Our office is kind of laden with kids. Everyone seems to have one or two under five and a few recent births (which added one more of each to the office child pool) had us all celebrating once more. Who doesn't love babies? Of course, a new family member often requires a new room, which means it's time to decorate! Nurseries and kids' rooms can be a lot of fun and since one of the things we love to do here at Style Sheet is inspire, this week's Top 5 Friday is all about kids' rooms that get the main requirements just right: theme, longevity, traditional vs. non-traditional, nurseries and storage.
Themes
All rooms from HGTV's Top 10 Kids' Rooms
What cowboy-, beach- or sailing-crazy kid wouldn't love these rooms? Choosing a theme is a wonderful way to encourage creativity and stimulate young imaginations. If you're going to do it, be consistent down to the detail because chances are you'll have to tone it down once your child hits puberty. But if you start with a neutral palette, all you'll have to change is the details and the room is ready for the teen years. Which leads us to...
Longevity
Top room, Sarah's House 1; bottom, Sarah's House 2
Both of these rooms, designed by Sarah Richardson, have neutral palettes without losing personality. The top is a boys' room, though it's pretty gender-neutral, while the bottom was designed with tween-age girls in mind. Either space would be suitable for a child growing up, with little change necessary, which means less money spent.
Traditional vs. Non-traditional
Top, Sarah's House 1; bottom, HGTV's Top 10
Understatement: Not all little girls like pink, and there's plenty of girls (and mommies) who do. If you're going the traditional route, take inspiration from Sarah's room above -- tasteful, feminine, and it gets kudos for longevity, too. On the flip side we have room #2 -- would you think grey for a girls' room? Maybe not, but the bottom room is a cool, stylish space with legs, and includes some girly hints (you can just see the base of the chandelier in the top right).
Storage
Top and bottom, left, Pure Design 2; bottom right, HGTV's Top 10
Everyone needs storage, but kids can accumulate stuff at an alarming rate. These rooms all provide successful storage solutions. The top room utilizes a wall of bookshelves, baskets and useful space under a daybed. The bottom right room incorporates built-in bookshelves plus sneaky drawers in the bunk bed headboard. Room #3 creates storage space under a wall of windows with low, child-friendly open shelves. Now, if only real kids' rooms were this clean all the time.
Nurseries
Clockwise from top left: Elana's nursery; Sarah's House 2; Pure Design 1
Nurseries are largely decorated by and for mothers, yes? Anything goes, really, depending on your personal style. The above rooms are some of my favourites. Our very own Elana shared her little girl's nursery as a Shoestring Makeover last year and it was a huge hit, combining classic modern pieces with a sweet, feminine vibe. Of course Sarah Richardson's nursery from season 2 was adorable. You can watch how she and Tommy made that alphabet plate rail in this how-to video. And Samantha Pynn designed this funky, modern nursery in season 1 of Pure Design. I love how the orange rocker pops against the green wall.
Which room is your favourite? Are there other considerations when designing a kids' room?
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