Redecorating any room represents a big investment in both time and money, but redecorating a kids room presents a few unique challenges:
1. Designing a theme that kids won’t grow bored of in a year or two.
2. Choosing kids room décor and furniture which can essentially grow with them.
3. Keeping things stylish, but also durable enough to stand up to the rigors of kiddom.
4. Making the room feel personalized but still timeless.
It can be a really tall order, and it’s one many parents struggle with. One way to tackle this project is to go straight to the experts and find out exactly how they did it.
I turned to Instagram and found some moms with truly jaw-dropping kids room decor ideas for their children’s rooms. They were kind enough to take time out of their busy schedules and answer my burning questions about their DIY prowess.
The info they gave me was great, and I’m so excited to share it with you. Keep reading below to see some awesome moms who made magic happen. Get ready to take notes!
Melissa ~ @grayrosehome
"I am a stay at home mom of three, married to my high school sweetheart for 13 years and decorating our forever home. I enjoy sharing the process with others who share my passion for home decor.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – Yes. I always start with a color theme and one object. For my sons room it was building his bed, my daughters room was her comforter.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I wanted a room my son could continue to grow into and a bright, fun room for my daughter.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – No real challenges. My daughter has a lot and collects a lot so hidden storage is always an issue!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – For my son it was making his bed. It was the first piece of furniture I’d ever built! My daughter, I loved seeing her reaction!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Keep it fun, add personal touches where you can and incorporate storage solutions!
Leah Ethier ~ @talk_repurposed
"I am a mama to two amazing kids and wife to my best friend! I own a small private counseling clinic and love to walk along people through their counseling journey. I enjoy hunting for antiques and rearranging furniture!!
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – My husband loves to build and diy so we start with a piece he’s created. I really love thrifting so I also start with antique items that I love and build around them for a collected home.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I love making my kids rooms fit their personalities! My son is loves science so it was important to incorporate astronomy and biology into his space. My daughter loooooves the color mint green so that’s where we started with her space!
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – My son’s room is quite small so I had to remove his desk from the space and figure out how to draw the eye upward!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – I love including my kids opinions into the design process and allowing them to choose things they love for their space! My daughter bought the string lights herself for her room!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Take your time! Find pieces you love over time and don’t buy it all at one store at one time! A cozy home takes collected pieces over time!
Bre Ann Chastain~ @family_gathers_here
"Hey there! I’m Bre! I’m a momma to a sweet little boy Eli and wife to a rockstar of a hubby Jesse, We live in Washington state! I’m constantly changing and rearranging our home!
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. –Just depends on the project! Sometimes I’ll get something and it’s the whole inspiration for the room!!
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – Functionality!!!
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Well both walls took math lol so just being patient…
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – In the play room, once I was done with the accent wall everything kinda fell into place!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Take your time and it doesn’t have to be perfect your kid will love it!!
Jamie Montgomery~ @montgofarmhouse
"Hi! My name is Jamie and I’m a Mama to 2 precious boys, Cedar and Smith. We recently designed and built our forever home! It’s a Modern Farmhouse back in our home state of Alabama. I love to take photos and decorate in my spare time when I’m not chasing our kiddos.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I usually start with a color scheme that I want to use for the space. So in my son’s nursery I knew I wanted ivory and white. From there I just started searching for inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I wanted a calming nursery that I would feel at peace in while bonding with my new baby.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – It was much harder than I thought it would be to find nursery decor in ivory tones. Most things out there are blue, pink, and grey. I had to think think outside of the box as to where to shop for items. For example, the ivory poof is from Arhaus which doesn’t have specifically a “nursery line.” The wicker elephant clothes hamper is from Home Depot too!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – See it all come together is my favorite! I spent so much time searching for inspiration and shopping for products so it was very rewarding actually setting up the space!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – My advice is to make the space your own and make it work for your family. It’s easy to get caught up in trends or feeling pressure to have the space “perfect.” But at the end of the day the people who will be enjoying the space is what’s most important!
Maggie Mendez ~ @experimentingwithdecor
"Hello my name is Magdalena Mendez but most people call me Maggie. I was a bookkeeper that left that job to pursue my dreams of being an interior decorator. That was the best decision of my life. God has been with me every step of the way and I couldn't do any of this without His help or the support of my family.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – In order for me to begin each design project I find inspiration from those that I am creating the space for. In this case, it was my boys bedroom. They were growing up and didn’t want a “kiddy” space. They are into skateboarding, fortnite and San Antonio Spurs. So I pulled my colors from there. Black and white was their best choice. I painted the room white to brighten up the space. I added washi tape (X) so it could have a little contrast on the wall and decor to tie it all together.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – My essential goal was to create a space they could and wanted to live in for a while. They are getting into their preteen era and a design that would grow with their lifestyles was something I wanted them to feel proud of.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – In this particular space, I couldn’t find curtains that went with the space. I didn’t want to go just white or black. I searched and found a shower curtain that was perfect, but I was too short for it to hit the floor. I added material to the top and made my own curtain. I’m so glad I did, it was the perfect touch to pull the room together.
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – For me, the most exciting part of creating a space for anyone is the excitement that each person feels when they see the room come together. My boys were so excited they wanted friends over immediately.
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Each person has their individual style, find that style and make it your own. If you wouldn’t do it in your own home, if you had that style, then don’t put it in someone else’s home. People have said” I can see your touch” when they see a room I’ve created and I think that’s one of the best compliment as a designer. When people can see your “touch” in the design and can distinguish that you created the space, it’s one if the best feelings!
Jessica Burnett ~ @thehomewiththeyellowdoor
"I am a stay at home momma to a baby boy & toddler girl in Kansas City, MO. I feel like I’m living my dream job staying home & raising my babies, all the while I get to design & renovate our home (slowly but surely!) My husband is the best! We make a great team & have built a beautiful life together. I love to cook, craft, & create things, so I guess you could call me a “Pinterest Mom.” I see beauty in the simplist things & I love to write. My goal is to start a blog this year as a creative outlet for myself.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I usually begin with a theme and color scheme in mind. From there I can visualize what I want a space to be. Finding the perfect pieces at a reasonable price is the tricky part!
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – For our playroom, my goal was to keep it as neutral as possible while still incorporating toys and books that make a kid’s space fun and interesting. I like using words as decor because it helps kids identify & use words and letters.
For my daughter’s room I wanted it to spark imagination & adventure in a girly way. I love the mountains & I hope someday she finds them as enchanting & mesmerizing as I do.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Not really. Now that my daughter is getting older she can reach the chalkboard and she likes to add fingerprints or own drawings through my chalk art. But, when I painted the chalkboard wall, I knew someday I wouldn’t be the only artist contributing to it, haha.
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – For me, the best part is just living with the space every day. I love walking by & seeing something I’m proud of and love!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – If you like a style or want your space to feel a certain way – just make it happen! Whether that means spending a tidbit extra on a particular item, trying an intimidating DIY, or even asking a friend for help, just do it! You deserve a space and home you LOVE. Also, when it comes to kid spaces, those large items like kitchens & teepees are worth the investment. The amount of imagination those toys generate vs. little toys is huge!
Kerri Colfer ~ @kerricolfer
"Hi, I’m Kerri, a stay at home mom to Hayden and Meadow. My passion comes from my children! I enjoy DIY, designing, and thrifting. With the help of my husband bringing my designs to life. I love sharing real life with my followers. I hope that I can inspire mamas who are looking for authentic tips in anything I share!
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – For Meadow I started with a clean simple Gender neutral room. I found out after birth our gender surprise was a beautiful baby girl and quickly added some warm girly tones to her room. I love that simplicity with her room that she can continue to grow in. Hayden’s big boy room I wanted an industrial/ modern big boy room with a few of his favorite themes trains & airplanes. When he upgraded to a big boy bed we jumped to a full size for him to continue to grow into and add all his favorite stuff animals to sleep with. Most of the wooden decor or furniture I came across by thrifting.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I wanted to create the rooms that they can continue to grow into.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – When it came to adding girly touches to Meadow’s room I wanted to do so many styles I had a hard time figuring what would look best and fit in the long run. The good thing about her design her decals can be removed and reused over again! Hayden’s room trying to organize a space for him to play and keep organized and functional at the same time.
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – After adding the accent walls, was decorating the rooms!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Focus on your color palette/ theme. I make boards on Pinterest in the theme I’m going with and save photos that inspire me. I try asking myself will this be something I’ll keep through the years. I always think of ways to help keep the space organized and functional.
Krista ~ @this_midwest_nest
"I’m both a full-time clinical hospital pharmacist, as well as an emergency response pharmacist in the Wisconsin Air National Guard, I have a photography side business, and I adore home renovations and decor! My husband and I make one incredible team, slowly transforming our cookie cutter house into a cozy combo of farmhouse and industrial, with a touch of midcentury modern. We’d love for you to follow along in our journey on Instagram!
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I often start on Instagram or Pinterest to gain inspiration for a given room. After collecting images, I identify which pieces I’m drawn to. From there I pick a few items to include in my space, and to design the rest of the room around!
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I aimed to maintain a beautiful room both my kids and I would love! I wanted a cozy and also functional space, since so much time is spent in these areas of our home.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Yes, in my daughter’s bedroom, I wanted a wall sconce light, but didn’t want to fuss with the current electrical. I used the @nestingwithgrace “magic light trick” and still ended up with a functioning bedside light. No electrical work was required!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – Shopping for the items, then watching them all come together in the end!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Pick one room to update and just go for it! Make a list of everything you want to accomplish, then divide that into a few smaller phases to make it more manageable.
Angie Reinford~ @modermeetsfarmhouse
"I am a mom of three, 2 girls and a boy. We built our home two years ago, having a clean slate to use my imagination was both fun and a little stressful at times! My hobbies include- home decor, crafting and painting, traveling, spending time with my family and my side hustle, a Wedding Rental Business.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – When designing my children’s rooms, I generally choose a theme I love and then find pieces to incorporate into the theme. With my daughters nursery, it was kind of the opposite. I knew I wanted to make this embroidery hoop wall piece, and then the rest of the room followed in suit. I love the way her “whimsical boho” room came together.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – For a nursery, the space for me needs to be both beautiful as well as practical. Some elements you have to incorporate, such as a crib, changing table, rocking chair, etc. So I try to make them work for the room, sometimes it means repainting a piece, or just adding pillows and a throw blanket. I also wanted it to be able to grow with her as she gets older.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – We were actually building our house when I was pregnant with my daughter. When I chose the paint color for her room, I didn’t know if I was having a boy or a girl, so I didn’t have a theme yet. I chose grey as a neutral color, and it ended up working perfectly!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – I think for me when I am creating a nursery space, I want it to be a place that when I walk into the room, its a soft and calm room. I love finding artwork and decor that go well together and then seeing it all come together!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Make sure when designing a nursery to figure out where diapers, blankets, bibs and all those small items will be stored in an easy to reach spot. I found a metal basket with 3 sections that I hung beside the changing table, it’s both practical and cute! Choose a comfortable rocking chair that you will be sure to use. And have fun!
Annmarie ~ @forthedesignofdecor
"Decorating our (almost) 1 year home that we built. Wife and Mom (boy and girl under 5). Dave Matthews Band groupie (55 shows and counting).
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – The decor theme for our house is modern farmhouse, but with brightly colored, plastic toys, a kids playroom can be difficult to fit into an overall theme of a home. Our playroom is next to our main living area so I knew I had to find a way to make it flow with the rest of the house!
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – In addition to creating a modern farmhouse theme for our playroom, I also wanted something functional that the kids could tear apart and also help clean up 🙂 So that meant lots of bins and easy to reach storage.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – The biggest challenge was not getting rid of any toys, but yet keeping the room look tidy. Lots of storage was the solution!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – Finding decor that fit my overall vision was very exciting!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Definitely check out the hashtags on Instagram to find inspiration. For example, #modernfarmhouseplayroom. You can gather ideas and sometimes find links to the actual items within the post.
Emily ~ @weareforeverhome
"Hi! My name is Emily, I’m a Stay at home mom to three littles. We just bought our forever home & I'm having such a great time transforming it to our own space.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I really just gather things I love, I still stick with the color pallet I’m using & just go to town with things that make me smile or that when my kids see they will smile!
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – My most essential goal is To make sure it’s not only pretty but also a place we can use on a daily basis. It needs to be comfortable & playful.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – No, luckily decorating has gone rather smoothly!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – The most exciting part of the process was giving my kids a place of their own that they love!!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – My advice would be to just do what you love! And be purposeful!
Hannah Jones ~ @fiveatnumberthree
"Wife and Mum to three little boys (Ages 5, 3 & 1), living in Devon, UK. I’ve always been inspired by interior design and enjoy creating rooms in our home for our family to love and enjoy.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I normally start designing a room after being inspired by a particular theme that is relevant to the space and our family. For example, when designing my little boys bedroom, I knew it would have to be an animal theme as he is obsessed, I started looking for inspiration on Pinterest and IG and decided on a safari/jungle themed room, and began planning the decor by finding pieces that I fell in love with and knew that he would be excited by.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – With my little boys bedroom, I wanted to design him a fun but functional space to sleep and play in. I wanted it to be light and spacious, so used a light grey paint on the wall and light/neutral textiles with pops of colour spread throughout the room to suit the jungle/safari theme. His new treehouse bed was the main feature in his room, he is 3 years old so I wanted him to have a bed that he could grow in to, that also has a wow factor.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Creating this room was actually very straight forward, the only challenge was really putting it all in place as my little boy still needed a bedroom to sleep in whilst decorating was taking place, so we decided to let him have a sleepover at his grandparents one weekend so we could achieve it all in one go and surprise him! I made sure that everything was delivered and ready for us to begin on a certain date and everything was preplanned so we made the best use of our time.
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – The most exciting part was definitely seeing the end result, and my little boys reaction! He was so excited and loved exploring all the new pieces in his room. He is very proud of his new bedroom and asks everyone who visits our house to come and see his new jungle bedroom!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – When planning a space, make sure you go with pieces and decor that work for you or your family, and don’t be afraid to try something new or go for something a bit bold! Trends are forever changing, but if you love really something, it will never go out of style.
Lauren ~ @farmhouseish
I’m Lauren! Girl mom of two littles with a love of creating dreamy farmhouse inspired spaces.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I tend to find a piece or two I love then design the room around those pieces! I’m also all about budget friendly projects, so I’ll often shop my own home first for inspiration.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – When I set out to design a playroom for my girls, functionality was key! I wanted to make sure the items I chose were not only kid friendly and durable, but that they also played into the total design and brought in tons of functionality.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Budget is always an unforeseen challenge!! But I try to shop my home, shop the sales, and find cheap DIYs to help finish out the space. For example, I opted for DIY drop cloth curtains in our playroom to save a buck (only $10 per panel!!).
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – The best part was hearing my 3 year old tell me how beautiful she thought the space was!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Decorating with kids is tough! But there are ways to make spaces both functional and kid friendly AND beautiful! Paint old furniture, swap out throw pillows, add a fun pop of color or two, and you’ll be well on your way!
Morgan Farren ~ @_mrs.farren_
"I'm a wife, mama, and maker. I'm currently employed by our toddlers, it's the hardest job I've ever had and I adore every minute of it.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – It all depends! I’d say with the bedrooms, I started with objects. I knew I wanted to have raw pine furniture, I love the organic look and down the road when I decide to change things up, I can just paint or stain it all. Once the furniture arrived I gave myself time to think about what I loved and what I thought the children would find joy in. I looked at color palettes that made me feel happy and once I had my favorites I sort of took off from there.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I wanted a very minimalist feel while also making sure their rooms felt warm and cozy. It’s easy to go minimalist and end up with a room that just seems vacant and unused. I love the Boho-Scandi trend but I also love a good Mid-century modern piece of furniture, so in our daughters room I combined them all. We’re almost done with it and can’t wait to share!
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Biggest challenge I’d say was with this peg board shelf I designed for our daughter, Scout. I didn’t drill the holes in straight enough, so the shelves weren’t sitting flat, they sort of tilted downwards. I ended up finding a thick tape and lined the holes with it, the pegs fit in nice and snug now and the shelves are even, it was a good day!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – I LOVE a blank slate. We moved last Fall, so everything in this house gets a fresh new look. There are just endless possibilities and when I’m almost done with one room, I’m already working on the next in my head.
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Trust your gut, if you love it, you can make it work! If you’re on a tight budget, there’s always another option that will give you the same concept, you just have to get creative.
Jessica Douthitt ~ @raisingthedouthitts
"I’m just a wife and mama trying to make the most of the life, home, family, time, money, & energy I have been blessed with.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I typically start with an initial object, like the play mat from Gathre and I build around the object or I have a general idea of what I want to do and I piece by piece put it together! Sometimes it takes me a long time to get it exactly how I want it to look, a lot of trial and error for me!
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – My goal for my sons room was to make it boyish, fun, but also very playable and accessible to him. Shelves on his level, wooden cars in the bin nearby for the play mat, but yet not an eyesore!
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Nothing that I didn’t already anticipate, like I said it takes me a while to get things the way I like them, which means I buy, then I might return, buy something different. It can be frustrating when you just want a space to come together- like this Room I really wanted done to start on another room but I wouldn’t allow myself to start until this room was complete.
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – Seeing it come together is the most rewarding and then watching my little one play and enjoy the space I’ve created!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – I think in kids rooms it’s important to not go with the fad that they are necessarily into at the time like a Sesame Street room, etc. like I know my child will not like that in a few months, years and then I’ll have to change it. Go for neutrals, things they like that can be changed easily-like books and wooden cars, little boys will like those for much longer and you will get your money’s worth out of those things!
Katie ~ @hausmatter
"I am a stay at home, working mom. I sell vintage wares in my spare time.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I tend to just gather things I like and then put them together. In my daughters room, I tried to work around some window treatments I had made for her when she was a baby. Since there is so much color in the furnishings of her room, I kept the walls white.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – To make it functional. It’s a tiny room so everything I put in it needed to serve a purpose. I wanted to give her some space to flourish and be creative with her play.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – The small amount of space is always the issue. I’ve reduced the amount of toys I leave out for her. I notice her play is so much more creative when she has less in her room. I’ve also tried to look at how I can store and display things vertically, freeing up floor space for her.
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – Showing the finished room to my daughter. I loved seeing her reaction to her big girl room!
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Keep it simple. Kids needs and interests change so much. Invest in furniture and decor that they can grow into. Rethink the amount of toys you need to leave out and think outside of the box when it comes to storing them.
Ashley ~ @mapleshadehome
"Hi my name is Ashley, I'm a small town girl and a maple farmer's daughter. I'm wife to my childhood sweetheart and a mama to two amazing children on earth and seven babies in heaven. My husband built our forever home in 2013. Since then, we have been working as a team to create beautiful, farmhouse inspired spaces one room at a time. I love home decor, design and DIYs. I hope you will follow along with us!
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – Yes, but it all depends on the space. In this case, my son no longer wanted a “little boy” room. He was ready for a change and asked if he could help create a room that he would enjoy. So of course, I included him in design process and really let him take the lead on it. He chose the comforter, wall art, and styled the shelf above his bed. He’s really happy with how it turned out!
Initially, across the hall from his bedroom was small 3×6 foot area of unused space. My husband has incredible carpentry skills and turned the unused space into a little sleeping and reading nook. It’s a fun and functional space that gets a ton of use.
For my daughter’s room, I started with her comforter. From there, I chose the wall color and decor theme. I had so much fun finding the perfect pieces for her room.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – My essential goal for creating these rooms was to create a space the kids would grow to love and enjoy! I wanted the kids to each have a room that they would feel comfortable and cozy in and a space they would be proud of.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Not really, the design process for both rooms went very smoothly!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – That’s an easy one, seeing the look on my son’s face when we were finished! His smile said it all. He is so proud of his new room that he gives everyone a tour when they come for a visit.
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – When designing a space for the kids just have fun and get creative with it! Be sure to include your kids in the design project. Keep it simple but functional, shop your home, get crafty with some decor DIYs, and refresh furniture to fit the space you’re creating.
Katelyn Dennis ~ @katelyndennis_
"Hi there! My name is Katelyn 🙂 I'm a momma to a crazy little girl and wife to the best police officer ever! We live in Chattanooga, Tennessee with our 3 dogs and 4 cats (yikes lol). Before having our daughter I taught pre-k, but now I stay home with her and am pursuing my passion of home decor and all things creative!
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I’m all about finding inspo on Pinterest or Instagram, but I do advise friends and clients to keep realistic expectations and not to try to duplicate a picture because that will just cause frustration.
I find things in pictures that I like and would want to incorporate into whatever room i’m designing. I like to start with a great paint color (this will make all the difference in the feel of the room) and choose the large pieces of furniture that will go in the room, and then work from there!
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – When creating my daughters nursery and playroom I wanted a calm environment with light colors and decor that she could grow into. It’s also very important to me to have a good organization system when it comes to kids rooms!
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – A few! The dresser we got didn’t fit on the wall I had originally planned to put it, but thankfully it did fit on the other free wall, so I didn’t have any other option haha. But it turned out just fine! And when doing the shiplap wall in my daughters room I had got the wrong wood and it was too thin and had been cut really uneven.
I just kept going and painted it all and it ended up turning out ok! I tell people that decorating is a process and cannot be done over night! And to also prepare for stalls along the wall but that everything will workout in the end 🙂
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – I love bringing my visions to life! It takes a lot of hard work and patience but creating a space you love and enjoying spending time in makes it so worth it 🙂
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Be patient and ask for tips or advice from people who’s work you admire! I get so many people asking me for paint color advice, decor positioning, etc. Chances are they’ve made mistakes and can help you avoid making the same ones 🙂
Stephanie Mejia ~ @thisisstephanie
"Hello, my name is Stephanie Mejia! I recently quit my law firm job to become a stay at home Mama to my beautiful baby girl, Auden Ivy. My husband and I just recently purchased our room and completely renovated the entire house. We did all of this while being pregnant. I’m so happy that we were able to make our house a home.
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – I knew that I wanted the cactus wall to be the focal point, so I found simple decor to match with the “theme” of the wall.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I wanted it to be simple and let the wall decals have their own moment.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Those decals took an entire day to put up. My poor husband! LOL!
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – I think the most exciting part was knowing that the itty bitty baby in my belly would soon be in this room.
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – Take your time! It took me months to finally put it all together and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
Alyssa McDermott ~ @life.on.weaver
"Marketing Account Director turned SAHM to an incredible one year old chick. DIY remodeling our first lake home with my husband of 8 years. Renovating is our love language and I’m not quite sure what we will do when this house is complete... probably sell and start all over again!!
Q. – Tell us about your design process. Do you begin with an initial object or theme as an inspiration?
A. – The majority of the rooms I have designed on our home have started with one special item and the rest of the space falls into place. This nursery was designed around the Moses basket on the dresser.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I knew I would be spending a lot of time in this room whether that be reading books, nursing or playing, so I wanted this space to be as peaceful as possible.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – Every wall in this room was crooked or bowed so the board and batten didn’t install perfectly in a lot of place. We had to use a lot of caulk and fudge the spacing to make everything appear flush.
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – Taking down the Nebraska Cornhusker wallpaper that was in this room when we purchased the home.
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – When designing a nursery, try to imagine your child growing up in the space. I knew I didn’t want to redo our daughters room as she aged so I started with a mature yes soft and sweet base that we can easily do small updates to through different seasons of her life.
Katie Deem ~ @country.home.charm
"I have always had a love for decorating and making spaces feel cozy. I am a mom of two young boys that also keep me busy!
A. – I begin with a theme as my inspiration which gets my gears turning. I look for pieces of decor that can add texture and layers to the space. Once I get the main piece of decor, I can fill in the spaces that are left with still keeping in mind the main theme of the room to complete it.
Q. – What was the most essential goal you wanted to achieve when you initially designed this space?
A. – I wanted my son to enjoy this room for many years and to feel like a kid when he was in it. I think it is so important to love the space in the house that is specifically yours.
Q. – Did you face any unforeseen challenges while creating this space? How did you handle it?
A. – I wanted to make sure that there wasn’t too much furniture in my son’s room so that he could still be able to play. So even though I wanted to keep adding things and layers, I had to keep that in mind of what was best for the way he intended to use the space.
Q. – What was the most exciting/thrilling part of the design process?
A. – I loved finding the animal heads and hanging them up on the wall. My son was with me when we found the heads at the store and it was immediately something that I knew was going to go into his room but just didn’t know exactly how it was going to be decorated.
Q. – Any tips or advice you can share with other designers and parents?
A. – If designing a kid’s room, try and decorate with them and maybe have them be involved in some of the choices so they can have some part of the design process.
