Hundreds of readers share their children's rooms with us throughout the year and inevitably some trends emerge. Sometimes they're short lived and other times they become decor staples. I've looked back through our archives from 2012 and identified five major trends that I saw again and again. Take a look and see if you think these are are the wane or on the rise. Maybe you've used one or two in your own kids' spaces.
Neutral Striped Walls
Striped walls in kids' rooms are nothing new, but this year there was a decided proclivity to make them neutral in hues of grey, tan and taupe mixed with white and off-white. The look is a smart happy medium: the visual interest of stripes, but toned down so it doesn't knock you over.
Shown above: 1. Aiden's "Modern Preppy" Nursery 2. Xavier Dean's Striped and Serene Nursery 3. Freya's Sweet & Serene Space 4. Evie's Soft Stripes 5. Emily's Family Affair
Poufs
2012 was the year of the pouf (music to their manufacturers' ears). We've been spotting them in homes for the past year or two and they were popping up constantly in nurseries and kids' rooms this year. They make sense for little ones' spaces since they are often first used as ottomans while nursing and then they become a soft-ish place for young walkers to hang onto.
Shown above: 1. Jack's Merry Menagerie 2. J is for Jock's Colorful Room 3. Sadie's Grey, Chartreuse & Pink Charmer 4. Collin's Fresh White Room 5. Ruby's Gem of a Room
Black & White Rugs
I wrote about this trend earlier in the year and it's still going strong. It's a carryover from the "adult" design world that brings a modern pop to any style of kid's room.
Shown above: 1. Mila's Fun, Music Inspired Nursery 2. Copeland's Colorful Nursery 3. My Room: Maya 4. Major's Majorly Chic Dual Purpose Nursery 5. Leif's Modern Victorian
Mini Buntings
Buntings and garlands were on our trend list from 2011 and they haven't gone away. The twist this year was to make them smaller, sometimes only a few inches tall. Their minimized size make them no less festive.
Shown above: 1. Axel's Clean & Cozy Nursery 2. Alexander's DIY'd with Love Nursery 3. Henry & Adela's Playful But Peaceful
Shared Room 4. Alliyah's Pretty in Pink and Purple Room 5. A Happy Room for Baby
Name Displays
We've seen many lovely ways to incorporate a child's name into their room decor in the past, but never so, so frequently as in 2012. Whether displaying their whole name or just an initial, this trend only seems to be heating up.
Shown above: 1. Nolan's Gossamer Skies Room 2. Pearl's Temporarily Girly Room 3. Julian Grey's Bright, Handmade Nursery 4. Victor's Atomic Alien Invasion 5. Sarah & Matt's Expertly Styled Home
Curious to see what last year's trends were? Check out 2011's Biggest Decor Trends to see which ones are still around and which have faded away.
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Any trend that make's a child's room more comfortable and happy is a good one and all of these fall into that category!
It's kids'. If you're not going to use an apostrophe, at least be consistent.
and ottomans. No apostrophe.
Thanks, Anna$C. I was going to let the errant apostrophe go (yet again), but I'm glad to see if bothered someone else.
Carrie, If it's plural, just add the S (or es). The apostrophe means it belongs to someone (or, in this case, the ottoman). Otherwise, I like the post.
Love them all.
Just wish folks would think carefully about bunting placement, as it can be a strangulation hazard. Draped on the crib = very bad idea. Draped over the crib = make sure very securely attached and totally of a baby's reach (they grow and stand up faster than you think), which to my mind means do NOT drape over a crib.
I see potentially dangerous bunting placement here on AP posts sometimes. Makes my heart pitter patter.
Nothing is more annoying than reading someone's spelling and grammar corrections to a post or fellow commenter.
Get a life, people. This is Apartment Therapy, not Design, Grammar, and Punctuation.
Btw, do you object my usage of the Oxford comma? Look it up. Big grammatical controversy over it.
I love the first 3. I don't like buntings (I agree with the comment on the strangulation hazard). I don't like typography in decor in general (I know, I'm weird).
I too don't like bunting. It looks cheap or something? I can't quite pinpoint it - but it really irks me. I can handle a name initial here and there, but don't like names blasted all over the walls of a home.
I do love the poufs and rugs and wall stripes!
I think wall stripes and poufs are here to stay. Maybe even buntings until something else comes along to replace it. Black and white rugs, not so sure... In any case, I love all of these trends and hope they continue! Maybe one that you missed, Wallpaper.
I know it is a little late for this holiday season but for my daughter's first Christmas I interviewed all my grandparents who were luckily still living. I gave them a questionnaire with questions from what was their favorite candy bar growing up to questions about what they remembered about their grandparents. I asked social history questions and asked them to write any advice they would want to pass on to my daughter. They were kind enough to share photos I had never seen. I learned so much about myself, my family and what their hopes were growing up.
I compiled all the information in a beautiful album and pointed out the pictures for their birthday. Babies get so many toys that I think it can be overwhelming. This is something they will always treasure and my grandparents had a fun time too. Some of my grandparents are no longer here so this truly is a gift that will last.
Sorry! I meant for this to post onto another article I was reading but I do have to say that I love the blue poof and rug!
oops, guilty of all five of them! Except that the stripes on my sons wall are robins egg blue and white and in a chevron motif... (yep an other trend) But I promise that it looks absolutely cute!
Thanks, that was a typo.
That's cool to look back and see the trends. Do name displays ever go out of style?! I love the poufs and the mini bunting trend. I think they'll be around for a little while longer.
Wow. What a wonderful project to under take and to create for you child and all the generations to follow. I'm so happy to hear you did that. Really warms my heart.
Funny how Jenna Lyon's style has been such an influence. Her son's room with the stripes, black-and-white striped rug, and unique name display (although, that's been around for awhile) are all echoed in this article. Major, major girl crush on her.
How about owls? They're everywhere in kids' rooms all over AT!
Grammar corrections are valuable. People misuse and abuse the poor apostrophe these days (not day's). Also, folks should learn the difference between "affect" vs. "effect" and "ensure" vs. "insure."
I think the name display trend will wane. Poofs are great because they rock with you as an ottoman and have multiple functions.
One word: chevron.
Love the chevron stripes! I think I have sold 4 dozen mobiles with papers full of chevron stripes (grey and white, yellow and white, pink and white, multi) on Etsy, and I haven't gotten tired of them yet, either.