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There’s something so endearing about kids’ bedrooms, don’t you think? They’re literally the place where childhood dreams take form. With goldfish wallpaper and Ikea bunk beds, these 12 rooms from our house tours are full of great ideas. Take a peek…
Pick a theme for artwork. “I get art from 20×200, which sells affordable prints,” says Yen Ha. “If you want to do all animals or transportation, you can buy different styles and put them all together. We have a lot of baseball prints!”
Create a peaceful place (even for you). “We wanted a soft, simple atmosphere for the girls,” says Morgane Sézalory in Paris. “That way, they feel peace and we feel peace. When we’re in the kids’ room, we feel like we’re in another world.”
Gather vintage pieces or hand-me-downs you love. “The baby’s room is full of vintage stuff inherited from my husband’s family. The white horse came from his late aunt. She was a pediatrician and had a little menagerie in her waiting room. I like knowing that so many children have enjoyed it,” says Darya Kopp.
The more, the merrier. “I know River and Oak will eventually want their own space, but right now they love sharing. Whenever one of them is in my bed, the other one will be like, ‘I want you to come back!’” says LaTonya Yvette.
Add a little magic. “I gave my daughter a fairy door as a gift. It doesn’t open, but sometimes at night a fairy will ‘come through’ the door and leave handwritten notes. It’s fun to see her sense of wonderment,” says Heather Palmeri.
Embrace Ikea. “The boys constantly draw and put stickers on their bunk bed. That’s the beauty of an Ikea bed,” says Gisela Gueiros. “And our Ikea armchair had a weird pattern, so I got it reupholstered with a Mexican blanket.”
Consider fun instruments. “Both boys take piano lessons,” says Gisela Gueiros. “Since it’s an electric piano, you can turn it into drumming sounds or water sounds, so of course that’s what they do. You never actually hear the piano. It’s always ‘wah wah wah.'”
Fill the room with favorite books. “When I found out I was pregnant, the first thing I bought were copies of my beloved childhood books. We read a lot of William Steig. And Julia Donaldson. As for me, I read a lot of non-fiction for work, but I just finished The Mothers and After Birth. I recommend them to all my friends who are having a hard time. I had postpartum depression, and when you read it in novel form, you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m not alone,’” says Miriam McKenna in Denmark.
Let kids decorate. “Eleanor’s room is all her. She chose the bed frame and even added the disco ball in the window. The fairy lights are from the holidays, but she didn’t want to take them down,” says Kristen Mittler in Ohio.
Maps inspire wanderlust. “I grew up in a small town in Utah, but my dad wanted us to have a bigger worldview. So, he wallpapered a map onto one of our living room walls,” says San Francisco-based Jordan Ferney. “After I had my own kids, I saw this map, and I was immediately like, ‘That’s going on the wall!'”
Embrace what your family loves. “We’re really into national parks. We took our daughter to the Grand Canyon when she was four months old,” says Alan Harris in Brooklyn. “So, I painted mountains onto her bedroom wall. I plotted out the points mathematically and took thumbtacks and yarn and taped it all. We went to Home Depot and found the paint, and did it up!”
Choose soft rugs. “The mishmash of layered rugs piled in Cleo’s room are there out of necessity. We have the squeakiest house in the world. You have to do ninja moves to get out of the room when she’s asleep,” says Sarah Storella in New Hampshire.
Any other fun ideas?
P.S. 11 cool ways to hang family photos, and our own Brooklyn family apartment.
(Top photo by Freya McOmish of Miriam McKenna’s house tour in Copenhagen.)
