Moving in with Minted

It’s never easy moving from one place to another, but the fun part is that when you move into a new home, it is like a brand new canvas – you get to design it however you want! It’s a whole different experience, however, when you’re moving back into an old room (like a childhood room, for example) that’s already furnished with outdated belongings, and that’s exactly the unfortunate situation in which I recently found myself.

Temporarily, I’ve moved back into my old childhood room. And for the first few days, it was achingly frustrating (I won’t lie, a few angry tears were shed) trying to make my old room feel like a haven again. Although nothing was new, it all felt unfamiliar and odd. With a bed, shelf, closet, and dresser already in place, I felt trapped and uncomfortable. Your bedroom is supposed to be one place where you can feel completely relaxed and happy, but having lived away for so long, I no longer felt that way about this room. Furthermore, there simply was not enough space for my current belongings (don’t even get me started on the lack of closet space…)! For a couple of weeks, my room was a hodgepodge of random items, and it wasn’t until more recently when I came across Minted, an online marketplace for art and design, home to hundreds of beautiful limited edition art pieces, that I finally felt inspired enough to promptly end the self-pity party by channeling my caged-lion frustrations into energy for making my room feel like me again. It’s surprising how big of an effect a few simple swaps and new wall art could create.

Featured on The Today Show and The Early Show, and in Real Simple, Town & Country, InStyle, Martha Stewart Weddings, Food & Wine, and other major national magazines, Minted offers endless pages of gorgeous wall art curated from ongoing design competitions with artwork submitted by independent artist, and consumers can select their choice of art size, paper quality, and even frame (if you’re not in the market for wall art, you can also browse through Minted’s beautiful holiday cards, wedding stationary and decor, and more). It took a couple of days to scroll through as much as I could, and I finally settled on Gay Blossoms (for those curious, mine is 18″ x 24″ with the premium white wood frame) – I love the subtle abstract floral design, and the soothing colors, and I was pleasantly surprised at the overall quality and service that Minted provided! With this framed art, I created a nice little “work corner” in my room, swapping out my old plushies and dusty Seventeen magazines with pieces that are a little more relevant to my life now. For the first time in a month, my living area doesn’t feel as cluttered and foreign!

I’m still getting used to this new lifestyle, and knowing it’s only temporary brings a bit of solace and restrains me from blowing entire paychecks on a home make-over, but re-doing my room to reflect my current stage in life has immensely helped me adjust. It’s still a work in progress (I really need to carve out some time to get some flowers from the Farmer’s Market!) and it’s still on the plain side due to the transitory nature of my living situation, but as of right now, I’m home.

Special thanks to Minted for partnering on this post!