X is for X-bedroom: I have to move! Twenty-fourth of 26 posts in the April 2021 Blogging From #AtoZChallenge. Theme: “Endwell: My Early Teen Years”— adding my story to the family history mix. Please join me on the journey. 
When we first moved to our Endwell, N.Y., home in 1957, I had a big bedroom upstairs, with a small built-in closet — and my brothers shared a room opposite mine.
But within a couple of years, changes were in the wind.
My parents’ first brainstorm, in my elementary years, was to build a big clothes closet inside my bedroom — turning my floor plan from a large rectangle to an L-shape. I was beside myself over the loss of square footage — so furious I made my first and only threat to run away from home.
But it was the middle of winter, I was just a kid — and when I got outside I thought better of it (Where would I go? What would I eat? Who would take me in?). So I slunk back inside, defeated — and up went the closet.
I leave my X-bedroom
By the time I was 15, however, my two younger sisters had come along — and even I realized they needed a room of their own.
So I prepared to relinquish my X-bedroom to them and move into a little dormer room that Dad constructed — which stuck straight out our back roof, as shown above.
Smaller, yes, but with some teen essentials: a real wooden door I could slam shut and lock, plus a new half-bath Dad built in the hallway for us kids.
My tiny teen room
My tiny teen room was just big enough for a cot-sized bed (smaller than a twin), a flip down secretary-desk (which I still use) and a small chair. My dresser was built into the wall and a hall closet just outside held my hanging clothes.
My parents, who probably recalled the running away episode, left the decor up to me — and I went wild 1960s style. I chose textured mustard-gold wallpaper, a matching wicker hanging lamp, an orange ribcord bedspread and drapes, and avocado green paint for the secretary.
I also hung a fuzzy, green footprint rug on the wall, next to a big Chiquita Banana ad — and reveled in the expansive view of the back yard and willow tree through a larger window than in my old X-bedroom.
My high-school friend Marilyn recently recalled it as, “A really cool room.” But years back another Endwell girlfriend, who visited when I lived in a studio apartment, took a look around and quipped, “Well, it’s bigger than your high school bedroom.”
Either way, it was was my new private space as I entered my later teens — and I made the most of it.
Up next, Youth job at the Altamont Fair. Please leave a comment, then join me as Endwell: My Early Teen Years unfolds one letter at a time!
© 2021 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.
Yeah, tiny rooms are freaky. I’ve slept in trees a few times just so I could stretch out.
I love letter X posts! Always such variety.
It’s hard to believe the blogging challenge is almost over for 2021. Down to the after survey, reflections, and the road trip sign-up.
Plus, I’m taking part in the Bout of Books read-a-thon in May. So much excitement!
J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author
A locking door is definitely a must in those teen years!
And one that slams when you stomp up to your room due to family aggravation of one sort or another 🙂
Ye, small but yours ;))
Exactly!
Your dad was quite creative to make a dormer bedroom for you! I remember those fuzzy feet rugs but haven’t thought of one in a long time!
I know, those rugs were all the rage, weren’t they?
I had to smile at your bedroom Molly…oh so 60s! Fancy being let to run amok with your decor…but then there was that fear of a teen tantrum and escape to the world. I’m not a fan of small spaces even when it’s mine so I’d have found that difficult.
The larger window definitely helped!
Great memories, and I love your photo. Tiny is a small price to pay for privacy and full-decorating privileges. Those once-cutting-edge color choices make me laugh – how times change.
I know — sixties colors were wild but fun!
Love me some bay / attic room, and yours sounds fabulous. The older kids become, the less important is the size of a room in my humble opinion.
In German we use a phrase “klein, aber mein”, it literally translates as “small, yet mine”.
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-z-2021-you-have-to-kiss-many-xenopus.html
So true! Plus, we had a finished rec room in the basement where we kids could hang out and watch TV or have friends over — so having a large bedroom wasn’t so essential.
Loved this account of your bedrooms. – my colour scheme was rather similar to yours – peach and apple green. Years later we let our teenage daughter choose colours for her bedroom do-over and in the 1980s grey and pink were all the rage – I never liked it! Our granddaughter’s favourite colour from her toddler days has been purple? Fashionable colours change with the times!
Yes, they do. I rather like peach and apple green as your teen color scheme!