A little over a year ago, Super Storm Sandy struck the East Coast and literally struck my home! Â For years, my husband and I had discussed redecorating our bedroom, but other house projects always took precedence. Â Because after all, why make your bedroom pretty when no one really sees it?! Â Well, Â "Sandy" decided to force our hand in the re-decorating decision!
During the storm, an 80 foot oak tree fell on our house, landing on one of the dormers and collapsing it into our bedroom.  The tree was so tall that it covered the entire width of my house!  We had a guardian angel watching over us that day for so many reasons -  1)  The fact that the tree fell on the dormer, a reinforced structure, was a blessing.  The dormer 'broke the fall' of the tree and prevented it from falling through to the first floor of our home.  2)  One of the branches from the tree impaled the gabled roof in the front of the house, also helping to slow the tree's momentum. 3) I had JUST been in the bedroom moments before and had left because the wind was getting intense and I had a terrible feeling that something was going to happen. 4) Because I came downstairs, my husband got up from our dining room table where he was working, which was directly below where the tree fell.
the backside of the house with the tree on it
the very delicate (and stressful) process of removing the tree from the house
After a very stressful few days of cranes, chainsaws and trucks, the tree was removed from our house. Â The holes were boarded and tarped, and an insurance adjuster (who drove all the way from Texas in that crazy snow storm we had a few days later) came out and gave us a quote for the damage. Â It was then that we began to think about how we wanted to transform the bedroom. Â My first call was to my friends Sara and Melissa at
Hartley and Hill Designs.  Sara and I have been friends for years and she understands my taste level perfectly.  Sara created a rendering of a design  for the room and it was PERFECTION! I did not want to change a thing!  I am honored to have revealed the finished product on
Style Me Pretty Living.Â
(click the link to see their post and a full gallery of images)
As terrible as the entire experience was for myself and my family, it taught me so many things.  Firstly, we were so thankful that the damaged that we experienced was minimal compared to what so many others experienced.  We had a hole in our house, but we still had a house!  There were so many that did not!  Secondly, I learned that your bedroom should be your sanctuary. It should not matter that no one spends time in your room but you and your family.   Your bedroom should be beautiful and  filled with the things that bring you comfort and joy! I wake up every morning now and look around and can't believe that I am so lucky to be in such a beautiful space, surrounded by pictures of my husband and children.
I can't thank Sara and Melissa enough for transforming my room and for creating an environment that is so beautiful that when I look at it, Â I don't think about the damage that was done, but instead about the beauty that was created!
And a big smooch to my girl,
Carla Ten Eyck for capturing all of the beauty of this project!
 *necklace from Aquinnah Jewelry
xoxo, TWD