The transformation wasn’t major, but what we did do was break up the space into three zones: one for reading, one for drawing and colouring, and one for play, allowing Lena to get the most out of her small room.
I finally finished Lena’s big girl room. I know I talked about all my decor plans here, but the time has come to transition my little one from a nursery to a toddler room and while it’s a touch sad, I’m excited for all the other firsts’ that are going to take place here.
Now I’m a fan of decorating with what I have (budget constraints…) and I’m known to move furniture up and down three flights of stairs in order to ‘switch things up’ (much to my husband’s chagrin — and back). So, while my babe’s bedroom didn’t undergo a massive transformation we managed to change it up enough to get her excited about her being a big-girl, plus satisfy my urge to give it an update.
Out with the wallpaper and in with a new coat of paint.
Rug, dog pillow and chair, HomeSense, side table and drapes, West Elm.
Now, if you have an opinionated child like mine, they’ll insist on making décor decisions, especially since it’s her room. And while I’m pretty stubborn when it comes to the décor in our house, I really wanted to include her in the process. If that meant giving in to a few things, then so be it. In the end Lena got to choose her paint colour, but then allowed me to make the bigger design decisions.
DÉCOR TIP: Include them, but don’t let them be the boss (it should after all, match your aesthetic). Instead, ask your child what general colour they’d like and YOU go to the paint store — alone — and pick out a few swatches of shades you approve of. Then, present all the colours and have them pick. This way, they’ll feel important and involved, but the chosen colour will have been mom-approved. (FYI: Lena wanted blue and I was surprised when she chose this muted shade, Benjamin Moore’s Woodlawn Blue, over a darker version I was sure she’d go gaga over).
Updates like a new rug, bins and accessories are inexpensive add-ons, as well as swapping out pieces of furniture with ones you already have. Highboy, a Craigslist find, lamp, wire baskets, HomeSense, LED star, Indigo. Watercolour bunny, Etsy.
A plush rug and more ‘adult’ toy bin was added. I no longer needed the sideboard/change table so we moved it downstairs to the dining room and we swapped in a smaller, highboy chest from the living room.
No more baby caddy of wipes, cloths and diaper cream. Instead, Lena’s big girl shoes are on display.
Convertible cribs do double-duty, and will bide you time before you have to invest in a big girl bed.
Desk and stool, pillows and blanket, HomeSense. Crib, IKEA (no longer available).
The crib was convertible so one railing was removed and the huzz custom-made the wooden bar (he deemed the one it came with, ‘too ugly’). For now it’ll do until we invest in a bigger bed. The rocker (see it here) was nixed in favour of Lena-sized furniture (she never used the rocker and kept banging into it).
In a small space, every piece of furniture counts.
We created zones: one for colouring, one for reading and one for playing using furniture which actually makes the small room seem larger. We also splurged with a selection of new books. Some new faves include A Northern Alphabet by Ted Harrison and The Fog by Kyo Maclear.
Make use of every nook and cranny.
Dead space behind the door houses toys that otherwise would live on the ground. Wire plant rack, HomeSense.
Add in design touches that make a statement.
Start their patriotic love early. Maple leaf bookends, Indigo.
Ms.Piggy of course, had to stay, but now she’s accented by twinkly lights that act as Lena’s new nightlight. (PS: there’s a timer option that turns it off after a few minutes). Piggy bank, Little Peeps, Lights, Indigo.