"Why have a regular bed when you can have a fort bed?"
That's what Owen had to say when given the choice of what kind of bed he would like to have.
After doing a little bit of research online, Will and I came up with a design that would be just right for our little fort builder.
(Owen builds forts as often as he can, dragging pillows, blankets and cushions around the house finding that days perfect spot for a fort. In an effort to contain the inevitable mess, we decided that giving Owen a permanent fort would work best for everyone)
Will headed out to the garage and with 2x4's, a table saw and a whole lot of sanding made quick work of the carpentry. Thanks to Dad, Owen came home to a big surprise after school last week...
And yes, we know it's really just a loft bed.
And clearly, you can see that it is nothing more than a loft bed.
But if you talk to Owen, he will tell you in no uncertain terms that it is a "fort bed", followed by a look that screams "what were you thinking?"
So...a "fort bed" it is!
As expected, Will quickly got a request to build one more. This one for William.
A couple days later, William came home from school to find his big surprise...
We now have two very happy boys.
This is quite a change from the set-up that we've had for the past two years in this house.
Actually, the past five years...
The boys have shared a room nearly their entire lives. Owen was 15 months old when we put them together in a room (that's when he discovered that he could climb out of his crib) and William was just 3 years old.
To say that this split was easy for Owen, couldn't be further from the truth.
He was opposed to having his own room (which would mean sleeping all alone at night) from the moment William started suggesting it.
So why the separation?
We had reached that point where it was becoming more of a hassle than it was worth to keep them together. As with all children, our boys are two very different individuals.
William is the kid who is like a little adult. Very organized, knows what he wants and likes his things a certain way.
Owen is...more...unstructured.
(I can't even type that keeping a straight face. Those that know Owen won't be able to either!)
The problems came each and every day when it was time to clean up their room.
William would clean up his things, Owen would not...
In an effort to just be done and be able to move on from the dreaded chore of cleaning their room, William would end up cleaning up all of Owen's things too, which always led to fighting, crying, etc.
The obvious solution was to give each of them their own room.
Keep in mind this wasn't even possible before since there are five of us living in this three bedroom house, but since we renovated the dining room, closing off one open arch and adding french doors to the other, it made it possible to call it a bedroom and give them each their own space.
This was their room before...
And now it belongs to just Owen and his "fort bed"...
At the ladder end of Owen's bed there are peek-holes to see who's coming...
I am going to paint it to say "What is the password?"
On the other side is a chalkboard for him to draw on. Perfect for Owen - our little artist...
Inside are his books and bean bag to get cozy while he reads...
William's room started out as our dining room. A room that we used only once a year for Thanksgiving dinner. The rest of the year we walked right on by.
A complete waste of space as far as we were concerned...
This past summer we decided to do some construction and close it off to become the kids' playroom.
Finally, truly usable space...
It took some convincing, but William finally won us over and we saw the benefits in letting him have his own room. So where there was once a dining table, there is now a bed.
A "fort bed" to be exact...
They love being able to close themselves off and "hide"...
The beds are big and rugged and perfect for the wear and tear that our kids are capable of...
Will did a great job making the design a reality. I like them even better than I thought I would!
Now that the boys have their own rooms they can, for the first time in their lives, express their individuality on their own four walls.
So for Christmas, my parents have bought them new bedding to get their rooms off on the right foot. We sat down with the Land Of Nod catalog and the boys made their picks...
William's choice:
All Solar System's Go Bedding
Both choices perfectly represent each boy and I am so excited for them.
I cannot wait to get started on the new looks!
But, just like the boys, I will have to wait until Christmas. That's when the boys will get their new bedding. Until then, I will be planning the design for each room.
They each have lots of input to give me on exactly what they want!
This should be fun!
P.S. I am linking this post to Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps On The Porch
and DIY Day over at A Soft Place To Land
and Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage
and Furniture Feature Friday at Mustard Seed Creations
and Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
But, just like the boys, I will have to wait until Christmas. That's when the boys will get their new bedding. Until then, I will be planning the design for each room.
They each have lots of input to give me on exactly what they want!
This should be fun!
P.S. I am linking this post to Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps On The Porch
and DIY Day over at A Soft Place To Land
and Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage
and Furniture Feature Friday at Mustard Seed Creations
and Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
