You guys already know that our playroom is looking kinda rough these days (thanks to this whole house update post from last week):
But we’ve decided that once we clear it out, it’ll actually suit our family better as a less traditional space. Burger is a beloved member of our family, so we think he deserves his own little area. And since Clara plays pretty much all over the house (in the office, the living room, the kitchen, and her room – depending wherever we are with her) we won’t really need an official “playroom” until baby number two comes along (and we turn the playroom into a bedroom).
And I’ll spoil the surprise for all of you folks on bump watch, Clara’s brother or sister will probably be about three years younger than her because I’ve got strict orders from my doc to give my body two full years between pregnancies to heal (thanks to some birth complications with Clara). And since it takes almost a year to bake a human on top of that two year waiting period, that’s where we came up with the whole three year approximation.
But back to the playroom. We’ve decided… drumroll please… to give Burger his own little nautical themed room! Because every pooch deserves some sea faring fun. He always seems to have the best time at the beach, so that jumped out at us as the right environment to really set him at ease. The sea gulls, the warm summer air, the sailboats, an errant pelican. What eight pound chihuahua wouldn’t love that? But enough talking, here’s our Burger-licious mood board:
- Our color palette will be pretty straightforward: navy, red, and white (with some natural wood tones and maybe a few pops of yellow worked in there for fun). The walls will stay white with graphic red & navy accents along with a super cool mural for added pop (more on that later).
- How cute would a few of these $33 seagull mobiles be when hung in a flock from the ceiling? Burger should like them since he loves watching real birds flap around outside in real life.
- This boat-ish dog bed was the inspiration for the entire nautical theme. At $260 it’s not cheap, but what can I say? Burger’s like L’Oreal. He’s worth it. Plus it’s such a room-making detail that we just couldn’t pass it up.
- Here’s the mural that I want to paint on one of the walls. I like that it’s obviously sea-inspired without being too over the top (a dock with a single pelican in the foreground feels kind of “understated” compared to some of the other busy and über bold murals that we’ve seen).
- This weathered ship’s wheel (for $34) should look cool on one of the mural-less white walls in the room.
- No dog room is complete without an on-theme dog toy, so this $7.99 blue anchor chew toy definitely fits the bill.
- And since we want to keep Burger looking “cohesive” with the rest of the room, we can’t wait to pick up this $27 outfit to help him get into character.
- Instead of something more traditional, we thought hanging fisherman’s nets (just $17.99 a pop) as “curtains” would add lots of texture and more sea-faring fun. Fingers crossed Burger doesn’t get all tangled up in them. Haha.
So that’s our vision for the playroom, at least for the next few years. Should be interesting.
Now I’m just putting words here, just to fill up space so that when you’re reading the numbered points above your eyes don’t skip down the page and notice this next part. You know, because it’ll ruin the surprise.
So in case you’re wondering if we’re totally off our rockers… we might be. But this post is still totally a joke.
APRIL FOOLS!!!
Did we get you? Did the $260 dog bed tip you off? Or was it our description of the pelican mural as “understated”? Did you really think Burger would be caught dead in that sailor’s suit in the name of cohesive design? Or did you all know this was coming given our history of April Fools Day hijinks (like this post and this post)?
Cassie says
You got me! I was hung up on the $260 HIDEOUS dog bed. I read that point twice before moving on to the next. Hahahaha!
Tiffany S. says
It’s a little early here on the West Coast, and I haven’t had a full cup of coffee but I KNEW that didn’t go with Sue, the napkin, so something must be up.
Andria says
So I’m new(ish) to your blog and as I was reading it I had an entire conversation with myself going back and forth. I went from an amused “Really?!” to “No…” to “$260!?” to “I really thought these folks were thriftier than that”. So yes, you got me :).
stephanie says
Oh my gosh…I totally fell for it! All I could think of was… the people who left the “not so nice” comments about the guest room are going to have a field day with this:) THe part about getting tangled in the curtains was LOL!
ellis says
I was reading quickly and read, “since it takes almost a year to bake a human on top” as “since it takes almost a year to make a human crop” which almost made sense to me too! Ha.
I too thought, “This is SO not Sue the Napkin.” You’ve brainwashed us all, darling bloggers! :)
Lara says
I hadn’t seen the previous years’ jokes, so this one totally had me saying, “Whaahht?” for a few minutes. Ha ha–thanks for the laugh(s):)
Katie says
You had me up until Burger in the dog outfit… although I was definitely thinking it didn’t make too much sense with your “Sue the Napkin” house theme… good one! :)
rachael says
Not gonna lie, you totally got me. I just started following your blog like a month ago so I didn’t know about the other jokes. Even when I saw the dog bed for $260 I was like “Are they off their rocker? I thought they were frugal folks, what a waste of a room!!!” I’m the most gullible person in the world!
Jennifer says
Pretty much figured it out when you said a chihuahua was getting his own room. :)
Meg says
I am such a sucker.
Amber says
fooled. and when I saw the mural I thought, “really?!?!”
Harriet May says
I still think you should totally do it. Actually, you’ve inspired me. Once I get my own place I’m going to give my Aussie her own room, sheep themed of course! I could paint a whole herd in a mural on the wall. (She really should have the opportunity to follow her instincts and herd at some point.) I don’t know if it will rile her up, or maybe she’ll count the sheep and sleep more? That would be nice. :)
Tracy says
You had me! I actually thought to myself, “Wow, I totally thought I was on the same page as them. I might not be able to keep reading their blog if they are willing to spend over $200 on a dog bed!” Haha, thank goodness I don’t have to stop reading!! I love your blog way too much!
Kara says
I was hoping this was a joke! It doesn’t match Sue the Napkin at all!
Wintry Mix says
Oh man. You totally got me at first. I thought you’d gone insane, but I did fall for it. UNTIL I got to the part about the $260 dog bed…and was like, okay no. No way at all would they do that! You definitely had us going though!
Lisa says
The dog bed really surprised me — but I just thought you had a temporary lapse of sanity!
On the baby issue — my kids are 3 years apart ( dr ordered as well). I love that age difference, although I had originally wanted them closer in age. They are close enough to play together but far enough to have separate interest too. It really works well for us. Hope it does f or you, too!
Carrie says
I totally forgot it was April Fools, which is ridiculous since while I was getting ready for work earlier I thought “Today would have been my grandpa’s birthday.” so I knew it was the 1st. I am getting old.
But a bed for $260- no way. I knew better, but I still couldn’t figure out why the gag post! I thought maybe you were abducted by aliens.
I love my doggie but I would never give her her very own room. In spite of the fact there are 2 extra rooms she could choose from. She wants to be with me all the time! So I guess we share a room. :)
JESSICA SOLDEVILA says
I TOTALLY WAS GULLIBLE TO THAT WHOLE POST BC I KNOW THAT YOU LOVE YOUR DOG THAT MUCH- SO YOU GOT ME LOL.
Brooks Smith says
Hahahahahaha- totally got me. And I did, indeed, think you were off your rocker. Thanks for the smile!
Jessie says
For half a minute, I thought you’d lost your marbles. A THEMED room? Not you guys! Then I realized it was April 1 and a wave of relief washed over me. I couldn’t see enjoying blog posts about any room being so over-the-top themey!
Beth@Just{Heart}It says
You had me until the outfit. But I must say, I wasn’t thinking, “oh, fun” or anything like that. I kept muttering (in my head), “this is proof Americans have too much.” Glad you were joking. Maybe next year I’ll remember BEFORE I start reading the post!
Gil says
Totally fell for it and thought this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. How could you use a whole room for a dog? Even though I absolutely LOVE dogs. Ha, ha. Darn it, I’m mad at myself for falling for it:-)
Sarah says
THANK. GOODNESS. I thought you guys might have lost it! haha! :)
Sarah H. says
Sadly, I was suckered in until the mention of the weathered ship’s wheel – that means that the $260 dog bed and the giant mural did not tip me off that this was an April Fool’s joke! I DID, however, think you two had completely lost your mo-jo.
Awesome post!! :)
Leigh Healy says
Is it sad that I was fully conscious of what today is and yet didn’t clue in on it until you spelled it out in black and white? I was totally scratching my head thinking what the heck are they doing? I almost lost all respect for you for about 2 minutes:o) We’ll just blame it on the fact that I haven’t been awake long and the coffee is still brewing!
Kathy says
You lost me at the wall mural! That’s when I said “They CAN”T be serious!!!” Good one you guys ;-)
Jess says
I literally laughed out loud. Then thought about how I had to email my BFF Michelle, who is a fellow YHL devotee, and say “WTH are they thinking???” HAHA!! Thanks for the laugh!
Meredith says
I was surprised, but I didn’t even question the bed. I was like, “well, that really IS in line with the theme…”. I also thought, “I’m not loving it, but what do I know?” So yeah; I was a little slow on the uptake this morning. TGIF.
L says
Nice one!
But I do think you’re on to sometihng with Clara playing all over the house, and rethinking the function here….
Jenny says
Wow – you had me. I thought “I think these guys are losing their edge…” Ha! Good one.
Michelle says
totally got me. i’m like how the hell are they spending $260 on a DOG BED??? these people are WHACK!
Clare says
Embarrassingly enough, my parents’ dog has a bedroom of his own. It’s my old room, but he’s taken over the bed, duvet, and pillows. He even lifts his head up to be tucked in properly at night haha!
Karli says
I’m a new follower. I’ve known about your blog for a while but just recently subscribed. You fooled me. My first thought was that you all had gone nuts. Lol Happy April Fools! :)
Erika says
haha – You had me until the $260 dog bed :)
Suzannah says
Hahaha! You had me until the mural!
Katie says
All I can say is I’m such a moron. I’m married to the king of pranks, so I should have seen this coming. But no. Thanks for the morning laughs!
Sarah says
Is the three year wait for a baby part of the April Fool’s joke?
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, that’s the real deal. But we know everyone will still look at my belly for the next 2+ years anyway. Haha.
xo,
s
Barb says
I totally wasn’t buying into this at all. I thought…has Sherry flipped?
As for the baby years between….3 years is perfect but 4 is better. I am thinking COLLEGE PAYMENTS and if I had to do over, I surely would have liked to by-pass having 2 children in college at the same time. The payments were a killer. But that is just my opinion. My ENTIRE PAYCHECK WENT TO COLLEGE!! The best day of my life was making out that last college check. What an accomplishment!
I feel the older the first one is before the second arrives…..the more help you can count on from Big SIS.
But…..what do I know. After parenting 2…..PLENTY!!!
Have a great weekend and think of us in the Northeast with a NO JOKE SNOWSTORM…. This is not April Fools to us. This is just UNFAIR!!! I am done with snow……until today.
B.
Megan says
My in-laws did planned their kids based on college. They also told their kids they would only pay for college if they went right away so there was no chance of two in school at the same time. I always thought it was funny until I had kids!
Deidra says
I was just about to IM my sister, “Young House Love is giving Burger his own room?! What the…?” after getting to the picture of the mood board. Then it hit me. Ha!
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating says
You had me going for a while. I was wondering if the two of you had been in a car accident or something, and had suffered some head trauma!! I breathed a sigh of relief at the end. :-D
bhh says
Happy April Fools Day! Your post reminded me of a favorite family true story. Our youngest son was named “most gullible” in his HS yearbook. When one of his older brothers saw it, he said (with a straight face), “That’s a weird category since ‘gullible’ isn’t even a word.” Our youngest replied, “It’s not?”
(BTW he’s headed to graduate school in the fall and doing just fine!)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- hilarious.
xo,
s
Stephanie says
If DH and I had an extra room, we’d probably would make it into a bedroom for our dogs. Maybe then we’d get our bed back! :-) We decided it would have twin beds, be decorated in colorful pawprints, and it would have a doggie door to the back yard.
Since that isn’t likely to happen, we will continue to share our queen size bed with two 75lb dogs. :-S
Ana Silva says
OMG!! You got me! I was like ok its cute, but seriously that is some crazy dog love. A whole room for him?? I am glad to know it’s not true even though you made it so do-able and it would actually work.
Heather says
I thought you had fallen off your rocker. I couldn’t even finish reading the post! You got me. :)
Karla @ {TheClassyWoman} says
I was a bit suckered in but wincing the whole time thinking, really?! LOL. I love how you threw in because Burget loves the beach so much. I forgot today was April Fools and so glad you’re not going with a red, white and blue themed room.
heyruthie says
lol–it’s kind of amazing, but as soon as i saw this, i *KNEW* it couldn’t be for real–just because of Sue! i thought, that looks awful with Sue! your napkin keeps you real ;-)
Kelly says
Since I’m more of a “newbie” yhl-er, I was totally believing you until the dog bed threw me off…then I kept thinking, seriously? That much on the dog bed? and You’re going to paint that mural? HA! Normally I feel like I can agree with every design you put on here, but this, NO! Haha good one!
Megan says
The “flock” of $33 seagulls without a plan to DYI them tipped me off. That would be way more expensive than that terrible dog bed! One frugal girl to another-no way! Before that I was totally thinking we would need to part ways!
Kelli says
HA-HA. The first mention of pelicans and I knew you were joking around. Took me a few minutes to realize what day it is. VERY FUNNY!
Becky Bridge says
You got me, and yes, I totally thought you had lost it! Thanks for the giggle!