going to sleep in a room of our own.

This post is sponsored by Brooklinen.

Carving out a second bedroom in this new apartment has been one of the most restorative projects of the past year. Before we moved in September, it had been ten years since James and I shared a bedroom with a door that closed. The idea of being able to leave behind whatever was happening in the rest of the apartment—to not hear the hum of the refrigerator, or see the shadows of the kitchen table—as we went to sleep, felt like it would be the ultimate luxury. 

When we arrived, the reality was somewhat distinct from the cocoon we’d fantasized about. Our bedroom sits between two sets of French doors and serves as the main thoroughfare through the apartment. For much of the day, it functions more as a busy hallway than a serene bedroom. Still, we’ve been making steady progress on getting this space closer to being the peaceful sanctuary of our dreams. In January, we added soft green paint to the walls and a fresh coat of white to the ceiling. In February, we found the perfect pair of vintage bedside lamps and pushed the furniture around. When Brooklinen reached out to see if I might be willing to take their sheets for a test-drive in March, I was delighted to take them up on the offer and take another small step toward making this pass-through bedroom feel just a bit more intentional. 

We opted for Brooklinen’s Linen Hardcore Bundle, which provides all the essentials for proper bed dressing—their Core Sheet Set, a Duvet Cover, and two extra Pillowcases—and allowed us to mix and match from their range of color options. We chose a Charcoal Chambray and White Stripe Duvet Cover, white Core Sheet Set and an extra set of striped pillowcases to complement the duvet cover.

Right out of the box, I loved the rumply texture of Brooklinen’s stonewashed linen.The bedding is noticeably lightweight and breathable, especially welcome for linen which I find can sometimes tend toward feeling heavy. These OEKO-TEK-certified essentials also come with my personal bedding non-negotiables: envelope closures on the pillowcases for keeping things tidy and cotton ties inside the duvet cover to keep the duvet from bunching up inside. I love that the pillowcases have a slim hemmed border that gives a little polish without veering toward fussy. In an otherwise plain and simple space, the charcoal stripes play off our dark furniture and add a bit of pattern and, dare I say, drama.

We may still be living in a small city apartment with three little kids, and the sound of the refrigerator buzzing is not the loudest thing in this apartment by far, but when we close those French doors and fold down the covers, there’s no question it feels awfully nice to climb into bed in a room of our own.

If you’d like to give Brooklinen a try, they’re offering Reading My Tea Leaves readers a special discount. Use the code readingmytealeaves to receive $20 off orders over $100. Offer expires 6/20/21.

This post is sponsored by Brooklinen. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Reading My Tea Leaves.