Exciting Room Themes for Little Girls

Looking for a fun and imaginative room theme for your daughter? Little girls are our princesses. Aren’t some of the themes getting old, redundant and boring? How about trying something different for your little girl, something she will love and be excited to show her friends? The trick to having a themed room? Don’t overdo the theme. It’s actually very simple – just mix up the theme with corresponding patterns and colors.

Butterflies

Does your little girl love visiting butterfly gardens? If so, why not give her a butterfly room of her dreams? Try finding butterfly patterns in “girly” colors such as purple, green and even light blue. If you choose to reflect the theme in the bedding, I recommend adding pillows in solid colors or simple prints.

To select a color for the walls, pick your little girl’s favorite color from the pattern on the bedding and hang a couple of corresponding prints on the walls. Try painting the furniture in the room white or use purple, green or blue shades found in the bedding. Painted wood furniture is always a great look for little girls. This is an opportunity for you to refinish some old furniture you might have laying around.

Finally, keep the lamps, accessories and stuff animals away from the butterfly theme. This will actually help add emphasis on what pieces in the bedroom are displaying the theme.

Flowers

How about flowers? If your little girl loves shades of pink, purple, yellow or green, this just might be the perfect theme! The best thing about flowers is that they come in different colors. Try to keep the color scheme to three colors and utilizing them in different shades.

Finding flower print bedding is usually quite easy so you may want to start there. Chose one color from the bedding and paint the walls the same color. Did you choose a dark color? If so, outline a couple of flowers in white. They will stand out nicely against the dark walls. If you chose a lighter color for the walls, I suggest a dark color from the bedding for the outlined flowers. This is a great and inexpensive way to carry out the theme throughout the room.

Hawaii

If you are looking for less of a “girly” theme, consider a Hawaiian look. A Hawaiian theme leaves plenty of room for creativity!

Start by choosing bright pink, blue and yellow for your color scheme. Paint the walls a light color and choose one wall for a bright, bold accent color! Try mounting a surf board to the wall to add an unique touch. Bring in the grass skirt, bamboo shades and chair for a fun addition to the space. Choose a Hawaiian flower pattern for the bedding. Pair this with solid colored pillows and use light stained wood furniture throughout the space.

Do you have another creative theme for your daughter’s room? Share your ideas and pictures!

Alternatives to Sofas and Chairs…Cushions Galore!

When shopping for furniture, you may often think of the core items that we need to function. Like a sofa, a couple of chairs, a coffee table and a lamp or two to get by. Before long, these items begin to look the same while you are out shopping. Relax, and use this word wisely and think about how you may find alternative ways to relax in your home…what are you sitting on?

Don’t limit yourself to sofas and chairs. There is a great deal of alternative options that are now available from leading designers. Consider a super sized floor cushion that can be fun and especially useful if you have children. Since the cushions sit below your sight line, they are perfect in front of a television for example. They are very informal and comfortable. However, consider who you entertain. Is grandpa going to want to get down on hands and knees to enjoy a conversation on what he might perceive as a floor pillow?

These cushions can also draw attention to the floor covering and what colors are being used in coordination. Sitting on them may be isolating if the rest of the furniture is not the same height. Children’s bedrooms happen to be the perfect place for floor cushions. Introduce a little reading nook with a big comfy cushion or two. A wonderful design and very well made high end line of cushions can be found by Roche Bobois. Get ready to be committed to this design. There is serious money to be spent, but a design solution to fall in love with!

Another alternative to the traditional sofa or chair is a long upholstered free standing bench, also referred to as a daybed. Knoll has a beautiful classic piece that they refer to as a settee’ by Lee Mindel and Peter Shelton. Purchasing a pair of these to face each other in a small parlor room with a long, narrow coffee table between them can set the scene for a perfect conversation area for a small gathering of friends. It is classic, clean and simple.

I am sure that your friends will appreciate the uniqueness of your well designed space. These daybeds also work well in the comfort of your bedroom, either as a place to lounge and read a good book or as a footboard at the end of your bed. Maybe you have a grand enough bathroom that could accommodate a “sleek modern piece of art,” also known as the daybed, creating a sense of form and function for the space. Test the waters to find new solutions for seating in your home.

How would you feel about sitting upon floor cushions when visiting a friend? What other seating solutions have you found as an alternative to the traditional couch and chair?

A New Look For Baby Rooms

It’s a boy; I must use blue and white…. It’s a girl; I must use pink and white…. Are you tired of feeling trapped in what society views your baby’s room should look like? Well, here are some thoughts for bringing a new look for our future generations.

Light pink is generally used for little girls. But what about taking it up a notch to a darker brighter pink? Pairing it with a lime green and/or a bright dark yellow can bring a phenomenal pop to a room for your little girl. Is this a little bit too much out of the norm for you? Try mixing a dark chocolate brown with the standard light pink. How about adding light green or blue? Just because it’s a girl doesn’t mean she can’t have blue!

Baby Blue is often used for little boys, but what boy is going to want that light of a color once he gets a little older? Why not start off with a brighter blue or navy? Try pairing it with red for a pop! Did you know that red is often the first color a baby can see? Other color combinations for your little baby boy might be lime green and white, black and yellow, or light green and brown.

Now you may be saying, I really like the idea of doing something different but where am I going to find the bedding? The standard baby chain stores typically have the same themed bedding. Try going to a baby boutique in a trendy urban downtown, have custom bedding made or you could even make it yourself! I guarantee the local fabric store will have plenty of what you need. If you have something more specific in mind, I would recommend spending some time shopping on the internet. I bet you can find it somewhere in the world! As for the furniture, try pieces that are painted white, black of even smoky gray. This will provide a sharp contrast against the wall paint you have chosen.

Several other ideas to bring a change to the old fashion baby room would be to hang a trendy baby quilt on the wall. Have their name stitched on it with some fun patterns. Might I recommend animals or sailboats? Don’t forget to bring in the fun colors with the fabrics! As for other artwork, keep with one theme. Trying to add too many can end up giving you a room that looks like mass chaos. As for the typical baby rocker, try modernizing it with a rocker-recliner. In some instances you may even be able to pick a fun fabric to coordinate with the room. Why not be comfortable while rocking you baby to sleep? You are going to be spending a lot of time in that chair, might as well invest some money in it.

Just take a minute to think about this. If you stay away from the typical baby colors, your child may not ask you to paint their room a different color for years. Well, one can at least hope!

Bedrooms For Two

Sometimes the birth of child number two or three may leave you questioning which bedroom will become theirs? Sometimes your children may want to share a room with a brother or sister. It generally works best when the children are as close in age as possible and they are, of course, of the same sex!

You may not want to put a toddler with a child that is more than a year or two older because they may not be on the same sleep cycle, and one child’s toys may become another’s choking hazard.

In designing a child’s space, let each child pick colors or patterns to help them identify individual areas and their own possessions. It will help them feel unique and special.

When you are deciding on beds, selecting two twins may make the room seem small and lack area to play in. Bunk beds and trundles work well because you can “stack” the children’s sleeping quarters. Bunk beds were always desirable when I was a child, no matter if you were sharing a room or not! To avoid inevitable disagreements over who gets to sleep in the top bunk, set up a monthly or weekly schedule and let the children swap areas from time to time. ***Children under the age of six should never sleep in the top bunk.

Safety features: The American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) recommends that the top and bottom bunk bed posts should fasten securely together and have a 1 ¼” lift for separation. There should not be separation between the mattress and the foundation of the suspended bed either. Side rails should be bolted and difficult to remove. Guard rails should require a fastening device for release. Ladders should be sturdy, steps should be 10” wide and have a foot of vertical space between each step.

Purchasing furniture often is not an option for most families, so making sure that the furniture is well made, sturdy, functional and flexible in décor enough for the child to grow with it is important.

What solutions have you found to work well in the case where your children have to share a room?