Room of the Day: ‘Cool Kids’ Share a Pattern-Happy Bedroom
A designer creates a colorful new room for her sister’s baby and toddler in California
Brenna Malmberg
June 28, 2017
With kid No. 2 on the way, Alyssa Wuestefeld reached out to her sister Bri Moysa, an interior designer, for home design help. The sisters had designed Wuestefeld’s first nursery together, and she was eager to collaborate again.
Photos by Taylor Cole Photography
Kids’ Room at a Glance
Who uses this space: Alyssa and Casey Wuestefeld and their two kids, Sloane, 3, and Kipton, 8 months
Location: Costa Mesa, California
Size: 144 square feet (13.4 square meters)
Designer: Bri Moysa, owner and head designer at Emerson Grey Designs
Wuestefeld’s first child, Sloane, had a peach-and-coral nursery. The sisters wanted to go in a new direction this time, mostly because the next child would be a boy and the two would be sharing a room.
“She wanted the room to be super colorful and bright,” Moysa says. The designer immediately thought of using wallpaper but knew it would need to be removable because the Wuestefelds rent their home. Moysa saw this palm-leaf pattern, and thought, “You can’t go wrong with tropical, right?”
Renter tip: Don’t immediately dismiss wallpaper as a way to spruce up your place. More removable options come on the market all the time, Moysa says, and they don’t ruin the existing paint underneath.
Removable wallpaper was surprising easy to install, Moysa says. She’d never done it before, yet she covered this accent wall in two hours. “Cutting around the window was the most tedious part,” she says. “But, if I mispositioned it, I could easily pull it up and tweak the placement.”
Wallpaper: Green Leaf, Chasing Paper; crib: Hudson, Babyletto
Kids’ Room at a Glance
Who uses this space: Alyssa and Casey Wuestefeld and their two kids, Sloane, 3, and Kipton, 8 months
Location: Costa Mesa, California
Size: 144 square feet (13.4 square meters)
Designer: Bri Moysa, owner and head designer at Emerson Grey Designs
Wuestefeld’s first child, Sloane, had a peach-and-coral nursery. The sisters wanted to go in a new direction this time, mostly because the next child would be a boy and the two would be sharing a room.
“She wanted the room to be super colorful and bright,” Moysa says. The designer immediately thought of using wallpaper but knew it would need to be removable because the Wuestefelds rent their home. Moysa saw this palm-leaf pattern, and thought, “You can’t go wrong with tropical, right?”
Renter tip: Don’t immediately dismiss wallpaper as a way to spruce up your place. More removable options come on the market all the time, Moysa says, and they don’t ruin the existing paint underneath.
Removable wallpaper was surprising easy to install, Moysa says. She’d never done it before, yet she covered this accent wall in two hours. “Cutting around the window was the most tedious part,” she says. “But, if I mispositioned it, I could easily pull it up and tweak the placement.”
Wallpaper: Green Leaf, Chasing Paper; crib: Hudson, Babyletto
The bold, large-scale palm print fills the wall behind the baby’s crib. “I’m not shy when it comes to pattern use,” Moysa says, “but I do pay close attention to the scale of a pattern and its colors. Balance of scale is especially important.”
With that in mind, she chose crib sheets with a small pattern. She pulled the mustard color from the slight hint of gold on the edges of the palm leaves.
Crib sheet: Woolf With Me; black pillow: Maewoven
Browse removable botanical wallpapers
With that in mind, she chose crib sheets with a small pattern. She pulled the mustard color from the slight hint of gold on the edges of the palm leaves.
Crib sheet: Woolf With Me; black pillow: Maewoven
Browse removable botanical wallpapers
A green-painted bookcase is tucked into the corner of the room and disappears into the palm leaves. “We already had two white cribs and a white dresser,” Moysa says. “We didn’t want everything to be all matchy-matchy.”
The family also needed a storage piece in the room for toys. “The four drawers fit a lot of toys, and it’s nice to have them a little bit more hidden,” Wuestefeld says.
Window treatment tip: If you have a fun accent wall, don’t use drapes that will compete with it, Moysa says. She went with simple white curtains and black rods. There’s nothing wrong with simple.
Bookcase: Kallax, Ikea; desk lamp: Crosby, Target
The family also needed a storage piece in the room for toys. “The four drawers fit a lot of toys, and it’s nice to have them a little bit more hidden,” Wuestefeld says.
Window treatment tip: If you have a fun accent wall, don’t use drapes that will compete with it, Moysa says. She went with simple white curtains and black rods. There’s nothing wrong with simple.
Bookcase: Kallax, Ikea; desk lamp: Crosby, Target
A soft rug fills the space in front of the cribs and bookcase. “You can find us in there playing in the middle of the floor, covering it with books and toys — my daughter playing dress-up, my son rolling around on the floor,” Wuestefeld says.
This large floor space was made possible by the parents and kids swapping rooms. The Wuestefelds live in a two-bedroom home and decided that the kids should have the larger bedroom. “Switching rooms was the best decision because they have so much more room to actually play in there, and not just sleep,” she says. More play space in the bedroom has also kept the toys out of the living room.
Rug: Kenya Fleece, Target; white rocking chair: Modway: ottoman: Pier 1 Imports; crib: Gulliver, Ikea; curtains: Ritva, Ikea; curtain rods: Räcka, Ikea
Browse creamy fleece rugs
This large floor space was made possible by the parents and kids swapping rooms. The Wuestefelds live in a two-bedroom home and decided that the kids should have the larger bedroom. “Switching rooms was the best decision because they have so much more room to actually play in there, and not just sleep,” she says. More play space in the bedroom has also kept the toys out of the living room.
Rug: Kenya Fleece, Target; white rocking chair: Modway: ottoman: Pier 1 Imports; crib: Gulliver, Ikea; curtains: Ritva, Ikea; curtain rods: Räcka, Ikea
Browse creamy fleece rugs
The second crib belongs to Sloane. “She’s a spunky toddler who loves her pink,” Moysa says. “I knew we needed to give her some fun textiles that work with the rest of the room.” Out of everything in the room, the 3-year-old was most excited about her new floral sheets. Her aunt chose wisely.
For another dose of pink, they hung a pink watercolor above her bed.
Renter tip: Select large-format art for the walls and carefully plan placement before installing anything. “Doing that saves you time when spackling holes later when you move,” Moysa says.
Large pillow: Junk Gypsy El Paso Euro pillow cover, PBteen; small pillow: Boho Pillow; wall art: Pink Abstract I by The Aestate via Society6
For another dose of pink, they hung a pink watercolor above her bed.
Renter tip: Select large-format art for the walls and carefully plan placement before installing anything. “Doing that saves you time when spackling holes later when you move,” Moysa says.
Large pillow: Junk Gypsy El Paso Euro pillow cover, PBteen; small pillow: Boho Pillow; wall art: Pink Abstract I by The Aestate via Society6
Wuestefeld already owned the rocker and knew that’s all the sitting space she’d need in the room. The stool offered a spot for a cup or a bottle, and the ottoman was a small, mobile footrest. “I also liked the lines and movement the rattan piece added to the tropical room,” Moysa says.
Dip-dyed stool: Serena & Lily; wall hanging: Creative Chic Shop
Dip-dyed stool: Serena & Lily; wall hanging: Creative Chic Shop
A dresser that also functions as a changing table stands against the opposite wall. This piece received a lot of TLC to look so clean and trendy. They found it in rough condition, but luckily they knew someone who loved to refinish furniture. Wuestefeld’s godfather happily took on the challenge, and sanded, primed and painted the dresser. “This saved us from having to do it and saved us money,” Moysa says.
Then they replaced the knobs with leather pulls. Leather appears again on the shelf, giving the space a uniform look.
Moysa finished off the space with a patterned changing pad, a metallic lamp and small plants.
Changing pad cover: By George!; drawer pulls: Grey Cricket Studios; shelf: Kure via Wayfair
Then they replaced the knobs with leather pulls. Leather appears again on the shelf, giving the space a uniform look.
Moysa finished off the space with a patterned changing pad, a metallic lamp and small plants.
Changing pad cover: By George!; drawer pulls: Grey Cricket Studios; shelf: Kure via Wayfair
Moysa also wanted the changing table space to have a fun, personal touch. She assigned her sister this “cool kids” DIY block project. Wuestefeld quickly had the craft completed. It required only blocks and paint.
DIY tip: If you’re not crafty, don’t fret, Moysa says. She has seen similar blocks, already lettered, online and at craft stores.
Shelf art: Hobby Lobby
DIY tip: If you’re not crafty, don’t fret, Moysa says. She has seen similar blocks, already lettered, online and at craft stores.
Shelf art: Hobby Lobby
Reliance on each other’s skills made this a design success for the sisters. Wuestefeld trusted Moysa’s design sense. And Moysa appreciated Wuestefeld’s budgeting abilities. “Bless my sister’s heart, she’s the queen of spreadsheets,” Moysa says. “She had it all mapped out so that we didn’t spend more than our $2,500 budget.”
Moysa also enjoyed this project because she typically never sees a finished room. She does all her interior design work remotely and has seen only three or four finished rooms in person during her seven years in the business. “I charge a flat fee that covers all the design work,” she says. “Then I share the plan and purchasing list with clients, and they do the rest.”
Moysa planned this space in very much the same fashion, but instead of sending off the plan, she got to visit her sister and pull the room together herself.
More
Quick and Cozy Nursery for a Busy Family
Family Cuts Clutter for a Shared Bedroom
Read more Room of the Day stories
Browse children’s furniture and decor
Moysa also enjoyed this project because she typically never sees a finished room. She does all her interior design work remotely and has seen only three or four finished rooms in person during her seven years in the business. “I charge a flat fee that covers all the design work,” she says. “Then I share the plan and purchasing list with clients, and they do the rest.”
Moysa planned this space in very much the same fashion, but instead of sending off the plan, she got to visit her sister and pull the room together herself.
More
Quick and Cozy Nursery for a Busy Family
Family Cuts Clutter for a Shared Bedroom
Read more Room of the Day stories
Browse children’s furniture and decor
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Love the idea of removable wallpaper!!! Opens up a whole new vista for this restless, intrepid Houzzer :))
@sarah west and @alwilding85, super late reply but this is my kid's room and I can promise you that the lamp is still there and the cord is not in arms reach of the crib, the accents have actually never been kicked off the dresser, plants are still living, etc. My kids are now 4 and 18 months and yes, there may be a lot more books and toys all over the floor most days but if I took a picture today the design looks exactly the same. As for your request for suggestions: the diapers, wipes, pacis, etc are in the top drawer of the dresser and there is a lot of storage in the closet. You might never see this comment which is fine but just want others who may come across this article to know that you can have a nursery/kids room with design elements like this and it still be functional! :)