Pint-Sized Design: Olivia's Pinkalicious Kids' Room
Fall in love with a 5-year-old girl's penny-pinching pink bedroom
Two words sum up every square inch of 5-year-old Olivia's 9' x11' bedroom: thrifty and pink. Both interior design and resourcefulness are part of the happy little sprite's DNA; daddy Jon is an architect and mommy Stacey is a research analyst. When Olivia began her I-want-everything-pink-and-tea-parties phase, Stacey resorted to her own voted-off-the-island college furniture, spray painting skills and retail upgrading tricks to bring it all to life.
While decorating a little girl's room pink and white ain't as groundbreaking as the creation of Facebook or cloning Dolly the sheep, to us design lovers, executing a tasteful kid's room for under $250 is definitely newsworthy. From putting a fresh spin on old pieces to turning washcloths into precious little birdies, here's a walk through the pinkalicious world that is Olivia Davis's bedroom. CAUTION: The homemade Hello Kitty cookies may result in cute overload. Don't say I didn't warn you.
While decorating a little girl's room pink and white ain't as groundbreaking as the creation of Facebook or cloning Dolly the sheep, to us design lovers, executing a tasteful kid's room for under $250 is definitely newsworthy. From putting a fresh spin on old pieces to turning washcloths into precious little birdies, here's a walk through the pinkalicious world that is Olivia Davis's bedroom. CAUTION: The homemade Hello Kitty cookies may result in cute overload. Don't say I didn't warn you.
This is Olivia. Very detail-oriented, busy and organized, she found time to snap on her butterfly wings and do this Houzz shoot even though she had pre-existing plans eating real cookies and sipping pretend tea with her purple teddy bear.
You know all that crafty-crafty busy work kids do all day in kindergarten which ends up on the fridge? Well, in Olivia's case, those labors of love became a pertinent part of her room's decor. In fact, they totally dress up the mass-produced must-have kiddie fridge Olivia just can't live without (and I'm sure Stacey prefers remain hidden somewhere in the basement).
By choosing a pale pink backdrop, it allows all of Olivia's one-of-a-kind possessions to stand out. I will tell you one thing that does not want to stand out: The plastic bottle which makes up the body and structure of Olivia's green paper octopus. Our pint-sized fan of decorating seems to get the rule that some things are best concealed by textiles.
Paint color: Sherwin-Williams SW 6589 Alyssum
Paint color: Sherwin-Williams SW 6589 Alyssum
To keep the budget in check, Stacey handed her college bedroom set down to Olivia, then splurged on new bedding. To keep the bedding from completely stealing the thunder from the rest of the room's elements, she opted for a solid white duvet with polka dot and scalloped embroidery. If Olivia grows out of the current accent color, purple, the bedding can just as well be accented by blues, greens or yellows.
In its original state, Stacey's wicker college furniture sported an overall beige appearance. What's wrong with beige furniture in a kid's room? Nothing ... if you want them to have a complete lack of imagination, then put off embarking on a career in interior design until age 30. Bitter? Perhaps. Bitter because I may or may not have had a beige bedroom at age 5? Maybe.
Just a few coats of white spray paint later, Stacey gave her previously campus-based furniture a brighter, more up-to-date look.
As this fancy source of illumination shows, a 2.5-inch band of brown cotton duck, coordinating welt cord and a glue gun can instantly dress up an all-white table lamp.
Don't have a glue gun or access to a fabric store? For a similar look, try taping off an area of your shade with painters' tape, then adding a contrasting color with acrylic or fabric paint.
Don't have a glue gun or access to a fabric store? For a similar look, try taping off an area of your shade with painters' tape, then adding a contrasting color with acrylic or fabric paint.
To incorporate some uber-girly pattern, Stacey snuck it in subtly with bed sheets. The fashion motif has Olivia embracing her dress-up side as she snuggles up with her beloved teddy.
Guess what books I was reading at age 5? Ones about shark attacks. Not the cutest subject matter but what can I say? I'm from Florida and grew up on boats.
Guess what books I was reading at age 5? Ones about shark attacks. Not the cutest subject matter but what can I say? I'm from Florida and grew up on boats.
For a bit more of a high-fashion touch, Stacey hung a triptych of prints including a debonaire poodle right smack above Olivia's bed. Their brown frames are neutral enough for any other prints to be switched out once Olivia's taste turns from fashion to unicorns in the next few months.
And when I say unicorns, I mean Taylor Swift. She pretty much knows the lyrics to every hit song already. And when I say she, I mean me, of course. C'mon, how can someone not like Taylor Swift?
And when I say unicorns, I mean Taylor Swift. She pretty much knows the lyrics to every hit song already. And when I say she, I mean me, of course. C'mon, how can someone not like Taylor Swift?
For some ambience, Stacey swapped the room's existing ceiling fan for a metal and crystal chandelier. As far as putting one up yourself is concerned, it's a pretty easy task if you're not relocating the junction box. When moving a junction box, I strongly suggest paying a professional to do it for you. The $150 or so it will set you back is worth not getting shocked and being able to play with your daughter outside instead of standing on a ladder for seven hours on a Saturday. Unless standing on a ladder all day on a weekend and neglecting your kids is something you enjoy and in that case, SNAP OUT OF IT.
Instead of ditching an old Target lamp Stacey bought years ago, she gave it a mini facelift by ditching the original adult-ish lampshade for a polka-dot penny saver from Pottery Barn Kids.
No more wire hangers! Well, okay, maybe just two. By embellishing two wire hangers with paper and yarn, otherwise basic and uninteresting everyday objects become something playful and fun. Perhaps if Christina and Christopher would have shown this to mommy Joan Crawford, she would have let them keep a pair of the otherwise forbidden objects in their rooms. But then that entire scene would have been cut from the movie Mommy Dearest. Nevermind.
To dress up some basic IKEA kid chairs, Stacey added felt cushions in the shape of a rosebud. To recreate this look in your own kidspace, simply invest in a tone on tone combination of craft felt, fabric glue, scissors and ribbon.
Since the covers of kids' books are graphic, colorful and fun, Stacey opted to keep Olivia's favorites on display via a dowel and beadboard book rack mounted on the wall. My rule of thumb for keeping books looking like decor instead of clutter is to try and vary the shapes and sizes, then stick with thick typefonts easy to read from across the room. If Olivia were my child, some of those books would be replaced with Domino: The Book of Decorating and Elle DECOR, Style and Substance. Just sayin'.
When ceramic teapots are too fragile for your little ones, you make them out of foam. That is all I have to say about this image.
As Stacey's resourcefulness proves, pretty much anything can become a cute accessory even if the subject at hand is a washcloth. By twisting, then bunching white washcloths into the shape of birds and sticking eyeball stickers on them, humdrum bath essentials become one-of-a-kind keepsakes.
Whether it's a paper octopus or baked goods, handmade things are abundant in the Davis household. As a reward for being such a stellar kid, Stacey often serves up cookies and milk to Olivia and her pals during play time. What's that you say? You want to see the cuteness that is a custom buttermilk and sugar cookie shaped as Hello Kitty herself? Well then, continue.
Alas, a look at the insanely adorable Hello Kitty creations that are Stacey's own. I may or may not have had one (or seven) and be able to state they are indeed as yummy as they are cute. And if I did eat several of these delicious cuties, it may explain why, even as I finish typing this article, I am still on a major sugar high.
More: Browse more guides to great kids' spaces
More: Browse more guides to great kids' spaces