I thought you would get a 'hoot' out of a space I am designing for a tween age girl who is hot for Harry Potter! Kids bedrooms are so much fun for me because I get to think loudly and colorfully!! I adore what these little clients have to say when I consult with them (Oh yes, they are very much involved in the process because it is so much fun for them). I bought this little guy above as my inspiration for the project. Below is part of my idea board:
When designing a tween's bedroom you have to keep in mind his or her needs and wants now; and at the same time think about how the room will work in future years. This is very helpful when investing money in furniture. What will the room be used for besides sleeping? Homework & studying, reading, hang out zone with friends? Think about the layout and function of the furniture pieces, for example, for this tween I will turn her full size bed into a sofa by turning it lengthwise against the wall and adding a sofa like padded headboard along the back. Her bed is now multi-purposed as a lounging sofa for her and her friends. I have added a mobile laptop table instead of a traditional night stand on one side of the bed so she can pull it up to any part of the room and study or write on it with ease and comfort. The tabletop can be lowered or increased in height. This is a multi purpose piece that is inexpensive!
On either side of the bed I opted for wall sconce lighting that can swivel vs. table lighting that would remain stationary and take up tabletop space. And think about bookcases as a great place to keep small items your child creates or collects. For this tween I have designed built-ins on either side of a double window, with a window seat in between that opens for further storage.
When it comes to the theme of any space, I like to add it simply and organically, especially in a kids space, because too much theme gets old quick. For this tween bedroom I will incorporate decor accents and fabrics that remind me of the Harry Potter movies. Owls are great accents, and fabrics with patterns that look like mazes, magic wands, stars, swirls, etc. And as a wall treatment I will use a similar diagonal stripe pattern that incorporates the burnt orange and red from the tie as part of the uniform at Hogwarts. I will also use furniture hardware that is colorful and again has that magical fun look and feel.
Someone must have cast a magical spell on the weather in PA because I have been able to actually leave the house and get a lot done!! I have been busy at window installations, client consults, and well......prank phone calls it seems:
Oh yes she did!! This week has been full of surprises. First, I had one of those classic miscommunicated phone calls that left me blushing. As part of my brand spanking new website relaunch (coming very soon), my clever web designer told me to get some photos taken of myself for my site doing different design-y things like holding a vase, measuring something, etc. I called a photography studio and said "Hi,I would like photos taken of me in different poses, wearing different outfits; my husband will direct me and I have props I will be bringing with me." There was silence on the other end of the line then the woman cleared her throat and said "We don't do that kind of photography here." I was red in the face and laughed for ten minutes in embarrassment. I called back and explained what they were for and we both chuckled.
So I did not strip down for the photo shoot BUT I did strip down a piece of furniture that I was reluctant to do but then swayed by my clients sentimentality toward the piece. I have been designing multiple spaces in a beautiful home in Nazareth. One of those spaces is my clients master bedroom. We are taking it from white chalky walls with little excitement to a big- 'O-WOW' with an exclamation point. In the room she has a chair and a half with big rolled arms and a short back. My plan was to replace the chair with a chaise that would take up less space in width but after hearing that it was her mother's chair and meant a lot to her, we opted for slipcovering it. We had a custom ottoman built to go with it. It came out so gorgeous that I wanted to share it with you:
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| BEFORE |
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| AFTER - we increased the height of the back cushion for neck support and changed out the chair skirt to a tight tucked look. |
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| I want to give a big shout out to the genius who created the slipcover because as you can see, she managed to line up the pattern between the welting which is not easy. My next blog will include the before and after of a contemporary plum color infused master bedroom I recently completed for a gentleman in Allentown. Have a great day friends! |
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