Design Moves to Borrow From Kids’ Rooms
There’s a lot you can do elsewhere in the house with a liberal use of color, a sense of play and a little whimsy
When decorating kids’ rooms, there is often a sense of creativity allowed that we seldom employ with quite the same freedom in other spaces. For these rooms there’s an embrace of color, play and whimsy that aims to delight rather than impress. And that’s exactly why they are fun to decorate. But what happens when we move into the living room? We get serious, a feeling that can swiftly dampen imagination and creativity before we’re even aware of it.
If you welcome the idea of having more fun during the process of decorating and would enjoy a lighter spirit in the decor of your home, let’s explore the following rooms designed for children to see what lessons we can take from them and apply when making decisions for the other spaces in our home.
If you welcome the idea of having more fun during the process of decorating and would enjoy a lighter spirit in the decor of your home, let’s explore the following rooms designed for children to see what lessons we can take from them and apply when making decisions for the other spaces in our home.
A chair upholstered in a garden-fresh pattern is the epitome of cheerful in this sophisticated teen’s bedroom.
Take-away: Nearly any room — living room, den, family room — can be brightened with the addition of a single chair covered in a standout pattern. To make it work, ensure that the print colors are repeated elsewhere in the room and the scale of the print differs from that of other patterns in the room, as demonstrated in this design.
Take-away: Nearly any room — living room, den, family room — can be brightened with the addition of a single chair covered in a standout pattern. To make it work, ensure that the print colors are repeated elsewhere in the room and the scale of the print differs from that of other patterns in the room, as demonstrated in this design.
White is a smart standard for ceilings, but sometimes selecting an unexpected color has a big payoff.
Take-away: Any enclosed room, such as a laundry room, a bath, an entry or a kitchen separated from adjoining rooms, can be enhanced by a ceiling painted in a color — though perhaps not as bright and bold as the one in this room. Select a color that reinforces the design plan of the space.
Take-away: Any enclosed room, such as a laundry room, a bath, an entry or a kitchen separated from adjoining rooms, can be enhanced by a ceiling painted in a color — though perhaps not as bright and bold as the one in this room. Select a color that reinforces the design plan of the space.
Wallpaper can be a daunting commitment in any room, but here the colorful butterfly wallpaper from J & J Design Group lining just one wall is both playful and beautiful.
Wallpaper is a powerful design tool, so let’s not be afraid to use it, and as seen in these two examples, a good place to start is on an accent wall. In this children’s playroom, a wall at the entrance is covered in a wallpaper with a black and white pattern, Alahambra from Wolf-Gordan.
Take-away: These or similar bold patterns could be just as successful on a number of other walls in the home, such as in the laundry room, mudroom, entry or powder room.
Take-away: These or similar bold patterns could be just as successful on a number of other walls in the home, such as in the laundry room, mudroom, entry or powder room.
In addition to wallpaper, wall murals are another option for creating a focal point on a single wall. Unlike most wallpaper patterns, a mural can introduce a large image, like this map, scenes from nature or even a personal photo blown up to cover an entire wall.
Take-away: With their design options being virtually limitless, murals can be an effective way to add personalized character to a media room, bonus room, craft room or laundry room.
Take-away: With their design options being virtually limitless, murals can be an effective way to add personalized character to a media room, bonus room, craft room or laundry room.
Another treatment more commonly spotted in kids’ rooms is a large block of an unexpected color, such as this bright orange wall enhanced by pink and yellow bedding.
Take-away: Create a happy focal point with color on a wall at the end of a long hallway, or in a mudroom or kitchen nook, then hang a piece of art featuring complementary colors on the wall. In this example, the bright color is successful in large part due to its pairing with white walls, avoiding an overload of color.
Take-away: Create a happy focal point with color on a wall at the end of a long hallway, or in a mudroom or kitchen nook, then hang a piece of art featuring complementary colors on the wall. In this example, the bright color is successful in large part due to its pairing with white walls, avoiding an overload of color.
Often when time and money are spent to add wainscoting (or any other paneled detail), it’s finished with a coat of white paint, the safe and classic bet. But color can present an opportunity to highlight these quality additions to their highest potential.
Take-away: Wainscoting in entries, dining rooms and hallways can become a standout design element when painted a hue that complements an existing color palette. Conversely, the chosen color can be the starting point in a new project.
Take-away: Wainscoting in entries, dining rooms and hallways can become a standout design element when painted a hue that complements an existing color palette. Conversely, the chosen color can be the starting point in a new project.
There certainly doesn’t seem to be any fear of color in kids’ rooms. Here, the recessed shelving above the girls’ desks is coated in vibrant yellow.
In another playroom, deep navy lining the back of a bookshelf has the effect of highlighting the items set on the shelves.
Take-away: Consider applying color to the back wall of open shelving or glass-front cabinetry in the family room, den, kitchen, mudroom or laundry room for a dose of distinctive personality.
Take-away: Consider applying color to the back wall of open shelving or glass-front cabinetry in the family room, den, kitchen, mudroom or laundry room for a dose of distinctive personality.
There also seems to be a greater willingness to mix patterns in kids’ rooms. A good rule of thumb when striving for a successful pattern mix is to vary the pattern scale and pick prints that share at least one color.
Take-away: Virtually any room can benefit from at least a little pattern mixing — using vibrant colors, as seen here, or more subdued ones to add interest in a neutral master bedroom, living room, bonus room or den. Pillows, throws, area rugs and drapes are good surfaces to consider using pattern on, in hues that complement the color of the walls and larger pieces of furniture.
A creative treatment showing up in kids’ rooms is painting trim a color other than white, such as the red here, which visually wraps the room with a pretty ribbon.
Take-away: This could be a playful detail in a laundry room or powder room.
Take-away: This could be a playful detail in a laundry room or powder room.
When decorating kids’ rooms, it seems any surface is fair game for a fun, happy color, and lampshades are no exception.
Take-away: Look for lampshades in a great color for existing lamps in the living room, den or master bedroom to add a beautiful pop of color.
Take-away: Look for lampshades in a great color for existing lamps in the living room, den or master bedroom to add a beautiful pop of color.
Antique toys and collectibles introduce distinct character with a sense of history on the shelves in this boy’s room.
Take-away: Such pieces, when you are lucky enough to stumble across them, can add personality in spades to an entry console or a living room sofa table, above kitchen cabinetry or alongside books on shelves in any room.
Take-away: Such pieces, when you are lucky enough to stumble across them, can add personality in spades to an entry console or a living room sofa table, above kitchen cabinetry or alongside books on shelves in any room.
A special light fixture can function like an eye-catching piece of jewelry in a room, and that’s certainly the case with this red pagoda in a teen’s bedroom.
Take-away: Look for special fixtures that will be that perfect finishing touch in a powder room or entry, or hung over a kitchen island or kitchen nook table.
Tell us: Which of these design elements have you employed in your home, in a kids’ bedroom and beyond?
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Take-away: Look for special fixtures that will be that perfect finishing touch in a powder room or entry, or hung over a kitchen island or kitchen nook table.
Tell us: Which of these design elements have you employed in your home, in a kids’ bedroom and beyond?
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Kids’ Room Color Wisdom: How Colors Affect Behavior
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Take-away: One piece of furniture in an outstanding color can make a room. A console table in a similar hue would be an inspiring start for an entry design.