This should be subtitled To Divide or Not to Divide. The room that will be our master bedroom and nursery is very spacious and brightly lit by four large windows. Since Day One we adored the space and the bird's-eye maple woodwork that defined it: the mirrored mantelpiece and the two dramatic, wide door frames (one now shrunken, and one for the built-in cabinetry). It would be an incredible master bedroom…more than enough room for a big bed, a chaise by the window, a mirrored vanity table, even a large desk.
It's been a big dilemma for us and Mike Streaman, who has been adamantly trying to convince us to keep the room open.
He even offered to build a triple bunk bed for the boys in the other bedroom (just kidding). We certainly were tempted to consider other options and, up until a few days ago, were dreaming up a plan for sliding panels on tracks instead of a real wall. Unfortunately, the reality right now is that our baby needs a separate bedroom and the only sound-proof option is to divide our ideal master bedroom into two rooms.
Our five-year plan is to take over the top floor of the house, giving our kids enough time to enjoy the extra space and their own rooms, if they want, before they start leaving the nest to go to college―boo hoo! So, at that time when we are able to spread out on three whole floors, the thought is that we will restore our room to its original glory and remove the wall. We feel very fortunate that these large brownstone houses offer so much flexibility for growing families.
I don't have a photo of the divided room yet since Mike is postponing the dreaded event as long as possible, maybe in the hope that we will still come to our senses and preserve the whole room (also, the new floor needs to be laid down first). We would love to hear of any creative solutions out there!