Music Room

I am so blessed to be able to stay home with Jack and spend most of my day with him. I thank God daily for the opportunity. I also thank Him for the direction he gave me fourteen years ago, when I started college and struggled with my decision about a major, to go ahead with music. It has allowed me to have experiences that enhance teaching privately from home, which is a great part-time job that I love. When we were looking at houses last year, I prayed for a small space that could be my "studio." God did abundantly more than I could have asked for, or imagined. The layout of our house is perfect for piano/flute lessons. As you walk in the front door, their is a formal living room to the left and a small bathroom to the right. The living room is my lesson room. Students can come to lessons and only be in the front part of our house. Jack and Craig or grandparents who help with Jack, can be in the back in the family room/kitchen or basement in the toy room. It is great set up! I love it.

When we moved in to our first home, I had it painted and decorated in a couple weeks. It was much smaller, I was a school teacher and it was summer time, and I didn't have a 3-year-old. All that to say, we've lived here 8 months and I still don't have it all painted and the main floor is the only one decorated. This house is bigger and there's always the money thing too. I try to decorate as inexpensively as possible by buying used furniture and painting it, watching the Hobby Lobby ad for 50% off items, or duplicating and making my own accessories. It takes a long time. Usually when I have the time to work on big projects, it's after Jack is in bed and then I'm tired too, and don't get a lot accomplished. I know exactly what I want to do in each room. Since I can see each one in my head, but look at the bare walls each day, I get frustrated. I'm working on patience. I almost have the music room done, so that's the room for today's tour. :)

One of my former students that graduated last year took these pictures for me. When I started thinking about this room, I knew I wanted to use black and white music pictures somehow. She did a great job and I love the result!

This is the view as you look into the room. We bought the couch from friends that moved about the same time we did. They didn't need it anymore and I had already painted the room red. I was thrilled. (the chair to the right next to the piano, isn't usually there - I didn't notice it there when I took the picture.)
I am loving graphics on pillows and accessories right now. I had seen some similar to these in my Ballard catalog. They were about $50 a piece. I showed them to a friend who is very talented. She made stencils using freezer paper and we made our own for a small fraction of the price. I love them!
I'm still working on ideas for the wall above the piano. It is a very large empty space right now. I'm thinking of shelves or something. I'll show you what I come up with.

I found this coffee table on Craig's list for $20. It was in Des Moines. My dad and step mom were coming one weekend and picked it up on their way here.
I also bought this armoire on Craig's list. It is a story in itself. Craig has threatened to chop it up into pieces and throw it away. Believe me, I've been tempted to also. It has been a learning experience for me. It is laminate and I have been painting it black. I did cheat and spray paint the bottom, underneath. I finished it this weekend and am letting it dry really well before we try to move it into the music room.

It will go here in the corner and house all of these things - my office area. I can't wait to hide all of that! I also want to get some great door knobs for the armoire at Hobby Lobby. They have so many to choose from. That frame against the wall I used for a chalkboard that will go on the wall above where the bookcase is right now. I can't wait to have that as well for my "question of the week," and announcements for students.

The room is almost complete. I'm hoping to have everything in place in the next couple weeks. Then I can move on to painting walls that haven't been painted yet.