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For fun, and on the suggestion of a friend, I entered my four-year-old’s room into Ohdeedoh’s ‘Small Kids, Big Color’ contest. What a kick to see it actually featured on the home page of that blog! Apparently they only select a few and there are some amazing entries there, so I’m thrilled to be in such good company. If you liked the room when I first posted it here, feel free to vote for it here 
And check out some of the other entries – truly inspiring.
My son is beyond excited to have his room appear on the site – even if he doesn’t quite get how it ended up there!
The days are getting longer and warmer and I’m finding myself looking for fresh, bright interiors to usher in the spring. Anita Kaushal is a UK-based interior designer and writer whose aesthetic fits the bill perfectly. These airy spaces, from Anita’s own home, have all the airy appeal of a spring morning. Take a look and get inspired to swap your brights for white, fling open the windows and bring in some fresh flowers…
I love how these spaces are both casual and somehow also pulled-together. This looks like a great place for kids as well as a chilled grown-up hang-out. You can see more at Anita’s web site.
We’ve finally finished our son’s new bedroom and I can show you some pictures. It didn’t actually take that long to do – most of the room was finished in the first weekend because we’d planned it all out. But we had a few issues with the light fitting so I haven’t been able to take any photos. At last it’s sorted out so here’s the finished (well, almost) result.
If you’ll recall, this room is for an energetic three-year-old who absolutely loves red. I didn’t think an entirely red room would be wise given the energy levels we’re talking about here! So I went for this deep turquoise blue on one wall and white on the rest. The blue is Benjamin Moore’s Electric Blue. It’s really warm and looks lovely at night by lamplight too. Then we added red accents like the chair and IKEA cabinet (just seen on the left) to satisfy the client, so to speak (!)
I must confess to there being a high number of IKEA items in this room. The chair and bookshelves are both IKEA, but who can resist their pricing? I got my son to help sort the books into colors, which he enjoyed – and the effect is rather pleasing. I’ve been dying to try out a ‘rainbow of books’ but have had to hold off in other rooms because my other half isn’t keen (makes it hard to find the one you want apparently – I can’t sympathize because I remember the color of books before I remember their title). The pillow on the chair is from PierOne Imports.
The notice board is made from a $4 IKEA frame and some Japanese wrapping paper. It has little goldfish against a blue background.
The bed and bedding we already had (the truck bedding was from Target last year). But we added the two decals – chosen by our construction-crazy son – from Decomodwalls on Etsy.
The cabinet is one I’m sure everyone will recognize as the PS Cabinet from IKEA.
It’s probably not that suitable for a child as it only closes and opens if you can master the key mechanism. But, we billed it as a cabinet where he can keep secret things and that incentivized him to get the hang of it pretty quickly!
I love this little corner of the room. The lion and blue rabbit were both baby gifts and the dog was the first item we bought after finding out I was pregnant the first time. The painting of our son is by my mother-in-law and was a gift this Christmas. We just had it framed and it totally makes the room. We’re very lucky to have an artist in the family. I just love this painting because it captures our son’s expression so well.
I’ve been dying to get these kid-sized Ant chairs from Room and Board for ages. They come in orange, lime and white too but the aqua works perfectly here. The table is IKEA (again).
The cute Humpty Dumpty clock was a gift from my parents.
On the other wall there’s a dresser and closet. I’m thinking of adding wallpaper to the closet door – or at least a paper or fabric-covered panel with hooks – just to add interest to this corner. I also need to frame the poster of The Little Prince properly. But, you have to leave some things unfinished otherwise, where’s the fun?
The light fixture (the one we had issues with) is from Urban Outfitters. It’s called the Dreamcatcher light. I love the look of it, but unfortunately it only comes with a cord kit that allows you to plug it into a wall. Very odd seeing as it’s billed as a ceiling pendant. We looked for a replacement ceiling cord kit for ages but it seems they don’t exist. So we had to buy another (cheap) ceiling fixture and use part of that.
The curtains were here already – we had them made at The Shade Store when this room was a guest room. I’ve ordered woven wood blinds too, which will help block out more light and prevent early morning wake-ups in the summer. The rug is the one we had in the nursery and it has stood the test of time pretty well, so we probably won’t change it for a while. But when we do, I’d like a Zapotec rug like this one.
So that’s it. Our son loves his new room and now has plenty of space for his toys, books and clothes. He can spread out on the floor and play and then everything gets easily tidied away at the end of the day. And I get pleasure out of seeing that splash of bright blue every time I come up the stairs.
Next stop, the nursery and then the guest room – and only eight weeks to go before baby number two arrives! Will we make it?
Photo from Flickr.
I promised this year would entail some new challenges, and now I can finally reveal one of them. We’re expecting our second child in April! This explains the reduction in posts to this blog during the Fall: morning (ie all-day) sickness and fatigue do not mix well with blogging. But, with all that behind us, we’re looking forward to welcoming a new little boy into our family.
Photo via here.
Now, since this blog is all about interior design, most of my baby-related posts will be focused on his nursery and the other decorating projects a new family member entails. As any design-obsessed mother will know, a baby is a wonderful excuse to explore a whole new aesthetic (not to mention redoing a perfectly acceptable room in the name of ‘baby-proofing’!) In our case, it means redecorating three rooms. Our older son will move into the guest room, the guest room gets combined with the office and the new baby will take over my son’s old room. Bring on the paint chips and wallpaper samples!
Since I’ve had some experience decorating nurseries with baby number one, I can learn from prior mistakes. I’ll share those, and the inevitable new ones, on this blog. We’ve also nearly finished our first son’s new room so I can share those pictures soon. I promise not to let kid-friendly design take over, though – there will still be plenty of inspiration for grown-ups!
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few images of stylish nurseries. If I’m honest, I find it hard to find images of nurseries I really love and that balance both adult and baby needs – while also being suitable for a boy. Even these examples don’t necessarily satisfy the practical requirements of a modern nursery. More on that later. But they capture the right mood so, for now, enjoy…
A 1970′s nursery – yes really – via the Giggle nursery decor blog.
Via Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Noodle.
Via here.
Via here.
The ubiquitous image of Jenna Lyons’ nursery as seen in Domino (via here).
Lots to think about…
Our son recently turned three and is starting to outgrow his ‘babyish’ nursery. I’ve been thinking about how I’ll update his bedroom. To be honest, it’s a bit of a challenge. I want a look that will last a few years so it needs to be relatively age non-specific. But, then again, he’s only three so I don’t want it to be too grown-up for right now.
To add to the problem, he has an absolute passion for all things red. But everything in his room right now is pale blue. I’ve been wrestling with how to combine these two very different looks without it ending up looking like a Fourth of July parade. Then I spotted this room on Little Green Notebook, via Abbey Goes Design Scouting.
I absolutely love this room. It’s a home office, so obviously the requirements are very different to a kid’s room. But the strong colors and happy vibe are exactly what I’d envisaged for our toddler. They seem to sum up his personality instantly. Even better, this space shows that pale ‘baby’ blue and bright cherry red can look fabulous together.
So, I started putting a look together, using some of what we already have, and a few new pieces. This is what I came up with.
Ok, firstly, I realize the red here is a little more orangey. That’s more because that’s the shade of the items I was able to find in our price range. I actually like the orange tone, but a more ‘red red’ work work equally well.
The starting point was the red cabinet. It’s the Halogen Credenza in Lobster from CB2. It’s $499 so not cheap, but it has tons of storage space. And I feel that sliding doors are much better for little fingers than drawers or chests that open at the top. I also like this cabinet from IKEA PS, but am not so sure about the lockable doors and dentable metal build!
The chair is also from CB2 and is $699. That’s actually one of the most reasonably-priced chairs I found that still looked modern and stylish. It’s comfortable too and I know he’ll love it because, well, it’s red.
The rug is from Anthropologie and is $495 for the 5×8 size. I love the colors and the Ikat-style pattern – no kid-generated stains are going to show up on that thing! I also love this one, the ‘Ancient Languages Rug’ also from Anthropologie.
The storage unit in the center is my absolute favorite item, but, truth be told, probably won’t make the final cut due to price. It’s made up of Stella Stackable Storage Cubes from Q Collection Junior. At $365 per cube (with cabinet doors) and $315 without, it’s just way too pricey for a kid’s room. But I like the effect and plan to create something similar with an IKEA storage unit and some paint!
The bed is the one we have already. But I just ordered an Oscar twin duvet cover and sheet set from Pottery Barn Kids as most toddler bedding is too flimsy and small for winter. A twin duvet will be a little big but, folded over, it’ll work just fine. I love this set because it’s fun and childish, but not tacky. It’s not one that my son (or I) will tire of too soon. Here’s a closer look.
The little blue chair and round table are from Room & Board and are perfectly-sized for small kids. The ‘Jake‘ chair in blue is $50. You can get much cheaper ones but I like the idea of having this iconic chair shape in a child’s size. The table could just as well be a cheap coffee table from IKEA though, which is probably what we’ll end up using.
The window shade is from The Shade Store‘s Dwell Collection. I love this online source of custom blinds. We already have white drapes at the window and just need to update the black-out blinds. This fabric has pale blue giant polka dots so works well for a young child but won’t be too embarrassing when he’s 9!
And the best part of all is the fact that the paint color is the exact one we have in his room right now. Although you’d think ‘Polar Sky’ (from Benjamin Moore) would be a really cold shade, it’s actually a beautiful clear, warm shade with not a jot of gray in it. I did toy with going for a much brighter blue, like the shade in this room (via Flickr).
I call this shade ‘Carrie Blue’ because it reminds me of the color of Carrie Bradshaw’s made-over apartment in the Sex and the City movie (there’s something wrong about taking inspiration from SATT for your kid’s bedroom!). If I find a chair and cabinet in cherry red instead of lobster, I may still take this route because it’s such a beautiful color and will last him until his much older.
Anyway, so what do you think? Any great items out there I’ve missed to complete this look? It’s going to take me a few months to get organized so don’t expect pics of the finished space too soon! But I will post them as soon as it’s done, I promise.
Oh, orange you tricky color, you.
You have me all confused.
I like your zesty brightness,
But you’re the boldest hue I’ve used.
I’m tempted by your playfulness,
You always make me smile.
But once I’ve put you on my walls,
Will your cheeky looks just rile?
I felt my heart strings tug,
when I saw you on these doors.
Then I saw you on this graphic rug,
And now I want you on my floors.
These orange rooms have caught my eye,
Now I can see your beauty.
And these stunning window treatments
Just have me feeling fruity.
With white, you make mouths water,
With blue, you simply pop,
But it’s with hot pink or purple
That you make my poor heart stop.
Oh orange, what memories you bring.
You inspire some blissful thoughts:
Of fireflies on summer nights,
Mai Tais, Tandoor ovens, bitter orange tortes.
But you demand commitment,
Once you go orange, you don’t go back.
I wonder, will I stay the course,
Or will my resolve soon crack?
Is this just a seasonal thing,
Inspired by sunny days?
Perhaps this is a summer fling?
In winter I’ll want my bluey-grays.
I’d like you in my toddler’s room
To give his walls a boost.
But will you make him race around,
like a cup of orange juice?
If I woke to find you in my room,
You’d quench my morning thirst.
But what if I’m hungover?
Will you make it worse?
I’d like to put you in my kitchen.
They say orange causes appetite.
But I’m afraid I’d eat too much,
And make my jeans too tight.
Orange brings out my true style:
Be it rustic, mod or mid-century.
But if I get it badly wrong,
They’ll think it’s 1970.
The blogs are full of great ideas
On how to make it work.
But this constant indecision
Is driving me beserk.
You made me write this poem.
See, I’ve really lost my cool.
But if this dreadful love turns sour,
Will you make me look a fool?
It’s clear I have an orange crush.
It’s crazy how I feel.
I think I know why this has happened:
Let’s face it, you have zest appeal.
Happy Monday!
Photo credits:
1 – Tim Evan-Cook; 2 – Unknown; 3 & 4 – LivingEtc; 5 & 6 – Las Alamandas Hotel in Mexico; 7 – Habitat Hanalei; 8 – Daniel Farmer; 9 – via Apartment Therapy; 10 – Brugge Bed and Breakfast; 11 & 12 – LivingEtc; 13 – Tchochkes; 14 – Polly Wreford; 15 – my husband took this one!
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