Joyce's Bedroom

GwenRaiden

AKA Apology Girl
Joined
Aug 26, 2008
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Ecosse
Black Thorn
I'm currently on a BtVS rewatch and there's something that always sticks out like a sore thumb to me, and that's Joyce's bedroom.

The interior decoration of 1630 Revello Drive seems pretty neutral, except for Joyce's bedroom. The dark wallpaper, dark headboard on the bed, thick curtains and dark bedsheets, it seemed like a room from an altogether different house. There are a few darker pieces of furniture placed throughout the house, but so much of it in one room seems like total overkill.

Anyway, it got me thinking as to why and what it says about Joyce's character. Maybe I'm reading too much into this but please follow me down this path if you will, gentle viewers.

As a migraine sufferer myself, I wondered if maybe Joyce always suffered headaches or migraines of some kind pre-illness. Dark rooms are a haven for those who are inflicted with dreaded migraines (or headaches).

Or is it simply just that Joyce is an art lover by career but also outside of her job, and that inspired her choice of decoration. But then, I wouldn't say her bedroom reflected an interest in art as there's no specific art pieces or paintings on the walls, just very dark wallpaper? (Other than the mask from Dead Man's Party).

Even when Willow and Tara moved in after Joyce passed away, it still felt dark and out of place with the rest of the house.

Thoughts?
 
I think the color matched her mood and personality. The rest of the house she decorated so as to look like the typical suburbia home, but her bedroom was rife with the orientation that permeated her moods. Dull, drab and distant. There was nothing soothing or welcoming either in the woman or her bedroom.
 
GwenRaiden
GwenRaiden
Bet that dark bedroom was nice and cool though. In that hot hot heat of Sunnydale. Admit it, you're jealous!
Another POV could be that Joyce's bedroom was dark to relate to Buffy keeping her in the dark about her job as the Slayer. Plus, Buffy always said how good Joyce was at repressing stuff, maybe that would fit in too, Joyce purposefully staying in the dark, in denial. Maybe the dark room symbolised Joyce's need to get away from the reality of the supernatural. Joyce was a parent and never a key figure in any way in the fight against evil forces on the show - she was just there, in the background, no real focus on her thoughts or feelings regarding the goings-on throughout the five seasons.
 
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