Nest Updates: Kids' Rooms
We wrapped up the summer with a flurry of activity around the house this past weekend. Both kiddos were due for bed upgrades--my daughter from a toddler to a twin bed, and my son from a crib to a toddler bed. Although there's nothing particularly remarkable or innovative about what we've done, we're so pleased with the way both spaces turned out, and hope they'll be environments in which a lot of fun and learning can happen this year. I wanted to share these little snapshots of our nest with you.
I'll start with my son's room. This is what it looks like now:
But let's take a look at what we started with, back in February of 2010, a few months after we moved into our house.
A swine-colored monitor graveyard. Awesome. The walls were a mess of poor patch jobs and flaking paint. Being in this room was like rolling around on a giant fillet of salmon. But my husband meticulously fixed the walls and they went from the eyesores you see above, to this:
We welcomed our son home to this beautiful and lovingly crafted space and it has served us really well. Let's go back to present-day.
These navy and red fabric bins, purchased at Target, have been a wonderful way to keep the room tidy. Being able to throw everything in makes cleanup so quick and easy, even for my son to do himself with a little guidance. The rug is a hand-tufted wool rug from Overstock. The bedding is my favorite for toddlers, because even the comforter and flat sheet have fitted elastic ends to keep them on the bed. I love the bold colors, and that they are Dora, Cars, and other character-free. The quality is excellent and holds up through many washes. We had a sage and purple set for my daughter, which you'll see in a minute. The best price for these sets that I've found is on eBay, from BabyBestBuy.
Now on to my daughter's room. We've had a darling toddler bed for her for a number of years. This is what her room looked like before our recent updates:
The rug was a thrift store find back in 2009 that I still love. It was new with tags, and donated by Target to Goodwill--still being sold for $138 when I brought it home for under $40. I think it was called DwellStudio Garden Pattern Rug or something like that. The kitchen is this KidKraft one, and by far the most played-with item in our home, by both children. The toybox pictured is one my dad built for me when I was a baby, and we've now moved it downstairs to be attractive storage in our family room. Even with these great pieces, this room never felt finished to me. The arrangement was functional, but not particularly pleasing to the eye. I like it much better now:
The dresser and bed were found via Craigslist this past weekend and prompted the whole room re-do. Did you know you can add a feed for a Craigslist search to your feed reader? It's a great way to make sure you never miss a new posting of a "twin bedroom dresser," for instance. :) Girlie had previously had the dresser now in my son's room, and had grown out of it. We gained 2 extra dresser drawers plus 4 drawers under the bed with this set! The new sheets (painted floral) and comforter (green/brown) are from JCP and Kohls, respectively. We've had better experiences with linens from these places than with those bought at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
It's always a challenge to give toys with a lot of components defined spaces and places to go when it's time for clean-up. The bins in my son's room have worked so well that I'm considering something similar for all the play food and kitchen items that currently get stashed either behind the doors of the kitchen itself, or in the filled-to-the-brim plastic tote beside it. The dollies are also exceeding occupancy limits in their crib. :) One of my favorite things in this room is the wooden dollhouse. It's a Ryan's Room Home Is Where The Heart Is Dollhouse, and we were delighted to find it, fully furnished, on Craigslist a few years ago. It's a toy my daughter is still growing in to, but I'm so charmed by the craftsmanship and all the sweet details, like the lamp pulls and tiny doors that really open and the fabric curtain on the shower. My daughter's favorite part is pushing the tiny dolls on the swingset. :)
I've mentioned over and over again that we are a family of book lovers. This is a peek at the children's library that lives in my daughter's room. Love those early readers! You can't see anything but the corner of it in these pictures, but right next to the shelf is a child-size rocking chair that's a favorite reading perch. The CD player on top of the case is mainly used for audio books. Almost all of these books have come from thrift stores and library sales. But even better than cheap is free, right? Want to see a great toy (for ages 2+, at least) that comes free in your mailbox that made its way into view while I was snapping these pics this morning?
This is a collection of those stupid car-ad keys that dealerships send out. I put them on an old keychain of mine and they have been part of many, many imaginative plays.
I'll start with my son's room. This is what it looks like now:
But let's take a look at what we started with, back in February of 2010, a few months after we moved into our house.
A swine-colored monitor graveyard. Awesome. The walls were a mess of poor patch jobs and flaking paint. Being in this room was like rolling around on a giant fillet of salmon. But my husband meticulously fixed the walls and they went from the eyesores you see above, to this:
 |
| Crib bumper for picture-taking only; we didn't use one for either child. |
We welcomed our son home to this beautiful and lovingly crafted space and it has served us really well. Let's go back to present-day.
These navy and red fabric bins, purchased at Target, have been a wonderful way to keep the room tidy. Being able to throw everything in makes cleanup so quick and easy, even for my son to do himself with a little guidance. The rug is a hand-tufted wool rug from Overstock. The bedding is my favorite for toddlers, because even the comforter and flat sheet have fitted elastic ends to keep them on the bed. I love the bold colors, and that they are Dora, Cars, and other character-free. The quality is excellent and holds up through many washes. We had a sage and purple set for my daughter, which you'll see in a minute. The best price for these sets that I've found is on eBay, from BabyBestBuy.
Now on to my daughter's room. We've had a darling toddler bed for her for a number of years. This is what her room looked like before our recent updates:
The rug was a thrift store find back in 2009 that I still love. It was new with tags, and donated by Target to Goodwill--still being sold for $138 when I brought it home for under $40. I think it was called DwellStudio Garden Pattern Rug or something like that. The kitchen is this KidKraft one, and by far the most played-with item in our home, by both children. The toybox pictured is one my dad built for me when I was a baby, and we've now moved it downstairs to be attractive storage in our family room. Even with these great pieces, this room never felt finished to me. The arrangement was functional, but not particularly pleasing to the eye. I like it much better now:
The dresser and bed were found via Craigslist this past weekend and prompted the whole room re-do. Did you know you can add a feed for a Craigslist search to your feed reader? It's a great way to make sure you never miss a new posting of a "twin bedroom dresser," for instance. :) Girlie had previously had the dresser now in my son's room, and had grown out of it. We gained 2 extra dresser drawers plus 4 drawers under the bed with this set! The new sheets (painted floral) and comforter (green/brown) are from JCP and Kohls, respectively. We've had better experiences with linens from these places than with those bought at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
It's always a challenge to give toys with a lot of components defined spaces and places to go when it's time for clean-up. The bins in my son's room have worked so well that I'm considering something similar for all the play food and kitchen items that currently get stashed either behind the doors of the kitchen itself, or in the filled-to-the-brim plastic tote beside it. The dollies are also exceeding occupancy limits in their crib. :) One of my favorite things in this room is the wooden dollhouse. It's a Ryan's Room Home Is Where The Heart Is Dollhouse, and we were delighted to find it, fully furnished, on Craigslist a few years ago. It's a toy my daughter is still growing in to, but I'm so charmed by the craftsmanship and all the sweet details, like the lamp pulls and tiny doors that really open and the fabric curtain on the shower. My daughter's favorite part is pushing the tiny dolls on the swingset. :)
I've mentioned over and over again that we are a family of book lovers. This is a peek at the children's library that lives in my daughter's room. Love those early readers! You can't see anything but the corner of it in these pictures, but right next to the shelf is a child-size rocking chair that's a favorite reading perch. The CD player on top of the case is mainly used for audio books. Almost all of these books have come from thrift stores and library sales. But even better than cheap is free, right? Want to see a great toy (for ages 2+, at least) that comes free in your mailbox that made its way into view while I was snapping these pics this morning?
This is a collection of those stupid car-ad keys that dealerships send out. I put them on an old keychain of mine and they have been part of many, many imaginative plays.
Comments