Showing posts with label Pinterest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pinterest. Show all posts

Monday, February 3, 2014

Designing for the wee ones

Topping my list of favorite areas to design are rooms and spaces for kids. I absolutely love designing homes for young families. It's such an exciting time when families are starting out whether building their dream home or changing existing spaces to incorporate a growing family. Being a Mom I thoroughly understand the stuff! The toys and books and tiny treasures that must be fit into a home and how all these "things" kids need and love are constantly changing and evolving. You can design a room around an interest but no sooner have you completed the finishing touches and your kid has a new love! 

Designing for the wee ones is exciting and fun and typically incorporates lots of color and whimsy. No matter the size of your home smart storage is key to keeping kids happy while keeping the parents sane.  

Utilizing sophisticated colors and fabrics while adding personality through accents allows a room to grow and evolve with the child.

Here are a few pictures of my son's room...

His Lucite bedside table displays his favorite treasures while making the space feel more open with a fluid view to the bedding and drapery.  

Photo by Christina Wedge

When we first moved to the big boy bed we knew we had to push the bed against the wall for safety reasons and also to keep the floor as open as possible for playtime. I designed a custom headboard for two sides of the bed to provide extra padding and to create a daybed look as well. Orange and blue accents provide the pop against a soothing gray background that allows for limitless changes.

Photo by Christina Wedge

Kids love to create and display their masterpieces! These magnetic strips from IKEA are an economical way to add color and a fun element to kid space.

Photo by Christina Wedge

I don't have girls but I love designing for the girly girl too! This room below is one of my favorites. The soft pallet is very sophisticated and perfectly fits the personality of a little girl becoming a young lady. The Oly tiny pink chair, tufted monogrammed headboard, and feminine bedside tables from Bungalow 5 are a few of the pieces that help pull off this sweet space. Butterflies in shadow boxes from Natural Curiosities showcase a favorite of the client's daughter.

K Kong Designs Photo by Barney Taxel
I love this happy example of another little girl's room using pale green with turquoise panels and painted furnishings. The dresser with all of the little mirrored drawers was in instant favorite of this five year old and has become the treasure chest for all her jewels. The black and white floor lamp with the bird cage and little bird from Stray Dog is another best-loved addition. The painting from Sugarboo Designs balances out the eclectic mix and brings some additional colors into the space.  

K Kong Designs Photo by Barney Taxel

I just completed a space with two little boys rooms and a playroom designed to look like a tree house in between! Photo shoot was just completed and can't wait to share those spaces as well.

In the meantime, here are a few more of my favorites in the Pinterest world for the wee ones ...

Gorgeous use of color and pattern for an adorable girls room.

House Beautiful

One of my all time favorite playrooms from Lonny.

www.lonnymag.com
Incorporating whimsy with wall coverings is a fun way to add character to kids rooms. Being from a commercial background I'm known to use vinyl commercial grade wall coverings for children... virtually indestructible! This is a sweet pattern from Lulu DK for Schumacher and is precious for a nursery ....

www.luludk.com
Or this super fun "Buggie" pattern by Abnormals Anonymous at Paul+ for a little boys room.

Paul+

Decidedly masculine fresh and youthful. Amazing design from Jimmy Stanton.

Jimmy Stanton
Since the more the merrier with kids, bunks are a wonderful use of space especially in vacation homes. This one is fantastic!

Pinterest

Kelly Wearstler playroom - always cool.

Kelly Wearstler

I can always find accents at Jonathan Adler. He has an incredible line of children's pieces like this Rhino. Modern, sleek, and crisp to fit any color palette. I started collecting them for my sons room when he was born.

Jonathan Adler


Here's a link to more kids spaces on my Pinterest page...


Friday, October 18, 2013

Color Forecast 2014

I recently attended a seminar put on by Sherwin Williams about trends in paint color for 2014. They have a slew of color experts that are surveyed to predict what types of colors will be trending in the upcoming year.

The palette gravitated towards four distinct groups of colors according to SW.

Not too surprising the theme that gray is the new black was prevalent and cool neutrals that mimic the colors of shadows were forefront.

Some of my favorite from this group are an old standby, Agreeable Gray...

SW 7029 Agreeable Gray

7029 Agreeable Gray
and Peppercorn ...
SW 7674 Peppercorn

Totally opposite of the cool neutrals trending in the coming year is a group of colors that are bold and considered to evoke "cultural traditions". I can see using these strong colors as accents. My favorites are...

Ablaze
SW 6870 Ablaze
 

Georgian Bay
SW 6509 Georgia Bay
and Houseplant
SW 6727 Houseplant
The third group of colors highlighted were light and soft colors that were feminine and simple. My top choices here are ...

Steamed Milk7554 Steamed Milk
Paint Color SW 7554 Steamed Milk from Sherwin-Williams
SW 7554 Steamed Milk

and Malted Milk
Paint Color Malted Milk SW 6057 from Sherwin-Williams
SW 6057 Malted Milk



I have 3 more picks that fall into their "fantasy" category!

Quixotic Plum


SW 6265 Quixotic Plum

Library Pewter
SW 0038 Library Pewter


And loving this gorgeous rich color!

Blue Peacock
SW 0064 Blue Peacock
 It would be bold on a front entry like this picture found on Pinterest.

www.pinterest.com


 Speaking of Pinterest, there is a board with all the of the 2014 choices just click here.