I have a nephew who loves Minecraft. Ben obsesses over building virtual structures and fitting them out almost as much as his Aunt loves actual decorating. Which got me thinking: wouldn't it be cool if he could have Minecraft in the real world? If his virtual bedroom could become a reality?

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Candace Jackson just wrote an interesting piece for the Wall Street Journal about luxury, over-the-top spaces for kids. It's tempting to focus on the money being spent on these elaborate bedrooms and "teen lounges," but what I find much more interesting is the reason many parents cite for creating these teen havens at home and how it may affect kids and the family dynamic. 

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Name: Gabriel (16) and Henri (10 1/2)
Location: Union Square, Manhattan, New York City
Room Size: 9 'x 12'

Judy Ross has two boys, aged 10 1/2 and 16, who share a room in a small Manhattan apartment. Not only is their room neat, organized and stylish, but the rest of the apartment is impeccably designed. This means that Judy has two boys who have learned not only how to keep track of their things, but also how to respect and enjoy design.

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I'm ready for spring, people. Bring it on! And with it, let's have some outdoor fun, especially if it involves bowling. Check out this tutorial on how to build your own outdoor bowling alley. More

Corinna is a Melbourne interior designer who needed extra space for her teenage son. This shed started as an addition to a backyard work studio, and she decided to convert it to a space that fit her current needs. Check out the transformation:

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HuffPo writer and mother Janell Burley Hofmann made her 13 year old son's wishes come true this holiday season, giving him a brand new iPhone for Christmas. But the gift came with a few stipulations, requiring a contractual agreement between mother and son outlining "how", "when", and "where" his new device would be used. Check out the 18 point contract below and tell us what you think (I personally think my fellow Gregory has a wonderfully loving and thoughtful mother)... More

After a dash through Berlin a few weeks back (see previous post here), I jumped on another plane and flew to London to drop into London Design Festival for the first time. It was great. You gotta go. London is a beautiful, bustling place with a vibrant and very different design tradition than the US. I scoured Design Junction and Tent London, skipped 100% Design (didn't get a good review) and, in between, walked the streets. Here's an overview. More

Q:My daughter is in high school and the house seems to be filled with people all times of day and night. Lately her and her friends have a habit of holing up in her room, and they seem to be using a combination of the bed and the floor beside it (the space between the bed and the dresser) as a lounge area, but I'd like a few ideas for furniture that can accommodate a couple friends so they're not always on the floor. More

I recently read about a young actor who struggled with a speech impediment as a child. To help him control it, his parents enrolled him in opera lessons, and he ended up part of New York's Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus! More

We hope you're not actually laboring on Labor Day, but if you are an important area of your home to spruce up this time of year is your child's workspace. Get their school year off to an organized start with an inviting, functional space to hunker down for studying, writing or doing artwork.
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