Better Renovations: Lilac Room, Before

The Lilac Room (as Lana so-named it) will soon be renamed as soon as we redesign everything to match this owl lamp. Just kidding. Sort of.

The room itself is in the best condition of any room on the second floor - nice walls, good structure, big. This also means it could hold lots of bedding for the days when we're running workshops throughout the summer. That should be a consideration for our updates and renovations.


  • De-clutter
  • Bureau in above-left photo needs new handles, a good sanding and refurbishing, or should be replaced entirely
  • Paint is pretty good, but we'll check for smudges and disrepair
  • The ceiling droops a little near the door
  • Speaking of the door, it's no good. Window slots are empty so there's not really any privacy; and the fabric over the holes is old and musty
  • Curtain rods should replace the tacks holding the fabric up at the windows; new curtains should be brought in
  • Mattress is old and way soft - definitely room for at least one bunk bed and a single bed
  • Filled hole at top of brick near door was the chimney point for a wood-burning stove that used to live up here. Maybe we can cover it...?


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Nicole Caldwell

Nicole Caldwell is a self-taught environmentalist, green-living savant and sustainability educator with more than a decade of professional writing experience. She is also the co-founder of Better Farm and president of betterArts. Nicole’s work has been featured in Mother Earth News, Reader’s Digest, Time Out New York, and many other publications. Her first book, Better: The Everyday Art of Sustainable Living, is due out this July through New Society Publishers.