A Room of One’s Own

A room of one’s own is a deep desire for many…myself included. I have day dreamed about this room many times throughout my life. It changed as I grew older and wiser. Some things became less important and other became more vital to my mission here on earth. This room of mine would be a sanctuary first and foremost that no one could ever take from me. That is the most important part of this story to grasp.

Today, I am going to build myself a room. As I imagine the perfect room I would create if I had all the resources necessary, I design every aspect of it: its location and size; its outer construction and its interior furnishings. I can decorate this room with my most precious treasures and possessions.

As I fleshed out this fantasy room I, of course, discovered what is truly important to me…those things that I must include. An area to meditate. An area for tea. An area to create. An area to read. An area to dance. An area to languish and day dream. A porch swing…a garden…a loft…

This room is actually a cottage out back near the marsh. It has a low country feel with white washed graying cedar siding and rock accents. The screened porch off the back has h’aint blue ceilings, a pillow covered porch swing, a table and bench for sipping morning tea and bird watching. The front porch has the same ceiling color with a row of multi-colored rocking chairs for sipping iced tea with friends.

French doors lead you inside to an open space in which to meditate and create. When you enter you see a large bow window to your right. There are two overstuffed chairs with ottomans flanking a round table. The chairs are for reading, day dreaming, writing, or lounging. The round table is where I have my morning tea when it is too hot or cold for the porch. I also work on the computer here overlooking a beautiful garden with large live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and palm trees cohabitating with gigantic blue hydrangeas and other colorful plants and my precious herb garden.

To the left is a large area with built in shelving and storage wrapping the two long walls. The far wall has another set of French doors leading onto the screened porch. In the middle of this area is a 10′ x 5″ island work table for art, craft and cooking projects. The back left side of the room is a state of the art kitchen for testing out new recipes. The long right wall houses all my art supplies in floor to ceiling  cabinets where each section is custom designed to hold my items. The doors can disappear to reveal my supplies while creating and return to cover them when not in use.

The long left wall is custom shelving to display my art. The shelves lead into the kitchen area where I can cook to my hearts desire for myself or 20 close friends.

Between the center island and the round table is an area to dance. I love to dance.

There is a loft area above the back portion of the room. This is for napping. A large, fluffy bed occupies one corner of the room. The walls have bookshelves for my beloved book collection. There is a writing desk and my Mother’s rocking chair. The long, low wall open to below has shelves topped with family photos and photos of special moments. There are French doors opening onto a wide screened porch that overlooks the marsh. From here I can often hear the ocean and feel close to the beautiful herons and egrets that call the marsh home. I sometimes sleep on this porch feeling close to nature, yet protected. An oak tree gives shade and protection from winter winds on the north side of the porch. Much of my creativity happens here.

Oh yes, I have been thinking of this room for a long while…

This post is the third in a weeklong writing retreat I am doing called, Writing for the Soul at Days of Deepening Friendship. Today I am challenged to create a dream room just for me.