Children’s bedrooms are special projects, but they can also be tricky. Not only do they have to offer up style that both the parents and the child love, but they also have to be highly functional with plenty of storage and be able to grow with the child as they get older.
A tall order, but one that these three designers took on for children of various ages with unique requests. The result is something that checks all the requirements — for both children and adults alike.
Cool and Colorful
Designer: Rachel Gray, Rachel Gray Interiors
Photographer: Lo Austin
Get the Look
- Wallpaper, Thibaut
- Bedding, Serena & Lily
What was once a gray room with an industrial light fixture was completely transformed into a colorful bedroom designed for a 6-year-old boy who is energetic and playful. He asked for a red and blue playroom, and designer Rachel Gray delivered.
“We love designing children’s rooms and feel it’s important that it reflects their unique personalities,” Gray says. “We tread this line carefully though, to make sure it can grow with them.”
She adds that décor pieces like bedding and art can easily be swapped out over time as the children grow and change, but the paint/wallpaper/ furniture should last. “We also always add storage everywhere we can get it in,” adds Gray. “We’re always thinking about storage — closet systems, bookshelves, under-bed drawers, cute baskets, etc.” Super important for keeping all their stuff hidden away and organized.
In fact, her favorite part of this bedroom is the-toy storage that doubles as a fun display of the boy’s treasures.
“The best part of kids’ rooms is that you can choose functional pieces in fun colors and whimsical styles,” Gray says. “We never choose things that are too precious to be touched or sat on.”
Pretty in Pink
Designer: Andrea Sinkin, Andrea Sinkin Design
Photographer: Davidson McCullough
Get the Look
- Crib, Vintage Bratt Décor
- Glider, Highland House Custom
- Window Treatment and Bed Cornice Fabric, Kravet
- Rug and Bedding, Restoration Hardware Baby
- Paint, Farrow & Ball’s Calamine
- Art, Trowbridge
- Lamp and Sconces, Visual Comfort
- Pendant Light, Hudson Valley
- Mirror, Uttermost
When the designer and homeowner Andrea Sinkin was pregnant with her second daughter, she decided to transform what was a small office into a nursery because it was closest to the primary bedroom.
“It is a tiny bedroom, but very functional with a double-door closet and everything has a place,” says Sinkin. “We did the built-in nook for the crib, and when [the child] transitions from that, it will become a built-in custom bed with storage underneath.”
Window treatments are one of the most important elements for any bedroom design. “As any new parent can tell you, the most important part of a nursery is that it induces slumber,” she says. “The room is triple layered with window treatments. I have blackout rollers layered under sheer panels with blackout curtains, and a valance above it so no light sneaks through.”
Just as important as the child feeling comfortable in the nursery, the parents need to feel equally at peace in the room. “That chair needs to be comfortable and well made, and everything should be in arms reach,” she adds. “A must-have for me personally has always been a comfortable ottoman to go with the rocking chair. It’s nice to put your feet up sometimes.” It also offers extra storage, which she says is a must.
In any child’s bedroom, storage is key. “When a child goes to bed at night, I don’t like to see any toys in the room,” says Sinkin. “I think it distracts from the end goal that we are all gunning for, which is to get some sleep.” Whether they are put away in a closet, in a Tupperware container under the bed, cabinets, or built-ins. “I do not like [them to be] exposed because that takes away from the overall tranquility of the space,” she adds.
Another important element is layered lighting. “A soft reading light, wall sconces for a softer light when doing nighttime changes without disturbing the baby, and then bright overhead light for daytime,” says Sinkin.
Functionality aside, she said she wanted this space to feel feminine and timeless. “I saw that fabric from Kravet and knew it was the winner,” she adds. “Everything else fell into place after that.”
She adds it’s also important to have something in the design from the family that brings a sense of heritage. “In this particular nursery, we have a beautiful vintage bookcase, and I have a needlepoint piece of art that was made by my great, great grandmother, and [has been] in our family for many generations,” she says. Pretty in pink and pretty functional.
Pre-Teen Approved
Designer: Tami Wassong, Tami Wassong Interiors
Photographer: Tim Lenz
Get the Look
- Bed, Room & Board
- Nightstand, Restoration Hardware
- Lamp, Schoolhouse
- Wallpaper, Maharam
- Carpet, Kanters
- Sheets, West Elm
The 10-year-old boy for whom this room was designed loves baseball, blue, reading, and architecture, so that was the jumping-off point for the designer, Tami Wassong. Originally the room, which was designed for a girl, was filled with built-ins. The designer removed the built-ins, changed the palette, and made it a design built for a boy.
To start, she always has an intake meeting with younger clients to make them feel involved; then she regroups with the parents to make sure everyone is on the same page before the team gets started on the design.
“Every child’s room should [have] their unique personality regardless of age,” says Wassong. “I also design rooms that they can grow into or adapt as they age. We created a space that encourages creativity, reading, [and] relaxing while making them feel it is their room.”
Wassong loves to have a combination of open and closed storage for children. “He was able to display some of his favorite coveted items on shelves while storing other items out of view, but readily available,” she says.
The colors and general mood of the space are her favorite part of the design. “I was able to combine all of his interests into this one space,” she says. A fabulous design for him and his parents alike.
Related: This Chappaqua Home Remodel Embraces a Serene Aesthetic
