To make a bed desk, get boards
Q. I love to study in bed instead of at my desk because I am just more comfortable there. Is there such thing as a bed desk? -- Janelle, 16, Hoboken, N.J.
A. I don't think there is such thing as a bed desk, however, there is now.
Just for the record, I think it's much better to study at a table or desk, but if you just can't do it, here is a suggestion that might help. I imagine something like a big, huge breakfast tray would work, don't you? As long as you get one of those pillows with arms rests that allows you to sit up in bed. I think they are called bed husbands! If you take three pieces of 1 by 12 pine board, we can do it. Two of them should be 12 by 12 inches high and the other should be 24 by 12.
First add some wood glue to the 12-inch edges of the long piece and then nail the 12-inch pieces to the side of the other 12 inch pieces so it looks like a fat letter H with the horizontal bar in the middle very high, leaving an edge on the sides that is about 2 inches high. This will keep your pens and pencils from rolling off of the sides! To make it a bit more sturdy, attach an "L" bracket on each side underneath using half-inch screws. Now paint it to match your room and decoupage it by gluing down color Xeroxed pictures of your friends or animals and cover that with a layer of clear varnish. If you attach a clip lamp to it, you will have plenty of light and you can get down to some real studying!
Good luck.
Q. My ceilings are only 7 feet high because I live downstairs in our very old house. Is there a way to make them appear higher? I really need your advice because I feel like I am living in a cave. -- Amanda L., 14, Cincinnati
A. This is the only thing that I find that works for this kind of situation.
You have to paint your ceiling and your walls the same light, bright color.
Usually I like a nice white ceiling, but doing this will eliminate the separation of ceiling to wall color and it will seem like your ceilings are much higher.
Now, this part is really important: You can't use a ceiling light. You need a torch lamp and desk lamps around the room so the light is coming from below rather from than above. This will also help the ceilings appear higher. The light helps eliminate the angle where your ceiling and wall meet. Where I live, I have the same problem, so what I did was remove my bed off of its frame and put the box spring directly on the floor.
Lower furniture makes the ceiling look higher, too. That's it, and I really hope it helps. Oh, and try not wearing shoes in your room, too. Every little inch helps!
XNeed help with your room? E-mail your question to markmontanonyc@aol.com. Mark Montano can now be seen on TLC's "While You Were Out." Check local listings for times. Mark also writes "Cool Room," a monthly room makeover column in CosmoGirl magazine. For more information about Mark and his work, check out www.markmontano.com.