The kids' bathroom floor was peeling up and water was getting under the linoleum. It was one of those nagging 'to-do's' that I needed to...well, do. Luckily Chris Loves Julia released a new colorway of their floor pop tiles, which was the motivation I needed. I ordered them immediately and added the project to the docket. I'll cut to the chase and say I loved working with these tiles and definitely recommend them but here are a few things you should know!

Well if this wasn't a labor of love, I don't know what is. ♥ Genevieve moved out of the girls' shared room 2 years ago and I'm finally finished creating a space for Nadia that's all her own. She requested something light and bright, "preppy" (the new preppy- IYKYK), and specifically said she didn't want it to be boho. Guys the boho pull is strong with this one (me. It's strong with me), so this was a tough ask. I made some missteps along the way and to be completely transparent, some I'm only 'seeing' after pulling it all together and photographing it... but in the end, she walked in and said "Mom, I love it." So that's enough. Reminder (one that I got from a friend yesterday) that homes are to "serve and nurture our families first, aesthetics are secondary." Ok, enough disclaimers. Here goes!

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When Nadia requested a canopy, I knew exactly where I'd go for fabric. I always regretted letting go of the girls' darling twin beds that I reupholstered in gorgeous fabric from Spoonflower and this was a chance to redeem my regret! What I didn't know is that Spoonflower offers so many home decor products, including bedding. Custom bedding in the fabric of our choice was a dream! In the end, we ended up with a pretty canopy, a duvet cover and shams, a sheet set, throw pillows and a velvet-y throw- all made with quality materials and amazing craftsmanship in fun patterns.

 

Nadia's room refresh continues and the next step was choosing her nightstands. I've always gone the asymmetrical route when it comes to nightstands, for aesthetics (it seems fun in a kids room doesn't it?) and to stretch the budget. In both Dax's and Genevieve's room I paired a small side table with a nightstand. But when I did this experiment, I loved the high end look of matching nightstands and Nadia's room seems like the perfect place for that look. I love the thought of her pretty headboard flanked by two substantial nightstands. Here are the light and white nightstands I considered and the one she chose. The price tags start at just $80 and they all ring in under $280! Side note, it's a good idea to narrow down options for kids- both to set them up for success and to avoid overwhelming them. I showed her 3 of these and she chose the one we bought!

Dax has been begging for a bigger bed. His twin wasn't cutting it. We love his room and prioritized floor space when we renovated it, but 2 years later, he'd rather have a big bed and [insert tears here], rarely plays on the floor anyway. Here's the bed we bought and the cute bedding I chose!

For Genevieve's new room, I followed the sage advice to start with the rug. That's often the hardest part for me so I figured I'd begin there and then base other decisions off of that choice. If you don't know where to start, it's a great way to get going. I love the rug we chose but I had a bunch of options saved so I thought I'd share them here. Many of these pink vintage rugs have an ethnic or a boho feel which I'm always drawn toward. Here are my favorite pink (and some coral) vintage inspired rugs. 

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!

It's been a few years since we finished the playroom and it was feeling a bit stagnant. Eventually, This room will have a loveseat and a TV for movies and gaming but my kiddos have a couple more years of playing with toys before we get there. It feels like a good mid-way point to refresh it to reflect their ages. Our toy storage system has treated us pretty well but the room needed a new rug, art, and a good purge! Keep reading for the simple changes we made to give it a fresh look (including a killer rug and a coupon code!) and my tips for decluttering your playroom-- or anywhere kids' toys are kept. 

 

Usually slow and steady is how I roll. But since painting Dax's room was part of a sponsorship, it put my pace into overdrive. Funny how deadlines do that. ;) I shared all the details about the paint yesterday but wanted to follow up with the other sources and share a bit more of the process of designing a fun classic modern boy's room, here. Plus I share my BEST tips for designing a kid space. Oh and I've linked every source at the end for you!

Here's the thing. Color changes everything! Paint is the easiest and least expensive way to make a dramatic impact and I am here for it. You know what I'm also here for? Color! It's back (I tried, but it never really left my home) and I couldn't be more excited about it! If you want to use color but aren't into saturated and bright tones, I get it. The trick is to look for understated, muddy (or muted) tones with depth. Dax's new paint color checks all the boxes. It's bold, it's blue, but it's classy guys. It's Clark+Kensington Gothic Iron and we could not love it more. Gothic Iron is part of a gorgeous collection from Clark+Kensington's 2021 Color Trends called "Understated Impact," and man is that the perfect way to describe it. 

I've worked on Dax's room on and off and on again. I've purchased a few things here and there and rearranged and randomly bought a new twin bed at 1 am. But what I haven't done is sit down and think about what I want it to look like and then take intentional steps toward that goal. So this is me doing that. If you're planning a kid space, hopefully, you can glean some inspo!