What Do Color, Texture, Pattern, and Whimsy Have in Common?

The Makings of a Kid's Bedroom

Kids rooms are quite fun to design and are the one section of a home where you can go bold with color, pattern, and texture. They are supposed to serve as a resting space for the kiddos, should be a source of inspiration, happiness, and whimsy.

Before

After

So, how do you create a magical environment for young kids to grow into without making it too juvenile? Stick with me and I'll tell you how.

My seven-year-old daughter's room will serve as today's design case study. To be honest the room was pretty before, however, functionality was lacking. Case in point, she:

• Had very little storage (she's an avid reader),

• Loves to draw (but had no dedicated space to do so),

• Enjoys sleeping with lights on (there was only the main overhead light); and

• Needed ample space to share the room with her sister (ok, this is a bit of a stretch from function … but in my defense, she and her sister wanted a "grown up" teepee and somehow were able to get me to oblige by batting their lovely poppy eyes).

To address the above, I started my design process with the usual…. creating zones! There had to be a zone for:

• Sleeping (aka the bed)

• Creativity and studying (aka the desk)

• Varied lighting; and

• Reading (aka reading nook)

With the key functional elements clearly defined, I created a room layout, making sure there was room for flow and easy movement in the space. Then the fun process began - decorating the space.

Quick side note: A major investment I made in this room involved replacing the floors from carpet to hardwood. I just think they are easier to clean, are a worthwhile investment for resale, and if you have kids with allergies, having wood floors helps mitigate that to some degree. That said, you still need something soft underfoot, so a nice rug that can be cleaned often is ideal.

I looked to the Parisian design style and other designer colleagues like Rita Konig, Matilda Goad, Sarah Richardson, and French and French Interiors for ways to infuse color and pattern in a manner that works in this space. Specifically, I:

• Started with white walls (Sherwin Williams paint color matched to Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace white paint) to serve as a blank canvas for all of the color was about to infuse in the space (art galleries do this quite well).

• Selected headboard fabric with major pattern to serve as the focal point for the room (I was inspired by a dress my daughter loved and picked fabric with a similar pattern from Etsy).

• Created a teepee/reading nook around the window with neutral curtains (the view outside the window is gorgeous and while I couldn't add built-ins, I settled for a canopy-like structure that gave the same effect, added a bench, cushion, pillows, blankets, art, sconces, and that was it)

• Infused lots of vintage pieces including the dresser, secretary desk, side tables, pillowcases, and art (side note: there's an art piece with pressed flowers that was made in 1985, you might wonder why that resonated with me…hmmm)

• Contrasted the more traditional elements with very modern pieces (i.e., plaster art that I made, and the addition of mushroom lamps).

• Punctuated the room with lots of light through mirrors and table lamps in different part of the room.

• Added texture with blankets (some with pattern, some without), soft linen, pillows, and plants.

While this room is for a little girl, it is certainly one that can be enjoyed by an adult and is definitely a space my daughter will grow into. The room also has a great foundation, meaning, I can spruce it up from time-to-time without having to do a major renovation.

What do you think? Will you luxuriate in a room with this much color and pattern? Sound-off in the comments and visit my portfolio for additional shots of this space.

Cheers!

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ODD Tips for Designing a Kids Bedrooms

I've covered a lot in this blog post for designing a kid’s bedroom. That said, if you want additional tips for designing a bedroom room, check out my …. master bedroom post.