Name: Violet (2)
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Room Size: 100 sq ft
We had quite the challenge when we began planning our daughter Violet's big girl room. When we moved in it was an explosion of animal print and garish red - a far cry from the bright and airy space we envisioned for her. After a couple of gallons of paint and a lot of hard work, we've transformed it into just that.
We had a small budget, so we worked on the space slowly and over time. We saved money by finding an inexpensive antique dresser on Craigslist, a $15 pull-down map on eBay, and repurposing a modular closet storage piece from IKEA as a bench. I created the bench cushion myself using foam that I purchased at a local fabric and craft store during a 50% off sale and leftover fabric from her nursery. Saving money on the big pieces allowed me to splurge a little on the smaller accessories and art. I hope that the space will grow with her as she becomes a little girl and even into the teenage years with a few updates here and there.
What was the inspiration for the room? The rug was a piece that we had purchased years ago on clearance from Anthropologie. It didn't fit with the rest of the decor in our house, but it seemed a shame to waste it, so it became the jumping off point for the rest of the space.
What was the biggest challenge decorating this room? Oddly enough the inspiration rug. Chartreuse wasn't the easiest color to work with, but I eventually came across a beautiful color scheme of greens and corals over on Creature Comforts and that set the ball rolling. I was actually very excited to have the opportunity to use corals and pinks, as I definitely didn't use traditional girly colors in Violet's nursery.
What is your favorite piece or element? My favorite part of the room is probably the mural that I painted. I really wanted to use Julia Rothman's Daydream wallpaper in the space, but the budget just didn't allow for it. So I used it as inspiration and free-handed the clouds and birds onto the wall behind the bed.
What was your biggest indulgence? I have a soft spot for handmade items, and especially for dolls. The 'beauty' doll from Lori Marie was definitely a splurge, but well worth it. Not only is she a work of art, but my little girl is just completely in love with her.
If money were no object, what's your dream source: Probably Anthropologie - I love their selection of wallpaper, rugs, and window treatments. Not to mention the accessories!
Do you have any advice for parents creating a room for their child? I would definitely say the three most important things would be an inspiration piece, a plan, and a budget. This will really focus your search and help the space feel cohesive.
Source List:
- Paint: Behr Country Dairy
- Narrow Leg Bed: West Elm
- Dottie Quilt: House 8810
- Dresser: Craigslist
- Bench: IKEA
- Bench Cushion: DIY
- Bench Fabric: Jo-ann Fabric
- Zinc Letter 'V': Anthropologie
- Gray Sham: Restoration Hardware Baby & Kids
- Pink Polka Dot Sheets: Land of Nod
- Striped Pillow: Urban Ecology
- Floral Pillow: Skinny LaMinx
- Star Pillow: Hello Milky
- Large Round Pillow: Land of Nod
- Small Round Pillow: Pretty Little Things by Lori Marie
- Linen Pillows: DIY (Fabric from Joann Fabric)
- Doll: Pretty Little Things by Lori Marie
- Map: eBay
- Adventurers Print: Fifi du Vie
- Bear & Antler Hooks: West Elm
- Christy's Cottage Dollhouse: Melissa & Doug
- Bedside Shelf: Michael's Craft Store
- Umbra Horizon Crunch Cans: Container Store
- Up Poster: Fine Little Day
- Book Shelf: IKEA
- Star Pillow: Colette Bream
- Swallows Wallpaper Decals: Love Mae
- Curtains: IKEA
- Large Rug: Anthropologie
- Faux Sheepskin Rug: IKEA
- Eleanor Frameless Mirror: Pottery Barn
- Star Garland: DIY
- Tissue Paper Tassel Mobile: FleurLux
- Squirrel Lamp: Anthropologie
- Gold Mushroom Lamp: Mokkasin
- Handpainted Blocks: How Now Design
- Gnome: MOMA Store
- Terrarium Postcards: Quill and Fox
To see more of our home you can visit my personal blog here: A Lovely Lark.
(Images: Lauren Hufnagl)
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OH! I LOVE this space! It is so sweet for a little girl. Though we may be a little way's away from putting our 14 month old in a big girl bed, I'm starting to change things out here and there to make it more "big girl" appropriate! What perfect inspiration this room is!
very, very beautiful.
love lauren's work. excited to see her on apartment therapy.
The mushroom and gnome are my favorite parts. Have you given any thought to changing the map to something more useful for educational purposes? It looks like a topographical map, which isn't really that helpful to most adults, let alone children. Maybe something geographical, to help her as she begins to form connections to where she is in the world.
That is the cutest room I've seen in a looooong time! Well done!
Lovely, lovely, lovely. My ONLY suggestion is to take that phrase from that black frame, re-print it in a prettier font on pretty paper. It will go with the room much better. Everything else is, well, just LOVELY.
Gorgeous room. I would have loved to see a before photo, based on the description!
Whimsical!
This is such a pretty room. It was done so nicely.
Usually anything referencing a faux mounted moose/deer's head makes me want to poke myself in the eyes these days..but your little wall hooks are so tongue-in-cheek the way you've placed them - love design with a sense of humour! Great wallpaper and handmade doll too!
Beautiful! Truly. I do not understand the curtains in front of the bed, though. I think it's too much.
So cute!
I love the whole room, ESPECIALLY the curtains!
Love this room! Truly one of my favorites and definitely an inspiration :)
This doesn't look like a real kid's room. It looks like a show room. Not a place where a kid can play and pretend and dream. I agree it's beautiful, but it looks like it was created to please parents, not kids. Just my opinion.
Love it, especially the painted wall behind the bed. Can't believe how great it looks! I also love the Daydream wallpaper, but not the price!
What a lucky little girl! And I love the curtains myself,she can use them as a tent or stage curtains!
Just delightful. I hope she grows up to be as lovely as her room.
Such a beautiful, sweet room. Lauren you are amazingly talented. :) :)
I disagree with the comment that it looks like it was made to please the parents and not the kid. Sure it's filled with gorgeous things, but why wouldn't a kid enjoy a beautiful mural and super pretty pillows everywhere? I love it! Most kids just want a bed and a spot on the floor to put their toys down and play. I think you've given your kid just that - it's awesome!
My son's room is just about the same size, maybe smaller. I really like how you used the space - good job!
@Kristinaks - If you'd like to see before photos here is a link to the post: http://www.alovelylark.com/2012/08/violets-room-before-after.html
@Jawasano - The room was picked up and staged for these photos. Most of her toys were stashed in the Horizon crunch cans that you see throughout the room.Normally it is a much messier toy-filled space that my two-year-old enjoys immensely. :) Her favorite thing is the dollhouse.
@JohnCB - That's exactly how she uses the curtains :)
Thank you everyone for your kind comments!
Such a pretty room! What's the story of the mountain print/photo?
Silly question: What kind of paint did you use for the mural behind her bed? Regular wall paint? My daughter has an 8x10 room and we're on a tight budget as well, so your DIY mural is a great solution! Thanks for sharing your great space!
Cute room. Get rid of the map.
Beautiful room! I totally get the curtains; they close off the sleeping space from the play space very nicely, and they do make a great stage/fort/tent for pretend-play. The topographical map is awesome in that it, in addition to working very well in the room, offers a view of what the land actually looks like from an aerial view, vs. a geographical map, which children also need to see so they can distinguish between topographical and political boundaries. But, that's all just a tangent that I went on. It's a beautiful, sophisticated, intelligent, girly space for a little girl to live in. Great job!
Oh, sorry. Just realized that's an elevations map. I still approve. ;)
And, if I could, once more: the stark typography works to balance out the softness of the rest of the room. Every room should have something that doesn't "go" in the room, imho. But, in this case, the black in the typography is echoed in the deep charcoals of the seat cushion, the roof of the doll house, and the mountains in the black & white photograph, so to say it doesn't "go" would not necessarily be fair in this case.
I love the map - can you tell me the search term you used to find it on eBay? I've tried a few and nothing like it has popped up. It's perfect for my Chinese-born son's room. TIA!
Love the room!
Can you tell me how you were able to get something from Mokasin? i've been coveting everything on their site but noticed they don't ship overseas.
thanks!
@Jen In NM - I searched 'pull down map' I believe. I purchased from eBay seller zircherp. Hope that helps!
@RSowers - yep, just regular wall paint. I just bought the sample sizes.
@Takeachillpill - I actually purchased it at Store Without a Home, but it's no longer available there so I sourced it at the only place I could find (Mokasin)
I may be in the minority about this... But please, enough with the children's rooms and nurseries!!!
Gorgeous! And Cara100, sorry you have to see the kids' rooms, but they are the mainstay of Ohdeedoh (now called the much less fun "AT Family") and a main reason that many of us frequent this site, even though AT made the inexplicable decision to merge some things into the main AT stream and make it so you have to click around and hunt for others in the various channels.
Thank you!
Lauren this room is so amazing and your instragram previews were a huge inspiration as I pulled together my own daughter's room! I'm still working on hers, though. :) I have no snippy comments or suggestions. It's simply lovely!!!
I'm 33 years old and I want this room for myself.