involve things like your lovey dovey ones (I think that’s what it’s called on your blog?).
YoungHouseLove says
I think our plan would be for possible future kiddo to end up in the nursery where he/she could be for a few years and beyond that we have no idea! As for the second book, we’re not sure what it’ll be about at all! We’re open to a lot of possibilities but nothing has jumped out as “IT” yet, but thankfully there’s no pressure to start on it for a while so we want to not rush into anything and wait to see where we end up!
xo
s
Desiree C. says
Not only will you be in Minneapolis tonight (whoot whoot!!), but you’ll get handed a book and an owl that smell like enchiladas.
Yes, my lunch spilled on my book and “ceramic” owl. When this happening was discovered, there was a reenactment of Elf saying “NOOOO!” when he finds out his father is on the Naughty List. Shucks! Please forgive my smelly-ness tonight. You guys like awkward, right?!
On a non-enchilada-book-and-owl note, the playroom looks awesome! It’ll be exciting to see what the playroom/Clara’s big-girl room will look like when it’s complete!
Safe travels!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahha, ok I can’t wait for that! Counting down the seconds to the owl enchilada moment.
xo
s
jessie says
love Clara’s “moodboard”! Can’t wait to see more.
Stacy says
Our office has become our Junk room. Pretty much from the day we moved in to our 3 bedroom home. I desperately want to go in there and organize but I don’t even know where to begin. Doesn’t help that I share that space with my husband who refuses to pick up anything b/c he says that “there’s no where to put anything.” Looks like you guys got a lot done though. Maybe one day I will tackle that room…
Cassie says
LOVE organizing! Unfortunately, we’ve moved repeatedly the past couple years so one side of my bedroom always looks like that. It makes getting rid of stuff I didn’t use easier though haha.
Annelise in Edmonds says
Don’t feel bad! I definitely have a junk room! It is supposed to be my office/craft room/guest room, but I just don’t have the nack to organize it properly to make it work! So it has become the catch all for items/junk I don’t have a spot for in the rest of the apartment. It’s kind of frustrating…I think I need to purge!
Helen D says
Nice work – I’m looking forward to receiving my copy of the book – I pre-ordered it (from Barnes and Noble) and STILL haven’t got it! Looking forward to seeing how the projects look on the page :)
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Maybe call then to check on it? No idea why it wouldn’t be there! Hope you love it.
xo,
s
Erin @ One Project at a Time says
So excited to see you in Mpls tonight! When you guys featured my Main Bath remodel recently (thanks so much for that by the way, I’m still giddy!) John mentioned he’d like to see the rest of my house. Just thought I’d mention that the West Elm you’ll be at tonight is only 3.2 miles away from my house, so if you’d like to stop by we’d live to have you! Have fun tonight!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man we wish we had time to drop by. Next time!
xo,
s
Tina says
I am sooo glad to see your “junk” room. I was beginning to think mine was a dirty little secret. Your house pics always look so organized and perfect, and I always have an entire room full of projects waiting to be done or in future plans that I just seem to add to. A tip you might be able to use when Clara gets a little older. We go through my daughters toys about once a year and she gets to pick out toys for a local charity for kids, somehow it makes it a lot easier for her to let go of her” baby ” toys and I think it’s a good teaching tool as well. Although you probably don’t have the over run of toys we have lol.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Tina! Thanks!
xo,
s
Sara Tostenson says
Dying to see what you guys do with Clara’s daybed!! We are getting ready to move a white iron daybed out of our older daughter’s room and into our two year old’s room as her first big girl bed. I need some ideas on how to make the daybed look “made” and put together. Have struggled with this the whole time we’ve had it!! And just as an aside, the daybed move was inspired by a new bed redo that we got off Craig’s List thanks to all your inspiration from your awesome website and book!!! Will send before and after pix. This will be my first project so hopefully it will go well!!! You guys rock. Keep the great ideas coming.
Kayla says
This post finally got me on the ball to purchase your book. Yay!!
Our home “office” is the room where stuff just goes to die. It’s not nearly as bad as it used to be, but it’s fully of a lot of 1/2 finished projects, including the room itself. I painted the room in hopes of really making it over and making it useable…..but still haven’t put the outlet covers back on the walls. Pathetic.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you can do it Kayla! Good luck!
xo,
s
Katrina says
Sherry, repeat after me: “Pillow COVERS…pillow COVERS…pillow COVERS…”
;)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahah!
xo,
s
Allie says
Wow, your playroom looks just like our guest room did this summer. It had slowly been accumulating stuff from various room redo’s and random stuff that didnt have a home. I finally cracked one day and cleared it all out! 3 trips to Goodwill and a very clean and functional guest room make us very happy. Although, we do have piles of pillows and artwork like you guys! Ha!
I’ll be at the West Elm tonight!!
Victoria S says
Love it! And we used to have a room like this…until my mom moved into it while moving in with us to search for a house in our area. Now that our guest bedroom can no longer be the junk room, that means about half of it is piled high in our office/playroom (more gadget-y and book type stuff) and half of it (photos/art/decorative pillows/knickknacks I haven’t been able to part with/pre-pregnancy clothes I am still in denial about not fitting into) is consuming my side of our master bedroom. The stuff in the office I need El Hub’s help sorting to see what can be sold or trashed, but the stuff in the bedroom I just need to suck it up and sort!
Anyway, thanks for revealing the playroom! My kiddo is several months younger than Clara, so I’m curious if you will you transition her to her big girl room well before you try to plan for a new baby? I think that is what we hope to do eventually because we don’t think George would do well adjusting to a new room AND a new sibling if we space them closely together.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, she’ll be in there way before any future kiddo is on the scene :)
xo,
s
Kathy says
I literally laughed out loud at this post! You can’t imagine what a relief it is to know that I’m not the only one! We have what is supposed to be my Hobby room, but we currently call it THE SCARY ROOM!! It houses all of the stuff that I haven’t figured out what to do with, that I just can’t seem to part with, PLUS all of my genealogy stuff, knitting stuff, sewing stuff, stuff I keep saying I’m going to sell on eBay (need a ready made collection of Madam Alexander Baby Dolls for Clara?), vintage patterns, pictures, mirrors, etc. And because my husband couldn’t find another place to put it, our unused treadmill sits just inside the door. The good thing is that it blocks the view of the rest of the JUNK! I’m off all next week and THE SCARY ROOM is tops on my project list, besides cooking! Send your Mom on over!
Jennie says
Haha, we had “the scary room” for the longest time too! It ceased to be scary when we finally made it into our baby girl’s nursery. Nothing like a deadline to light a fire under you!
Heather says
Amazing job! Those nap time projects are so satisfying! Can’t wait to welcome you and all of your amazing fans to our West Elm tonight. W.E. love Young House Love!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! We’re so excited!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Is that the mirror from your laundry room in the pictures of the playroom? Did you replace it with something else?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s actually a different one I found at a thrift store for $5 about a year ago.
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Oooo now it has a match! Can’t wait to see what you do with the pair.
Audrey P says
I see your overflowing room and feel like a pirate staring at buried treasure!
YoungHouseLove says
Hilarious!
xo,
s
Melissa G says
Love seeing a good purge session before and after pics. I totally need to do this to my basement which houses the play room, family room and my craft/guest room. My kids just flew through there like a tornado last night and totally destroyed my unorganized messy piles:) When we moved in a few months back i just dropped stuff in a corner and said I’d get to it later. Well, I guess I should get on it. Buuuut…I can happily say we were busy putting together a Karl sofa of our own, and upholstering our existing headboard last weekend. So, I figure that puts me at a good breakeven point! Wow that seems long winded.
P.S. cannot wait to meet you in Tacoma in January! I’ve already planned to call in sick that day OR just use a vacation day. Either way, I am so stoked!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! We’re so excited to see you guys.
xo,
s
E.D. R. says
My whole house is beginning to look like your playroom. I am trying to sort through 6 years of stuff that has been gathering since we had our first child, but purging and sorting with 3 kids is somewhat complicated. I keep making piles, and then having to run around the house re-gathering what I already gathered but some small person has made off with in the meantime. Definitely a challenge, but we are getting there! So, you are definitely not alone. However, I don’t believe I have as many pillows in my whole house as you do in the playroom, so there is that.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I have a pillow problem!
xo,
s
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
Great work! I have a few areas around here that need some massive sorting and cleaning. You know… a little Fall cleaning. I love how much larger a space feels once it’s organized. It’s the most affordable ay to increase the size of your house.
Julie says
Ok, I’m still snort-laughing over the ‘ganked’ comment.
Thats awesome that you made so much $$ for charity!
I used to have a junk room in our old house. It was supposed to be our office, but we pretty much just shoved everything in there when somebody came over so the house looked presentable. It was hell when we moved! I think we tossed out 200 pounds of paper junk, not to mention all of the broken toy bits, random cables/wires/parts of things etc. It was crazy.
Kim S says
I am in LOVE with the little Petersik bin you are using to hold your wrapping paper. I think I need one. With my last name of course. Do you know where it came from?
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Kim! That was a wedding gift from my BFF’s family in Iowa, but maybe google around for “personalized planter” and see what comes up?
xo
s
Jane @ the borrowed abode says
I can’t believe how nosy people are about your uterus! I know when you blog you put your life out there, but geez…
Anyway, I feel ridiculous even admitting this but sometimes I’ve had a room turn into a catch-all and I almost have enjoyed the massive feeling of discovery and progress I get from cleaning it back up after a while. I guess it adds a little excitement.
KiTx says
Um, I have a guest room that will someday be a nursery (spoiler alert- I’m not pregs, so we’re talking someday in the truest sense) and it looks basically just like the before. I’m on a mission to tackle it in December when my grad program is over, because I can’t even walk in there with my eyes open at this point- which is pretty dangerous considering the amount of stuff piled all around. ;)
littleoakcreations says
Oh man… we’ve got an extra room that we use for storage pretty similar to this… except maybe a few less pillows. ;) It’s got built in bunk beds that are very, very cute but we have no children so they house luggage and that sort of thing right now! They are cute but would rather have the extra space sometimes (can’t scrap ’em though since we’re renting… boo.) Just will have to make them work! :)
Cactus Lock & Key says
OMG! It came out amazing! Great job!
Sarah says
Our nursery-to-be looks like your before picture. I actually started tackling it yesterday. The room is filled with my clothes (it served as my closet/dresser since we got married 4 months ago) due to a closet reno, all my craft/scrapbooking/sewing supplies that haven’t found a home yet, random Christmas and birthday gifts and wrapping supplies, duplicate wedding gifts, and the nursery items that actually belong in there. Oy. It’s a work in progress now, but it needs to be ready for Thanksgiving guests next week. Wish me luck!
Alison says
Ugh. I cleaned out our office back in March…and then again in July…and now it’s messy again. But you’ve inspired me. After this weekend, I’m free and clear for a month so I’m going to finally put stuff in my very pretty newly rejuvenated dresser.
Allie says
Sherry, you have a pillow problem, but so do I–in the opposite way! I look & look but can never commit to buying pillows for our couches. Any suggestions (or past posts addressing this)?
Thanks!
PS We do a semi-ruthless decluttering of the whole house, every 3 months or so. Feels so good in the end. I bet that’s how it feels to have your playroom cleared out!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I would buy a bunch that are returnable (like from HomeGoods and Bed Bath & Beyond) and just get them into the room and play around with combinations and then just return that ones that don’t work. It’s a great way to hone in on the best combo and “test drive” a bunch without that giant fear of commitment. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Deborah says
Ooo, girlfriend! You are NOT alone! I, too, have a collection room. Technically, it’s the library/home office/studio but it has become the collection/drop off/junk room. I’m really hoping to get to it in the next couple of months because it’s been driving me crazy. But, with the holidays and my social obligations, I dunno. A New Year’s Resolution, perhaps? Hang in there! If anyone can tackle a project like this, it’s you and John! LUV you both! Big holiday hugs!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Deborah! We love you too.
xo
s
Starr @ The Kiefer Cottage says
Our whole house probably qualifies as hairy. However, tonight I’m hosting book club, so it means everything goes into whatever hiding place is available. I hope no one tries to open any closets or else there might be an explosion.
mribaro says
Curious to know – where did the Clara rug end up? I thought it would look good with the old curtains from your bedroom that you did hang up.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s in the playroom (rolled up under the daybed). Would love to break it out someday!
xo
s
Sam says
That looks like hard work!! Hope you guys rested after that!! I always tell myself I’m not gonna let rooms/drawers/closets get messy and cluttered after I organize them…it never lasts long, especially if there are exams round the corner, so don’t fret, you is not alone!!
xx
Brandy says
I was hoping we would get to the insanity behind the door. Not as bad as I thought it might be though once I read through your book ;) Since, we all know you’re not preggers, is the nursery going to become your new purgatory for all “dude, get on that” projects ? :) Or just leaving it as is for the future?
YoungHouseLove says
I think it’ll take a while for Clara to be fully transitioned out of the nursery and it might just be a playroom for a while until possible future kiddo might end up in there.
xo
s
Erin says
My husband took a not-so-subtle hint to get me your book for Xmas. He bought it during the presale and I was the one here when UPS dropped it off. Ohh the horror! How am I going to make it until December25th? Especially with posts like this, just tormenting me! I might have to start a “Christmas in November” holiday tradition this year…
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahah! I like the idea of Christmas in November!
xo
s
Tamrah Ryan says
I love purging and getting life organized. And just because I say I love it doesn’t mean I do it very often. This is an inspiring post.
On a bummer note, I have been looking forward to meeting you guys. Like, so excited I could hardly contain myself. And now I won’t be able to because I am recovering from the stomach flu. :( Booerns. I could literally almost cry. Have fun in Minnesota today, wish I could be there to meet you and have my book signed!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw I’m so sorry! Feel better soon!!
xo,
s
Kelly P says
Aren’t moms the best? I can’t wait to have mine out for a marathon organization sesh when our big project is done.
Kat @ Withywindle says
Looks great!!!
And why have I NEVER thought of hanging gift bags like that before???
Morgan says
I feel that way right now with the guest room. It is filled with unfinished projects and I am putting it off and putting it off. This post inspired me, though. I can’t wait to finally meet you and John in Charlotte next year. I am currently following bloggers that have you guys all over the place on your book tour. You are famous! :)
Maria @ Redecorate Blog says
Wow, it definitely looks so much better, and I LOVE that gift-wrap closet — I need one of those! ;-) We definitely have several places throughout our home that could use some good organizing. I should get on that…
Angela says
I think I need your mom to come over to my house! I have about a thousand gift bags that need some help. They love to come bursting out the door when I open the closet.
jennT says
wow!! it looks fantastico. great job.
I’m SOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY to hear your last auction was for the Richmond Ballet–I <3 ballet so hard and they're one of the great southern companies. $500 is enough to keep a couple kids dancing through an entire semester–AWeSOMe!
ps–yall are so busy these few weeks; holy moly. I mean, you always seem busy, but every post yall are darting off in another direction. hang in there. :)