I'm still a geek when it comes to "furnishing" or decorating my house. It's my house but it still looks like a "Bachelor Pad" when you enter the living room. I like Arts & Crafts style furniture and art.
My bedroom is mostly furniture I have made myself with that lousy computer desk in the corner. That's going out the window someday. The old machine is used so little but still has stuff on it that I realize I need time to time. That is also where all the routers and printer are located.
So what have I done to feminize my room? I replaced all the pulls on my furniture with ceramic flowered pulls. I have a plush animal collection that sits everywhere. Sadly, the astronomy pics still clutter art space... that's got to be replaced. And I have two flower arrangements.
What have you done? Do you have any suggestions for me?
Well I haven't done anything to my room, mostly out of laziness, but it's not actually a "gendered" room since it's an animal theme.
Clothes all over my bed and floor. But then again, it's always been like that.
Lady Gaga posters, True Blood posters, a Marilyn Manson poster, a hair potter calender, and a fairy calender. Aside from that it is just dressers and clothes. I am not sure if that is a feminine or not, but it is the combination of me and my wifes tastes.
I have only had one bedroom that was not with her in my adult life, and I had my friends all write quotes on my wall or draw something if they had the talent, and that wasn't really gender specific but I really did enjoy the personalized touch it gave my room.
Looks similar to how it always did... Messy disorganized filled with tools wires and old salavged and recycled technology. Mostly my books are biology or science books.
Differences? Well their are more skin products on the side, partly through need or through nagging by my electrologist, And in the messy heaps of clothes you can see a few bras, dresses and skirts in amoungst my same old clothes. And everyday makeup on my dressing table.
Replaced the boring white curtains with black curtains, replaced my old male-ish bed sheets,pillow etc with dark purple ones. I have a tons of really cute girly stickers on most of my stuff now (mirror, TV, computer, light switch etc) and i have a few hello kitty items laying around. :D Also i have a picture hanging on my wall of a young boy and girl and the girl is leaning over to kiss the boy on the cheek, it's been in my family for years and i think it's so adoreable. I had to steal it from my grandmother. :eusa_shhh:
Stuffed animals... lots and lots of stuffed animals. ;D Everything else is a disaster though and I'll sort it out as soon as I find a job.
Quote from: Zoë Natasha on August 18, 2011, 04:42:35 PM
Stuffed animals... lots and lots of stuffed animals. ;D Everything else is a disaster though and I'll sort it out as soon as I find a job.
Lol zoe, the only stuffed animal i have is this stuffed pikachu that i won at the fair last year. I remember when i was a kid me & my sister had alot of stuffed animals like pound puppy's, care bears etc. Our mean step dad burnt them just to be a dick. >:(
I have bras lying on the floor. Does that count?
Quote from: Cindi Jones on August 18, 2011, 02:55:36 PM
I'm still a geek when it comes to "furnishing" or decorating my house. It's my house but it still looks like a "Bachelor Pad" when you enter the living room. I like Arts & Crafts style furniture and art.
My bedroom is mostly furniture I have made myself with that lousy computer desk in the corner. That's going out the window someday. The old machine is used so little but still has stuff on it that I realize I need time to time. That is also where all the routers and printer are located.
So what have I done to feminize my room? I replaced all the pulls on my furniture with ceramic flowered pulls. I have a plush animal collection that sits everywhere. Sadly, the astronomy pics still clutter art space... that's got to be replaced. And I have two flower arrangements.
What have you done? Do you have any suggestions for me?
Cindi, you don't need to throw out those astronomy pictures. You obviously like them. It is always a great temptation to go down the stereotypical route when transitioning. I was going to get pink sheets and pink pillowcases for my bed and more feminine looking curtains, and of course that nice blue patterned carpet had to go even though I liked it, because as we all know blue is a boy's colour. * Well 6 months on my bed linen is still the same, the curtains and still the same and my carpet is still the same. When my sister asked me half-jokingly if I was going to put up posters of boy bands on my bedroom wall. I realised that I didn't want my bedroom all pink, lace and pastel colours/ So. I did what genuinely made me happy, rather than conform to stereotypes.
I am a girl that likes blue.
P.S. many of us in the transgender community are never entirely sure if we are doing something because we genuinely want to, or we merely conforming to concepts, stereotypes and pre-conceived ideas, or trying to live up to the expectations of others. If you have the energy to do something then you really want to do it. I'll give you an example, my mother kept on asking me to come shopping with her to choose those feminine sheets and curtains, and I kept making excuses and putting it off. I didn't realise at the time that I was doing this. Later though I realised that I didn't have to be asked twice about coming with her to choose a new chest of drawers - for all my new clothes and underwear - or to pick out a jewellery box and my sister and I scoured high and low looking for a make-up bag for me. I had the time and energy for these things because I genuinely wanted them.
Quote from: Forever21Chic on August 18, 2011, 04:52:19 PM
I remember when i was a kid me & my sister had alot of stuffed animals like pound puppy's, care bears etc. Our mean step dad burnt them just to be a dick. >:(
That's terrible!!! :( I would have cried for years over that one, every time I thought of the love I put into those adorable bundles of fur and stuffing. Even now, I get upset thinking about the stuffed animals at my dad's house that I'll never get to have back because they decided to stop talking to me after my stepsister outed me to them.
Thankfully my little bear was at my mom's house and so I have that one in my bedroom. :) It's the bear mom held when she gave birth to me and I've had her my entire life.
Grandma holding her in 1978. I was obviously thrilled:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theforestatnight.com%2Fkidpics%2F1978%252002%2520May%2520Bear.jpg&hash=0471b39506cdb278fc9a2bc790af2bfc693cfc6c)
And now! :) Second picture is my bear with another bear I found when I was 16 and gave to her so she'd never be lonely.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theforestatnight.com%2Fsusans%2F2011-05-22%252023.36.22.jpg&hash=6eaede4debe6960909614dbf58e9e86955b4ed02) (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theforestatnight.com%2Fsusans%2F2011-05-22%252023.42.18.jpg&hash=00d7ce876458a58869f8200708adeffe1e4a8e45)
So those two are in my bedroom along with Mickey Mouse, Chip, Dale, my moose Dudley, another little moose, Bert and Ernie (both crocheted by my grandmother), a crocodile, a little mouse, and a little cat. Cheshire Cat and a Smurf (from the '80s) are in the living room:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theforestatnight.com%2Fsusans%2Fsmurfcat.jpg&hash=2e568026ef7035042ebfb4f12168392271776f3e)
Yes, I'm obsessed with stuffed animals. :laugh:
Quote from: Forever21Chic on August 18, 2011, 04:35:05 PM
Replaced the boring white curtains with black curtains, replaced my old male-ish bed sheets,pillow etc with dark purple ones. I have a tons of really cute girly stickers on most of my stuff now (mirror, TV, computer, light switch etc) and i have a few hello kitty items laying around. :D Also i have a picture hanging on my wall of a young boy and girl and the girl is leaning over to kiss the boy on the cheek, it's been in my family for years and i think it's so adoreable. I had to steal it from my grandmother. :eusa_shhh:
Like this? http://www.allposters.com/-sp/The-First-Kiss-Posters_i391531_.htm (http://www.allposters.com/-sp/The-First-Kiss-Posters_i391531_.htm)
I used to have that picture on my bedroom wall until a guy friend came over and said it was very girly and gay that I had it. ::) Since then I have attempted to make my living quarters more "boyish." But, more recently, since I haven't cared, I've adopted quite a few stuffed animals and added a number of fantastic paintings on the walls. :D My favourite is my 30by30 painting of Audrey Hepburn on my wall. I adore her. :)
And forever21chic, I had the same experience. I had so many dolls up until I was like 12, and once again the evil-step father swoops in and destroys all things good.
Zoe: I LUV your stuffed animal collection! I Especially luv that smurf & Cheshire cat. :laugh:
Madi: No mine is more of a framed sketching of a young girl kissing a boy, it's a really beautiful piece of art. :)
I have two rooms, a bedroom and a sitting room. As I rarely spend any time conscious in my bedroom, perhaps that explains why I haven't really feminised it. My sitting room is where I spend a lot of time. I have two bookcases groaning with books and part of the floor is piled high with books. Books on Shamanism, Zen, Taoism, Chinese medicine, Tai-chi, Zhan Zhong, Chi-kung, Yoga and books on the body's energy system, especially the Chakras. I also have books on Native American history, Hawaiian Huna, nutrition, Italian dictionaries, Italian grammar and vocabulary books, alternative political, and social thought, anarchism, philosophy - I have most of Nietzsche's books, I also have Thoreau's classic book. I have books on trecento and quattro century Italian art. I have books on ghosts, and hauntings and para-psychology, Faeries, folk-beliefs and the unexplained. In addition to these I have books on web and programming languages [Python, Java, HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, C , Linux] I have a couple of books on hacking as well. I like Scottish early modern history - particularly the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, as I really identify with her! This is just a small sample of my book collection. I don't suppose any of these books are stereotypically feminine or womanly, but they do reflect my taste and interests.
When I am not reading in this room I am listening to my Pimsleur Italian,German and French language courses on my Sony Walkman(8GB), or I am listening to my opera, classical music, Baroque, and Iggy Pop CDs.
Wow, this post has wandered away from my original intentions. I must try to stop these stream of consciousness posts. What I am trying to say is that my sitting room isn't particularly feminine in decoration, but neither are my mother's or sister's bedrooms. I haven't dropped any interest that I had prior to transition. I don't care if some of the above likes and interests don't say woman. I can do and be interested in anything and it won't change the fact that I am female one little bit. I am a girl who genuinely likes all of the above and it doesn't matter to me whether people think my rooms and likes/interests are more teen boy than girl. Please always be honest and truthful with yourself. Don't sign up to concepts and ideologies just because you think that you should to be accepted as male or female. A deceiver is always found out sooner or later, and a self-deceiver is never at ease with themselves or others. Remember the wise words of Polonius:
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
William Shakespeare.
Sadly my bed room has lost the feminine touch since I got married now it's a mix of my nicknacks and his underwear and socks hanging from them. But Rupert still has a place on the bed.
I have makeup on my dressing table, high heels next to the mirror (along with all my other shoes) and dresses hanging up in my wardrobe. other than that it still has the same amount of comics, books, guitars, sewing machine and now skating stuff as it always did
The bed has an amish style quilt on it that I made one winter. Oh wait, that was even before I had decided to transition. ;D
I'm not sure that my bedrooms have ever been real masculine just eclectic. In grade school I wanted a lime green room and my parents begrudgingly painted it.
There was a time after a purge when I felt a need to prove my masculinity and everything I bought was blue. What a waste. I prefer to express my tastes and not my gender in my home.
I don't want to just feminise my room, we want to turf the whole house and build one that is nice and cozy. I figure it is more the feel of the house rather than just how it is decorated. The books littering the house will stay the same no matter where we live. Mind you the books have changed... Lets see fantasy novels now sit next to Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet...
Old Hollywood twin bed frame I had since moving in here 27 years ago, just long enough for my 6'2" frame. Computer desk, printer shelf, two dressers with no girlie things in them yet, more boy things in the closet with two 40B bras I will wear as soon as I can full them out. No pictures on the walls anywhere in the house save for a needlepoint my sister gave me. The house is generally clean, things are off of the floors. Basement a nightmare though. No fem things visible. I'm just trying to live on a limited income. Women's clothing are more expensive than men's. The interiors need to be painted before I start sticking things up on the walls.
Joelene
Unfortunately I live in an RV, which does not leave me much of a choice in decor. If I had an apartment or house, I would love to have some frame pictures of nature and flowers and candles.
Do pink and orange tropical floral print sheets on your bed with a bright orange blanket and a variety of pillows some of them in animal print and stuffed animals and woman's clothing strung about on your dressing chair and such count? Oh, and don't forget the sun flower sitting in a rocking chair next to a couple of plastic palm trees
Gee, I'm not sure if my place looks fem. or not :laugh:
cigarettes on the floor :o
I like it ... no kiddin.. and.. I always smoke in my bed..
so.. my clothes and I.. smell like this XD
Lots of teddy bears and soft toys (some harder ones too, though not on display :-).
And girl cloths all over the place.
Cupboards are walk in, with stacks of my heels, boots, dresses, undies, tops, the works, all on display.
Close to a rambling girly mess, yet I've no idea how to change that.
Oh, yes, maybe putting a curtain to hide most behind this far too open walk-in-cupboard.
Axelle
I've bought really nice pretty bedspreads and duna covers with matching pillow cases. All quite cheaply, I have a scent spray that freshens the room. I have got rid of all male stuff. I have an ensuite which has my makeup bar and my walk in wardrobe with my clothes. HIS clothes are in another room ;D, where my clothes use to be ::)
Cindi, I know so well what you mean, I have stuff that I love from my professional life that I was proud to display and see. I also think you are going through a sea change (as it is called here). So have a lie on the bed and a good look. What makes you comfortable, I had a house keeper who came in once a month and she kept telling me my bed room was too male. And she brought in the cute stuff, and once it was in I loved it. Maybe try the bed linen shops and have a look. I did suddenly realise that guys thought bed linen was what they wiped themselves with afterwards (sorry). But no it's the cute stuff that makes the room come alive.
Once I had bought matching toilet brushes and holders for my two toilets my housekeeper just left a note. You are female.
Ha :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Hugs
Cindy
My bedroom's not very masculine to begin with.
My room as always been a bit gender neutral, white walls white and brown desk/chair but with a feminine touch here and there bright pink desk lamp books more associated with girls (I am a total bookworm) a dolphin pillow case and light shade of blue blanket (almost baby blue)
and recently rather tidy :P
and I don't think I'll change it much more maybe a more interesting color put on the walls like purple, but I don't think I want all the frills... I may be a girl in mind/emotion but I am not one who is comfortable with going all out ;)
Meh, my room has always been generally the same. Lots of covers / pillows / a few stuffed animals... but otherwise the only thing I have are techy / nerdy stuff (so lots of computers and monitors and a big desk).
It is all I really need :) A place to work...and a place to rest :P
Other than my bedroom, the first thing I feminized was my bathroom by nailing the toilet seat down to the toilet!! ;)
Quote from: Zoë Natasha on August 18, 2011, 05:21:47 PM
Yes, I'm obsessed with stuffed animals. :laugh:
Me too. :D I'll so be getting a lot more once I have the money as well. I actually have a list drawn up of what I want.
For any future partner of mine, yes, they are the way into my heart. ;D
Quote from: Steph on August 18, 2011, 06:03:47 PM
Sadly my bed room has lost the feminine touch since I got married now it's a mix of my nicknacks and his underwear and socks hanging from them. But Rupert still has a place on the bed.
For the first couple of months after we got married Steph our room was just like that, then we decorated, Mark now has all his clothes books and stuff in the spare room, it gives both of us more space, before we got married when I lived alone my old room was very feminine with lots of cuddly teddy bears, lace and lots of different pinks and purple, I had a beautiful ivory colored dressing table with a mirror which I still have, when we resently decorated our bedroom it gave me the opportunity to make it more feminine again.
I now have walk in ivory cupboards matching my dressing table, on the dressing table is a scatter of makeup kits, eye mascaras, countless lipsticks, hairbrushs, scent bottles, its a mess, but its my mess lol Mark calls it a ''woman's mess'' bras, tights & knickers on the floor, in the open cupboards are my clothes, tops, dresses, skirts, blouses and shoes racks, lots and lots of shoes, half I don't wear.
The bedspread is pink, white lace with rose petals, I surpose its more my room even if we only share the bed, we have our own space, Mark thinks its one girly mess, but thats his opinion.
Pauline
I havnt had a chance to but my dauther hung all my butterflies on my walls for me and my hats.
Oh, and picture of Justin Beiber. She said that she thought I might like it. Lol.
*pops in* >.> I know this is a ladies' thread, but...
I never considered masculinizing my room, on the flip-side.
I have two GTA posters up, an American flag, a cowboy-patterned stingray thing, and a unicorn pillowcase on my wall (my mom sewed it for me when I was but a mere zygote! 8D). I hide my plastic canvas kitten when there're people over, despite the visible holiday barbies, incense/candles, and stuffed animals.
I think my room is fairly unisex. The GTA posters were the only things I wanted to masculinize the place. Everything else is dandy because it's
me. ;D
*lurks out* sorry! XD
Quote from: jainie marlena on August 19, 2011, 08:54:31 PM
I havnt had a chance to but my dauther hung all my butterflies on my walls for me and my hats.
Oh, and picture of Justin Beiber. She said that she thought I might like it. Lol.
That is so cute. XD
I cleaned out the closet, took everything off the walls, and packed up my collection of mugs and pilsners from around the world.
The room is bare except for my double bed with a tea green comforter and a nightstand with my Japanese lamp on it. So far I don't have the money to put anything else up on the walls, but it feels nice to have a clean space. I don't feel any particular distance from my past, or a need to hide it. But I needed to clear it out to make room, or else I'd never change anything.
I've always had lots of stuffed animals in my room, but nothing much else screams female. It's fairly neutral. Walls are mostly blank, I have a bookshelf at one end, a bed, and a large antique globe.
My bathroom on the other hand is another story. I have far more hair and skin care products than most males would, plus a load of makeup, brushes, and other misc things.
a girl sleeps in it? :icon_chick:
I didn't change it, but it wasn't really masculine to begin with. I did put in a vanity but that was just for putting on makeup, not to feminize the room. It has a lot of blue in it because blue makes me feel peaceful. I don't know if it's really gendered one way or another.
I am starting from scratch in a new rented house after selling mine, so I can do whatever I want.
I salvaged a few cute stuffed animals my daughter was going to throw out, and have a fair number of paintings to hang too. It will be interesting to see how the house ends up. I am beginning to think that, because of the age of this place, it may end up looking like my Grandmother's.
And, I just realised that while it may be messy, it is CLEAN!!!
Karen.
Put a boyfriend in the bed?
Cindy
Quote from: Cindy James on August 25, 2011, 03:20:28 AM
Put a boyfriend in the bed?
Cindy
Now that is too funny!
I have to get the computer desk and file cabinet out of my room. Then I can put a cello on a stand in the corner. It's not necessarily feminine but it is truly me. I'll keep my flowers, stuffed animals, and cute lamp. I think that I'm going to start looking for some inexpensive artwork for two walls.
Cindi
!
I have to get the computer desk and file cabinet out of my room. Then I can put a cello on a stand in the corner. It's not necessarily feminine but it is truly me. I'll keep my flowers, stuffed animals, and cute lamp. I think that I'm going to start looking for some inexpensive artwork for two walls.
Cindi
[/quote]
You play the cello? I use to play violin. Badly :embarrassed:.
I have had some of my photos put onto canvas, it is really quite cheap and look very nice. It's sort of personal art work. You can have you and hubby, or a nice scene or anything. Much better for me than a poor painting, which is all I could afford.
Hugs
Cindy
No, just painted it white as I want to sell the place!
Quote from: Cindy James on August 25, 2011, 03:20:28 AM
Put a boyfriend in the bed?
Cindy
Girlfriends are better ;D
But failing that skateboards will do. I love skateboards me.
I was thinking of putting lovers but I went to my bedroom. :-*, didn't mean anything rude, well actually I did :embarrassed::laugh: :-* :-* :-* :-*
Hugs to your partner, she must be getting excited, as you must be. Mum sent me an email I'll call on the weekend.
Hugs Niece.
Cindy
Hee hee, rude is good...especially in the bedroom >:-) ;D
Yes she is...actually we both are. I can't wait to meet her at the airport and actually hold her in my arms. Mum might need a bucket of liquid nitrogen. hee hee
Mum is good at that.
I though a warm cuddly bed, a bottle of champers, nice music, lock the door, and you two just enjoy. Have fun.
Aunty Cindy, the long lost relative from down under :laugh:
hugs to both of you.
Cindy
Oh they'll be that too, lots and lots and lots of that ;D
I doubt mum will see either of us for the entire time she's visiting...and then I need to save for a slightly more permanent visit of my own ;D
Hugs Niece,
Remember massage oil should be warm. Going to bed after a cold shower :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Cindy
Well she's planning to visit near her birthday, which means I get to give her her birthday present. hee hee
My bedroom hasn't been feminized on purpose. While I am transitioning from the male to female genderrole and hopefully soon also bodywise, I don't want to limit mysef within gender stereotypes.
Looking at supportgroups I some transwomen changing their hobbies an interests because they want them to be feminine. In transition they lock themselves up in the gender stereotype and build a fortress around it. Can you imagine, you take the enormous effort to be yourself and then you still end up acting. So what is male and female anyway, what is nature and what is nurture?
My room has certainly changed the last year because I allow myself to finally be myself and devellop my own personality. So my room has changed from a bare room to a room full of plants, paintings by Alphonse Mucha, photographs and lots and lots of personal trinkets.
nope :( my room is lavender. and is well a study with a bed ... never had a boys room just a neutral one