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?
Kim says
I was in the anti camp for a long time. Then kids came. My daughters room is placed in such a way that it is impossible to watch TV at night without keeping her awake. For the longest time my husband and I would be in separate rooms (him in the office on the computer and I would read in the bedroom) at until the kids were down. Then we would go to bed. We finally broke down and moved the TV to our room. Best decision ever. We now have time with just us at the end of the day.
Oh, and it has not slowed us down at all ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, good to know!
xo
s
Eileen says
We only had one tv in the house growing up, and it was in my parents room. I assume it was for monitoring purposes. It was on top of a dresser my dad had made, and he put a lock on the top drawer. When they weren’t around, they’d unplug the tv, and put the cord in the drawer and lock it. We never had cable either. My parents actually only got it when my sister and I both left home after college (2004). :) When we’d watch shows or movies or parades on holidays, it was usually together, on the bed or with floor pillows.
When company would come over, they’d just move it to the living room on a rolling cart.
In our home now, we’ve chosen not to have tv in the bedroom just so that we have a chance to wind down for the night and talk and read. We’ve read books together ever since we started dating over 10 years ago. Now we read together right before going to sleep.
Laura says
I have a tv in my bedroom. It’s about 20 years old and while it works is very rarely used. I don’t have cable & tend to end up using my little portable dvd player to watch videos in my bedroom.
Kenz @ Interiors By Kenz says
We love having a TV in our bedroom. It’s nice to snuggle and unwind while watching some Seinfeld. Since our family room is in the basement, we don’t have another TV on the main floor of the house. So I feel completely fine about having a TV in the master.
Lindsey says
I grew up with a TV in my bedroom and couldn’t imagine ever surviving without one. Cue to now, where I’ve been TV-free for the past seven years. Well–almost. We were gifted an old TV and had nowhere else to put it but in the bedroom. It’s not hooked up to cable and we figured it would just be for watching DVDs. A year later and I haven’t ever turned it on…
Sarah says
We have a TV mounted to the wall in our bedroom, and we love it. It’s wonderful for lazy Saturdays, or watching TV when cleaning up or folding/putting away clothes…and it IS good for snuggling while watching our favorite shows before going to bed. Nothing wrong with a TV in the bedroom!
Shannon says
I have a TV in my room and sleep across from a mirror so I guess its bad feng shui all around!
I love having the TV watch the news while getting ready in the morning so I know whats going on the the world!
ps- LOVE that dresser!!!
Sarah says
I love that dresser! And those night stands!
I wish I could steal them.. mwahahaha! :)
I think your setup looks lovely. I’m against a TV in my own bedroom though. I used to have one, but I had a lot of sleepless nights. It was too easy to turn on the TV to “help” me fall asleep and then end up being awake for another 2.5 hours.
I sleep WAY better in complete blackness and total silence.
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
Dang I love that dresser.
I have to sleep with a tv on…so I am in your “tv-in-the-bedroom club :)
Carrie says
I used to be anti tv in the bedroom for me but when I moved in the cold concrete house I decided I needed on so I could snuggle under the goose down and watch movies. It rarely gets used though. Maybe once every 6 months? I’m horrible at sitting still long enough to watch movies and I have big dogs, so when they get up and move around they are in my way! :) But I am glad I have it when I am sick.
“I want to bother him.” Hilarious!
Carolyn says
No TV in our bedroom but we do watch netflix on our iPad occasionally, which is perfect for when the hubby falls asleep long before me and I don’t have to wake him up to walk to bed. : )
Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says
I am a very light initial sleeper. Like before I can enter my REM cycle I have to have almost a completely sterile silent static-free type environment. Otherwise my Spidey sense is going off the charts. We had a TV in our room once. It lasted about a few months. Then it literally started being the 3rd person in the marriage and then I had to kick that hussy to the curb…
My best, Lynn
jody says
I am laughing at all the comments!! Too funny. We are just deciding on this very issue – have always been a NO TV in room couple – but now we think, oh to snuggle together & watch a movie or have all our kiddos with us & watch a movie – and if someone is sick – we think it’s the best idea to keep the sick kiddo in our room w a TV for movie watching & to have our bath – to keep the germs away from the rest of us!!- so we think we’ll do it too – but ugh, I don’t want to look at a TV – have to figure that out (armoire or something).
Have a great holiday guys!!
Phoebe Koehler says
I’ve always been against the TV in the bedroom until I recently realized our bedroom is filled with media, anyway! My husband and I always bring our iPhones to bed, plus sometimes we’ll put a movie in our computer and bring it to bed.
We haven’t actually put a TV in the bedroom yet but it would probably make sense to just put one in there and have the higher quality screen. The whole no technology in the bedroom thing is probably a little outdated since technology is much more portable now.
Anne M says
We have a tv in the bedroom because we had an extra one as well, but we have never turned it on! Maybe someday if I’m sick and can’t get out of bed I will!
Nicole F says
I did see baby Weston! I am soo excited for the Bowers! Also Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen had her baby Lucy! Two babies in 24hrs! It feels like baby fest on my instagram! I love it!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s so funny!
xo
s
Reenie says
Yup…. I have a TV in my bedroom and love it.
Love that dresser!!
ashlie says
It’s so weird seeing the whole TV in the bedroom debate since I grew up with TVs in the bedroom. When I was in high school we had 7 TVs in the house (4 kids + 1 mom + 2 living rooms) because we were allll TV sleepers! I love falling asleep to a show, it’s the greatest! My 2 year old has a TV in her room now too, it seems to really help her settle down at night to watch a show while she drifts off. Whatever works!
Kari says
I keep my TV in the bedroom unplugged :). Although I only watch in the family room, there’s something about the visualization of the tv that just adds that lil some’n some’n, right?!
Elaine says
I can’t imagine NOT having a TV in the bedroom. My very favorite thing on weekends is to lie in bed and watch a show or two.
Sometimes I can’t shut my brain off before sleep and a little TV helps me zone out and drift away.
LOVE the dresser!
Somer says
We totally have a T.V. in our room! It’s where the hubby and I record our cartoons and relax after a long days work. Some times you need a little fluff or thriller, etc. to relax. AND, uh, it doesn’t take away from the other stuff that happens in the bedroom.
gemma@thesweetestdigs says
So we made the TV-in-the-bedroom move earlier this year and haven’t regretted it for a second. It’s ridiculously cozy to snuggle up and watch a movie and actually we’ve been going to bed earlier, too. I used to stay up way too late doing work on my laptop on the couch in front of the TV (till midnight), and now we’ll go watch our fave show in bed at 9:30pm or 10pm. So much better! And no – it didn’t have an affect on any “other” activities that go on in the bedroom…. :)
Here’s what our TV gallery wall looks like: http://thesweetestdigs.com/2012/05/23/a-tv-gallery-wall/
YoungHouseLove says
That looks great! I love the cord covers!
xo
s
Krissy says
I am not a fan of the tv in the bedroom, but we have one. I have problems falling asleep as it is, but add a tv into the mix and I am wide awake. Nathan “NEEDS” the tv on to fall asleep, but also keeps the remote on his side. So once he’s asleep, I have to reach over, grab the remote, and shut it off… which sometimes wakes him up. And then we start from square one again. C’est la vie.
Cathy says
The dresser looks so good in your room! And yes, we have a tv in our bedroom. When our son was first born we were in a one bedroom apartment and so his crib was in the living room until we moved when he was 4 months old. Since he was in the living room we decided to get a small tv for our bedroom so we could watch tv without disturbing him. Even after the move to our home where he has his own bedroom, we still have it in our room. Sometimes it is just nice and cozy to put a show on before bed.
Danielle B. says
We do have one, purely because I think it’s glorious to get into my insanely comfy bed and watch True Blood! I find I can just “relax” there; in the living room, I find myself worrying about the dust on the end tables or the pile of mail on the counter. Enjoy!
Riva says
Aw, I think you should be able to put a TV in your bedroom and share the update with cyberspace without also having to explain why you understand people will comment that it is a bad idea to ward off said impending comments. I laughed out loud at the part about the boom-boom with J-Boom …
And as far as your poll: in the first two abodes we shared we did have a small TV in the bedroom but we never ever watched it and I got tired of dusting it. I can’t even remember when we got rid of it – did we sell it on CL or recycle it? I’m not opposed to having one in the bedroom but if I watched something scary right before going to bed, while in my bed, it would probably give me nightmares. It helps having the TV in a separate room so I can clear my head and think happy thoughts before I go to sleep no matter what I’ve just watched!
Ade@fortheloveofpainting says
We thought about it, we recently upgraded also, but I feel we watch too much tv with one, so we sold the tv! I definitely don’t find it weird however, my parents had one in their room growing up, and it was where we would go if we did not want to watch what other family members were watching!
Jennifer M says
I used to be very much anti-tv in the bedroom, but now we have one and it’s so nice for the same reason you mentioned! If I’m in the living room watching tv I always feel like there’s something I should be doing, but in the bedroom I can actually relax and just watch tv. I do like that our’s is in an armoire and can shut the doors and not see it though. Sometimes we go a week or two without opening it up and watching it and that’s nice. I kind of feel like if it was out, we would have it on all the time.
aimee says
we have a TV in the bedroom, but we never use it! I lurves the TV and my husband keeps saying we should just cancel that box, but I’m all “noooooo” Our 4-month-old baby’s crib is still in the room, so maybe (hopefully?!) when we move him to his own room, there will be more TV-viewing and less trying to not wake up the baby.
Heather says
LOVE LOVE LOVE the dresser. OMG, LOVE it. It’s one of my favorite book projects and one I’m going to tackle as soon as I can find a solid dresser that needs a little TLC.
Anyways. We have a TV in our bedroom, but I can honestly count on one hand the number of times it’s been turned on. When my husband deployed last year and I was living alone for the first time in… well, ever… I thought that maybe having some background noise would help. So we took one of our extra TV’s we have lying around and mounted that sucker to the wall.
I like having it there now just to have something on the huge, bare wall.
Melissa says
Nothing wrong at all with a TV in the bedroom. My boyfriend and I love it just to watch a little house hunters great escapes to chat and dream about before falling asleep :)
Kathy says
We don’t have a TV in the bedroom. Both of our parents did, but now that we’ve established the habit, I’m kind of glad we don’t. My husband has trouble enough sleeping anyway. But, I do love having the flexibility to bring a laptop into bed, for the rare occasions when that’s really how we want to watch.
Traci @ yellowWISHBONE says
we do have a tv in our bedroom but it is not hooked up to cable. my husband and i mostly use it to watch movies as we fall asleep! btw. i seriously love that dresser! i can’t wait to make one. :)
Anita says
Is that little blue plate from West Elm? I have the same one!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! I snatched it up for styling book shots!
xo
s
Kara says
Another comment I wanted to leave was about the whole cable thing – that some people have already mentioned. You could think about having a Roku or one of those other TV streaming boxes for the bedroom TV. Make your TV into a “smart TV” without paying the sticker price. You could use your Netflix online account to stream a movie, put on Pandora to listen to music, watch shows from the Hulu channel, etc etc. I’ve been thinking about getting Roku, and getting the one with the Angry Birds game on it so my 6-year old nephew will think his Aunt Rara’s place is the coolest. Yeahhhhhh baby.
Rachel McCoy says
Color me jealous! Watching TV in bed is one of my absolute favorite things to do. If I can ever convince my hubby to let us put one in our bedroom I will consider that a major victory in my book. :) Hope lots of work-free relaxing is in your future in there!
P.S. Dresser looks awesome too.
Karen says
We have actually been pretty lucky because in our last two apartments we’ve had a too-small-for-anything closet in our bedroom across from the bed. We use it to put the TV in so we can have it when we want it, but hide it behind closed doors when we don’t. We actually never hooked ours up to TV (then again we don’t have cable) so it is only useful for having down time watching movies together. It keeps the TV from being too invasive. Good luck with the switch!
Brenda says
I never had a TV in my room until college, and I’ve had one ever since then because I’ve just had a studio apartment (all one room). I don’t watch TV in bed a ton (I watch my computer more since I have Netflix but not cable), but on Saturday mornings when I’m feeling sleepy but not quite like I should nap, it’s nice to lay in bed with a little TV for company.
Also, I kept checking Katie’s blog all day waiting for news of Weston. So excited for her and the fam!
KathyG says
I love TV in the bedroom. I had the occasion to find a TV in the guest room not long ago when I was visiting a friend, and it was so nice. So I came home and started looking for a cheap one for my guest room too. I’ve had several overnighters since then, and all have commented on what a nice surprise it is to have that option.
When you have the cable guy come, think about putting one in your guest room too. (you could just put your bedroom TV i there when guests come, no need to buy another one). It will cost a minimal amount for him to do both on one trip charge, and will give you that extra option.
YoungHouseLove says
Smart idea!
xo
s
Val says
I’m so glad that you guys kept that dresser! It is so cool and it looks so at home right there.
We’ve gone both ways on the TV in the bedroom issue. When we had a bedroom TV, it had good and bad points. Now that we only have one in the living room, we have to come to a consensus on what to watch and we can’t split up to watch our own shows (which used to happen from time to time). At one point, we talked about getting one again and using it strictly for movie dates, not even connecting it to the cable. But now baby’s room is on the other side of that wall, so it probably wouldn’t be a good idea right now.
And since this is already the longest comment ever, may as well add that “Being Human” has probably irreparably scarred me; I’d probably be too spooked to have a TV in the bedroom now. And having cancelled our cable, I’m in complete “Walking Dead” withdrawal — I have to stay off Facebook on Sunday nights to avoid the spoilers. Ugh!!
Heather says
We have one in our bedroom — it gets the best reception in the house so it’s our go-to when we need to record something (we don’t have cable, entirely by choice). I used to feel kind of guilty having it there, but I fold a lot of laundry at night and it’s nice to have it on sometimes when I’m doing something mindlessly repetitious like that. It’s also nice when my husband and son want to watch football — I can put my girls upstairs with a Barbie movie and everyone’s happy. That said, I can never fall asleep if it’s on, so we had to have some ground rules, but I guess I’ve made my peace with it.
Meaghan says
I’ve never had a tv in the bedroom, although my finance and I lived in a bachelor for 2.5 years and so the tv in the “living room” was actually in every room! haha! I’m not totally opposed to a tv in the bedroom, especially since I LOVE the idea of Sunday morning movies! But I think ultimately I like leaving the bedroom for sleeping (and other activities…) blush blush.
Virginia Ryan says
I think a TV in the parent’s bedroom with small kids is the best. It’s definitely brought some serious relaxation into our lives. We watch our shows some nights and also have ‘no tv’ nights. Snuggling with a toddler while watching a movie in bed is one of my favorite things.
Congrats to you guys!
Sam @ The Junk House says
We have a 40″ TV in our bedroom…and it’s amazing! A couple Sundays ago we (including the dogs) stayed in bed most of the day watching TV and it was perfection.
lauren says
We don’t have a TV at all – for now we just watch DVDs on our computer, as well as Netflix/Hulu. We sometimes bring the laptop to bed and watch movies or shows… We’re always trying to have a “no tv in bed” policy but it’s so nice and cozy sometimes! We’re going to get a sectional couch for the den soon, as well as a projector to hook up to the computer, so that should be sufficient for a cozy movie-watching snuggles.
lauren says
Ahhhhh! Dexter! I’ve been hoarding the episodes from this season so far so my boyfriend and I can have a viewing marathon over Thanksgiving break. I can’t wait; it’s been so hard not to watch!
We used to have a tiny white kitchen tv in our bedroom that was left over from my old studio apartment. But we recently ended up scoring a console table for the wall across the bed and decided maybe something bigger was in order. Luckily, we had a larger flat screen (about the size of yours) hidden away in a closet from my boyfriend’s previous apartment. I get anxious sometimes around bedtime (it’s hard to turn my thoughts off!), so I usually will pop in an Office dvd and use that to unwind before my boyfriend comes to bed.
On a unrelated note, just looked at the updated sidebar– Gillian Flynn! If you loved Gone Girl, get thee to a library and find her first two immediately. I tore through them in a few days. Also, I love how the Michael Kors watch is not described as such, but rather as “Sexy watch.” I’d have to agree :)
lauren says
Oh man, I just saw the agate slices. You’re killing me, Petersik. Currently sitting on my hands to keep from pressing “add to cart.” (That’s right. I’m typing this with my TOES.)
YoungHouseLove says
Arent that awesome?! I would totally make shadowbox art with them. Or custom knobs for an awesome dresser and some crazy glue!
xo
s
YoungHouseLove says
Hahha, so funny about the watch! And as for Jillian, I can’t wait to read her others!
xo
s
Amy S says
I used to live with someone who liked to fall asleep with the TV on, and the only way to not have the TV on while I was trying to sleep was to put it in another room. :P But now I prefer it that way. The bedroom feels more restful with only things in it that revolve around either sleeping or getting dressed in the morning.
On the other hand, I also have no problem kicking back on the couch and giving my full attention to my favorite show, so that makes a difference.
Jenn0021 says
We have a tv in the bedroom but we rarely use it. It is nice to have it there as an option though and I’m especially appreciative when I have a sick day and I can just curl up in bed watching movies.
I hope you guys enjoy it and that it helps you with your work/life balance.
Audrey says
Jealous! The hubs is strictly against a TV in the bedroom. I have serious winding-down problems (and my eyes won’t tolerate reading for pleasure anymore) so I take my laptop into the bedroom every night and plop it down on my nightstand. I watch re-runs of old shows and doze off somewhere in the middle. The hubs has mentioned that it bothers him (isn’t a laptop with Netflex effectively a TV in the bedroom?), but I think he understands my problem and doesn’t push me on it.
Tyleet says
Funnily enough, we have a TV in the living room and bedroom, but cable ONLY in the bedroom. That way, we’re not tempted to put the TV on for a moment, and end up the half the day wasted to mindless day time TV. And, the kiddo isn’t bombarded with commercials. The shows and movies we watch in the living room have to be purposefully chosen. Evening wind down, when kiddo’s in bed, is when we catch up on our shows. Ahhh… brainless bliss.