This might be a controversial topic because it involves something people on the internet tend to get worked up about. I'm talking about parenting! There are many different parenting styles, and as parents, we tend to have convictions as to why we parent the way that we do. I'm no expert, so to each their own. But something that keeps getting asked as we're renovating Faye's room is, "How do you design a bedroom with your kid?" Well, technically, I am getting DM's asking me why I don't just let Faye have free rein over her own room... So I thought it would be fun to share my philosophy when it comes to designing kid's spaces.
Polly's Bedroom
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As someone who loves design, I want my kid's bedrooms to feel like a reflection of their interests and who they are. Since none of my three children are copied and pasted, I've approached each of their rooms differently. For example, Polly's five and very much in fairytale land, which was the inspiration for her whole room! She couldn't care less about choosing her own wallpaper and is just happy to have this magical little space of her own.
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Her bedroom in Idaho was her first "big girl room," and I wanted to combine some darling forest elements while incorporating Polly's favorite color at the time, Purple. But you'll notice I went with a purple color that tied in with the rest of the house rather than a super-pigmented, vibrant purple.
Faye, on the other hand...
Faye's Bedroom
Faye, my little 9-year-old, wants to be very involved in the process. Ever since she was little, she's shown an interest in design, so I want to involve her in the process of renovating her room. After presenting her with wallpaper selections that I hand-selected, I let her make the choice! In hindsight, I think I presented her with too many options, which overwhelmed her, but she went with her gut, and she totally nailed it. We did the same process when we renovated her bedroom in Idaho.
Shop Faye's Cottage Bedroom
While I let Faye narrow down the wallpaper selections I presented, I chose the coordinating paint color. Kids tend to go with what is their "favorite," and since I'm the older, wiser parent, I think it's good to hold the reins a bit.
I like to compare designing to making a meal plan. If we let our kids choose what they wanted to eat in a week, they would likely end up eating pizza, mac and cheese, and chicken nuggets every single night. We would never do that because we, as parents, know better! While our kids don't need a well-designed room to survive (as opposed to a well-balanced meal), it's still a huge responsibility. Designing a kid's room involves money and time, and if it's important to you, you're not a bad parent for calling the shots.
Greta's bedroom
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All of that being said, not every parent cares about design as much as I do! You might be totally fine with handing your kid a paint deck and just going with it. I know a lot of parents who have done this and want their kids to be able to express themselves through the walls of their room. In no way am I trying to put a stop to that. In fact, I have a lot of respect for those parents!
But if you're like me, and want to use your home design knowledge and skills to make your kid's bedrooms special for them, you can totally involve them in the process.
Greta, our teenager, mostly wants her room to be a place where she can read, draw, paint, and create, so on one side of her room, we have a desk and an art ledge where she can work and display all of her creations.
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Her bedroom in Idaho doubled as a sleepover room for sisters and cousins. Functionally, it was exactly what she wanted it to be.
I remembered we did a final video of our girls' bedrooms before we moved from our last house, and in it, I talk through the design decisions. I think it really beautifully portrays my whole philosophy of designing with your child's interests and personality in mind.
Kids' bedroom tour
Now, while I'm talking through all the heavy hitters, let's address one more tricky subject; character bedding. Not only does character bedding tend to be more expensive, but it's also typically made of cheap quality and won't last you long. You know what also doesn't last long? Your child's current obsession with Frozen. As much as we love Frozen, your child will soon lose interest. You can capture the essence of a character without literally inserting it into the room. Or maybe you buy a cute character stuffy rather than a whole bedding set. That being said, if it makes you happy and your kid happy, I support it.
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Just sayin', the company for which you designed baby stuff has multiple lines of ORGANIC COTTON character bedding. Expensive yes, but holy cow are they soft and high quality. I purchased full size Star Wars sheets when I was pregnant and PB had them on sale, because whether it was a boy or a girl, they were going to have Star Wars sheets by golly. Mama says so. PB came out with glow-in-the-dark dinosaur sheets for our son's love of Jurassic Park. Yep, we own those, as well as the glow-in-the-dark Avengers sheet set. My mom made a full size quilt that has every character that he has ever loved - Dr. Seuss, TMNT, SW, Marvel, Minions just to name a few -- for his 8th birthday. He turns 11 in October and he's asking for the PB Miles Morales (Spiderman) sheet set. Yes, he will get them. :)
Adding rugs! I let my youngest preview a Hello Kitty rug under her bed with augmented reality and she loved it - we bought it instantly :)
The “base” of each of my kids rooms is something I chose when they were little. My boys shared room is painted in the colors of our favorite baseball team. My daughters room has board and batten and purple walls. Both rooms have since had all sort of pictures and posters taped and thumbtacked over almost ever square inch. It truly makes me so happy to see them decorate and personalize their own space. My boys also have Mario sheets on their beds and my daughters bed is so full of squishmellows, I don’t think anyone can see her sheets!
They are only little with these fun and quirky interests for such a short time that I don’t mind it at all.
My parents never let me cover my room in posters as a kid/teen and I hated it. So maybe I’m swinging in their complete other direction with my kids.
Did Faye's pink neon heart make it back into the room? She really seemed to love it and wanted to stay.
These rooms are so beautiful! And I’m with you 100% on no character bedding. :)
When we were preparing to redo my boys’ shared bedroom last year, I let them pick out the color (from a curated collection in their preferred color scheme!), and their favorite characters are represented as simply framed posters above their respective beds with other beautiful, more neutral decor everywhere else in the room. They were thrilled, and I’m glad it’ll be easier (and more economical) to swap out a single poster for other art as their preferences change.
Julia, coming in with the hot takes 2 days in a row! I love it! I couldn’t agree more about taking the reins on kids’ bedroom designs while still allowing room for their input and personality. It’s much easier and inexpensive to change out a stuffed animal or throw pillow as your child’s interests evolve, rather than changing out full bedding. Not to mention, keeping their rooms looking more classic. My daughter’s room was just redone around 18 months ago and she felt strongly about wanting specific items I knew would not stand the test of time. I stick to classic bedding and brought those elements in, in the form of a throw pillow and stuffed animal. Sure enough, she’s outgrown that phase and wants something different and less “kiddish.” Me not giving into her whims back then was not being a “mean” mom, but a wise one! It’s also teaching her how to design in the future.
I prefer to design children’s rooms myself as well, with their likes and dislikes in mind. I’m not going to create a space they will hate. My kids are little right now so not an issue!
In the last year my 3 yr old daughter’s phases have been: Halloween, Mickey Mouse Club House, Spider-man, and unicorn princesses. I am not redoing her room four times within one year, haha! Those phases are reflected in our house in less expensive ways: toys, dress up clothes, pjs, cups, etc.
As they get older, they will be more involved with their bedrooms, but budget and keeping waste down will still be a factor. I think presenting them with choices, as you’ve done with Faye, is a wonderful compromise.
My moms rule while we were growing up and something i do now with my kids...
Characters are for your underwear and pjs... go wild.
Everything else... no thank you
Can I get an Amen? Amen.
You are completely on point! While I raised sorts enthusiastic boys, their room over the years was reflective of this with a few of their trophies and classfully presented sports memorabilia. Their sports in the wall was limited to a wallpaper border(remember those? Lol). But the walls were a deep navy which required 10 samples until I thought it was dark and muted enough. They loved it even though as boys they would have loved the first sample that looked like royal blue! Yes kids should have a say but also need guidance and to be taught this same design skill early on. They respect this and expect this as their parent. They are now grown men and their wives asked for my help in designing their homes and now my grandchildren’s nursery’s. I must have done something right without a single character theme anywhere? I love that you are showing it’s ok to still be the parent and have the final say. Kids will learn only when you teach not when they are free to do anything. Keep designing. Love your new collection. Would love to see more boy bedding as I’m now designing for 3 grandsons!!!