A Peek at the First Addition to Genevieve's Pre-teen Room - Pretty Real

A Peek at the First Addition to Genevieve's Pre-teen Room

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Thank you Serena & Lily for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine.



When Genevieve said she wanted her own room, I can't say I was surprised. She and her sister are very close but she's inching (actually more like barreling) toward the teen years and homegirl needs her space. I adore designing kid spaces so we immediately started dreaming about her new room. Her very first request was for a hanging chair and let's just say that was the easiest 'compromise' I'll probably ever make with my almost teenage daughter. While we are in the very beginning stages of the room, the Hanging Rattan Chair from Serena & Lily will absolutely set the tone! It's playful, well made, and cozy- especially when paired with the linen cushion which I have to say is so much prettier and substantial in person than it looks on the site!

How Do You Even Begin Designing a Room?

I get asked this question often and I always give the advice to find something that inspires you to begin the design process. Oftentimes, it's the rug but it can be anything, really. The cozy/playful/iconic style of this chair symbolizes everything we want for the room. We want Genevieve's room to be able to grow with her. Our goal is a playful (but not childish), cozy and relaxed room with a modern boho feel. We both love clean lines and mama loves texture. As for the cozy element, the Hanging Rattan Chair description states that it "cradles you, while you float." Sold! I'm just happy that Genevieve is in school all day so I can sneak in some cradling of my own. haha. It's just the perfect starting point for the room.


The last thing I'll mention is Serena & Lily's new feature of sorting by ship date. My goal is to have this room completed by Genevieve's birthday as a gift to her so I love that I could find a hanging chair that will get here in time. These days, lead times are crazy so planning ahead and being able to narrow down options before you fall in love with a piece is really helpful. 


The details are just beautiful!


How we Hung the Hanging Rattan Chair:

Note: The chair clearly states that professional installation is required. However, we hung it ourselves. We used this hammock hanging kit. You MUST hang it on a ceiling joist- drywall will not support the weight of the chair plus a person. We found the joist using a stud finder and this is where things went a little off plan. I wanted the chair in the corner by the bed but the ceiling joist was a bit too close to the wall (and the next one was too far) so we had to hang the chair in the opposite corner. I'm mourning my original placement because I think it would've looked amazing beside the DIY channeled headboard but I'm glad we could still get it beside a window - pretty window treatment coming. Once we found the joist, Joe simply drilled into them. He bought better drill bits and better screws after stripping one. I have to say the screws that came with the kit are pretty good but our joist wasn't very thick and Joe had to finagle a bit. In any case, I then watched lots of YouTube videos on how to tie a knot (this one was the most helpful) but in the end kind of winged it. One thing to consider is once you sit in it, the knot tightens and the chair will drop a bit as a result, so tie the knot a little higher than your desired finished chair height. 


Here's how this sad little corner looked before:



And here's how it looks now:


Clearly, this is just the beginning. Aside from the chair, her bed frame, and the foam for her DIY bed, we haven't gotten anything else for the room! Making her headboard and painting are our next really big tasks! Hope you'll come along for the journey, but I'd say its off to a good start!! Stay tuned for the mood board! 

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