Throwback Thursday #20 – Decorating Your Space

I’m baaaack. It’s 2022 and we’re still here enjoying the process of remembering things about our past. If you want to join in, it’s easy:

• Write your own post sharing your memories and leave a pingback to this post in the comments.
• You can use the photo above in your post to make it easier to find.
• Tag it with #TBTMemory or #IRememberWhen.
• If you do not wish to write your own post, feel free to tell your story in the comments below.

This week’s prompt is: Decorating Your Space

Think back to the time you were deciding on what your environment should look like. Did you get to decorate your bedroom as a kid, or did Mom and Dad make all the decisions? This week, I’d like you to think back to when you decorated your own space. It could be a bedroom at home, a dorm room, a first apartment, or possibly a first home. Can you still see the room in your head? What did you do to make it special to you? Was your goal to rebel against what your parents would have liked? Did you get to paint the walls your own color? Did you plaster posters all over the place? Were you able to get new furniture or did you have hand me downs? Did you add things until there was no more room, or were you a minimalist? Please share your decorating memories with us.

I really hope you never needed to do this though.

My response follows: * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * *

I remember the first time I got to have a smidgen of say-so in my bedroom. As a young child, my younger brother and I shared a bedroom. Then when I was about eight, the boys had to share a bedroom and I got my own. My mom wanted me to have a girly girl room. I was not a girly girl though. She wanted bubble gum pink walls and ruffles everywhere. I finally agreed to a soft pink without the ruffles. It was heaven to have my own space. I didn’t have tons of toys, but I was always trying to make things. The room was often cluttered with cardboard, crayons, glue, and paper. I used my room as my private sanctuary.

Years later, when we returned to CA after living on the east coast for a year, I was told I had free reign to decorate my bedroom. It was the second smallest bedroom in the house, but I was thrilled. I painted my walls bright yellow and bought an 8 by 10 bright orange throw rug. (The rug went wall to wall in the bedroom.) I was allowed to get some new furniture. I picked out the bed I wanted. Because the room was small and I wanted to be able to have friends over, I chose a corner unit with two Hollywood beds on rollers. After some searching, I found this picture. It is very similar to what I had. Mine was solid gold with the brown table. I purchased neon yellow, orange, and green flowered sheets to go with my beds.

I do remember putting up posters of the Beatles, the Monkees, and Herman’s Hermits. My mom didn’t care how I decorated my room. Stepdad # 7 wasn’t with us for very long in that house. He didn’t care for much of what my brothers or I liked. He liked twangy country music and played it loudly. Needless to say he was not a fan of my music choices. I was able to hide in my room and listen to my records in peace.

I never lived in a dorm. But when I was first married, my spouse and I moved into a small, very old, rental property his parents owned. It was around 500 square feet. (at most)  We were told we could do any upgrades we wanted to. I tore out the ugly old carpeting and painted the old, damaged floors. I think the strangest thing I did, looking back, was to put up contact paper in the kitchen area. I loved the Sears, Neil the frog design. I found images of the cookie jar I owned, and the canister set I had. I couldn’t find the contact paper. You’ll have to image a wall of these frogs on it.

 

I’ve never been a minimalist. I am happy if my environment is comfy and full of things that bring me joy. I redid many of my rooms during the pandemic. I still like lots of color and lots of my own creations in the rooms. I don’t think I’ll ever put up frog contact paper on my walls again though.

I wait with anticipation, to see your responses.
Thanks Linda for the JusJoJan prompt and Pamela for the word today.

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