Room of the Day: A Place for Kids to Dream and Play
A Scandinavian-inspired bedroom for children encourages creativity and sleeping too
“The simplicity of this room really inspires creativity,” says interior designer Ginger Curtis of the room she designed for her two youngest children, 3-year-old Asher and Avery, 5. Her background as a furniture designer and builder came in handy while creating a fun bedroom where the little ones could play and dream. She and her husband, Eric, built a one-of-a-kind set of beds that lets the kiddos have plenty of space to be creative in the rest of their shared room. Crisp white and natural materials, along with black accents, give the room relaxing Scandinavian style, while a large window makes the second-floor bedroom feel like a treehouse.
Curtis balanced homemade pieces like the beds with other saves and a few splurges. One splurge was the custom bedding. The Scandinavian-inspired, gender-neutral palette is an apt choice in a room shared by a boy and girl.
Space was at a premium in this room. “We used to have twin beds in here, and it just looked so small,” Curtis says. An important part of the redesign was to add places where the kids could play and be creative. The bed solution gave her space to create a happy little nook for the kids. Curtis made the house herself, adding a reading light plus ledges for books and art projects. The extension of the bed platform is a good spot for the little ones to sit and dangle their feet.
Because every inch counted, details and texture were important. “I started with the fifth wall, the floor,” the designer says. “The super-wide, long maple planks were the foundation for the room.” Next she layered an 8-by-10-foot jute rug that’s durable and kid-friendly. The use of natural materials adds to the calm Scandinavian feel of the room.
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Because every inch counted, details and texture were important. “I started with the fifth wall, the floor,” the designer says. “The super-wide, long maple planks were the foundation for the room.” Next she layered an 8-by-10-foot jute rug that’s durable and kid-friendly. The use of natural materials adds to the calm Scandinavian feel of the room.
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“The windows are so big that they make the whole room feel like a treehouse,” Curtis says. “The sun pours in, and there’s a great view of a huge tree outside.”
The small table is a great spot for tea parties and art projects. “It’s a relaxing place for them to sit — there’s no chaos because there is a space for everything.” A dresser, shelves and toy bins provide plenty of storage for the children’s favorite things.
The draperies are simple and white with an extra detail: Curtis added a pompom trim. “The trim adds a subtle sweet dimension — it’s a little dream world in here,” she says. She also used larger pompoms across the window and white pennants she made herself to add layers of textures and shapes.
Table: Hobby Lobby
The small table is a great spot for tea parties and art projects. “It’s a relaxing place for them to sit — there’s no chaos because there is a space for everything.” A dresser, shelves and toy bins provide plenty of storage for the children’s favorite things.
The draperies are simple and white with an extra detail: Curtis added a pompom trim. “The trim adds a subtle sweet dimension — it’s a little dream world in here,” she says. She also used larger pompoms across the window and white pennants she made herself to add layers of textures and shapes.
Table: Hobby Lobby
A treehouse-like “vine” made up of wooden beads helps to visually enclose the creativity nook. Having the lower bed on casters “makes things so easy when you want to move it somewhere else, even just for vacuuming,” Curtis says. The casters can be locked in place.
Triangular wall decals add interest to the walls. “I arranged them 55 different ways until we settled on this,” Curtis says with a laugh. “The great thing about decals is that they are forgiving — easy to peel off and rearrange.”
Triangular wall decals add interest to the walls. “I arranged them 55 different ways until we settled on this,” Curtis says with a laugh. “The great thing about decals is that they are forgiving — easy to peel off and rearrange.”
Before the makeover, the designer had scooped up the four pieces of wall art above on clearance for $2 each, knowing she’d find a place for them someday.
Wall-mounted shelves from Ikea provide plenty of space for toys, books and other favorite things.
Wall-mounted shelves from Ikea provide plenty of space for toys, books and other favorite things.
Curtis is a big believer in pared-down living and passes her thinking on to her children. “That doll is expensive, but it’s well-made. I would rather my daughter have one beautiful doll that she loves and always plays with than 50 of them that will all fall apart and break,” she says. “My kids’ toys are well-made and meaningful. The kinds of toys they will pass down for their children and grandchildren to play with someday.” The rocker in the first photo is another good example: It was handmade by a Los Angeles artisan.
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Bedroom at a Glance
What happens here: Sleeping, drawing, dreaming, playing with toys, reading
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Size: 154 square feet (14.3 square meters); 11 by 14 feet
Designer: Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs
Curtis has a background as a furniture designer and builder, and together she and her husband, Eric, built the beds. One bunk is firmly anchored as a top bunk, while the lower one can move around on casters. The platform that extends from the lower bed provides a seat beneath the upper bed in a creativity nook.
Wall paint: Distant Gray, Benjamin Moore; bed: custom, Urbanology Designs