The answer to 1000 kid design questions is... de-clutter! The girls' room had been driving me a bit bananas and though they are tasked with making their beds and clearing the floor each day, things mysteriously end up under their beds, in their closet, under their dresser- basically, anywhere blank space exists! So I had one goal in mind with this refresh- it wasn't necessarily to make it prettier (though Target's new Opalhouse designed with Jungalow line pretty much took care of that!), as much as it was to create some breathing room and declutter. I'm no expert (if you saw my stories a couple of weeks ago, you know this!) but I have had a lot of practice and here are a few things I've noticed that help.

Hidden/Lidded Storage

This marble box serves the same purpose. Little baubles can go inside plus it makes such a statement.

Lastly, I adored their old hamper but it was thrifted and falling apart- because the old one felt special, I didn't want to swap it with a boring one- this beauty is perfect! Lidded, sturdy, and the perfect tone/texture for their room!

Pile Party

We've always tried to keep minimal toys in their room but there are still accessories, memories, stuffed animals, etc. When their room gets really messy, I make piles of like things for them to put away- books/papers, toys/stuffies, accessories, etc. It makes it a little less overwhelming but they're still accountable for their mess! When I do this, I point out to them how much time it takes to manage our belongings and encourage them to make a pile of "toss or donate" for anything they no longer want or use. I also help them rotate their books and we store some in a container under their bed.

Pretty Bedding (But Model It)!

I know it sounds like a 'fake' idea but I promise you, when my girls' beds are pretty, they enjoy making them. Okay maybe "enjoy" is a bit of a stretch but when they make them, they are really cute about taking the time to put pillows on them and toss the throw at the end. And here's the thing- they watch me do it and take pride in it so they have this sort of expectation that it should feel pretty and special and they make it happen. I adore their current quilts but they needed fresh sheets. Guys, I CANNOT get over these sheets. They had me at FRINGE DETAIL. and I'm sorry I'm yelling but they're that good. I didn't even feel the need to update all of their bedding because these sheets are so special. 

The Deep Clean

Yes, my kids clean their room but if I don't go in and do a deep clean occasionally, things can quickly get out of hand. My goal is to de-clutter monthly but TBH sometimes it ends up being quarterly. I go through all those hidden spaces and toss the broken items and trash, get rid of things I'm sure they won't miss and can't fit, and make a little pile of things I choose to ask them about first. My advice here is to do it when they aren't home- it's not that you're being sneaky but your progress will be much more swift without them re-falling in love with every little thing that's been at the bottom of their closet for a month (or 6).

This closet looks full here but IRL there's a lot more room than there was- my son said "wow I can walk in here!" and it's not pretty but I'm including it anyway because it's real life. Eventually, we'll install a system but bins and baskets are tiding us over.