Name: Jennifer
Location: Durham, NH
Child: Julianna, 11 months
Inspiration: The first items I picked up for this playroom are the IKEA curtains and they've served as inspiration ever since. They're full of so many colors, it makes it easy to find decorations and tchotchkes that will fit right in. I wanted a relaxed and easy approach to decorating and didn't want to feel pigeonholed by a strict color scheme. Since I ended up putting the nursery together in a bit of a rush, having so much leeway in terms of color saved me a lot of time. Another plus - since so many children's toys are full of vibrant color, they don't look at all out of place in this room. This room blends nicely with the rest of the house since I've embraced bold colors throughout our home.
Tip for Using Color: If you're commitment-phobic about color like I tend to be and you haven't quite nailed down your style yet, throw caution to the wind and take my approach with lots of color. To tone things down, I've stuck primarily with white furniture and I use green and blue as two dominant colors to anchor things a bit. Oh yeah - and try and decorate for your child, not yourself!
Colors Used: The walls are Benjamin Moore Apple Green. The rocker is from Wal-Mart. Curtains, Malm dressers and floor lamp from IKEA. Vintage ottoman - was my grandmother's. Art behind Eames chair - Charley Harper. Art in colored frames - my own.
More Great Kids' Color: Link to All Entries
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Great, just great.
I want to live in this room. Love it!
The vibrant colors are wonderful. I love the prints above the dresser, you made them? Do you sell your work?
this room is gorgeous! love all the bright colors.
where did you find those beautiful aqua lamps?
how about the colorful striped bins?
thanks!!
New winner! I've changed my mind.
Its SO well designed with good color balance and great editing. Your framed art collections are my favorite. Great job on a fabulous room, even in a rush!
This one is the winner. Hands down. What amazing use of color!!!
wow, this is beautiful! i love the mixing of bright colors and focus of decorating for your kid. (good advice there =) while it's not really my style or preference, it goes together so well that i can't help but love it =) thanks for submitting!
Fantastic room! I think it's difficult to make that type of wall color look nice. I'm amazed at how many colors are represented there, yet the room is pulled together so well. This is definitely one of my favorites for sure. It's simple, not overdone, and just great. Love love love!
My favorite one yet, by far. Beautiful room and even though there are lots of colors, they all blend together nicely.
This one has got to be the winner. That is what I thought of when I first saw it. Beautiful!
Despite what my user name says, I also live in NH and I graduated from UNH (which is in Durham)! Anyway, I love this room and it is my new favorite. (And not just because of location).
love how there are TONS of colors yet it all seems to coordinate rather than being in a scheme of just certain colors. i got stuck in that trap for my daughter's nursery and it is hard to find decor to go with it.
Wow, this room is not my style at all, but somehow I still love it. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd never have believed that I'd love a room with such loud and varied colors, but I do. Amazing composition.
The absolute best (& I'm a competitor in this contest)! Great color, fun vibe, not interchangeable with other entries, one-of-a-kind pieces (art & heirlooms) and accessible pieces (Ikea & Wal-Mart!). BRAVO!!
LOVE this room... this is my new favorite! i love the green!
love all the art too!
any tips on how to make the art you made?
Beautiful! the best yet!
This is definitely one of the top contenders. Your photography really takes it away. So many of the others -- the rooms are nice enough, but the photos don't do them justice.
I agree. The room is lovely, but it's the photography that puts it over the top. Good work!
so vibrant! a winner!
Gorgeous - I agree with other comments that this is the new winner!! absolutely beautiful.
tabitha @ http://www.fromsingletomarried.com
Thank you everyone for such kind comments! I'm so glad that this room has been well-received. I have a penchant for strong color, but Julianna's room is certainly the most colorful in our house. It's definitely a balancing act - going overboard is so easy when using so much color. I hope I haven't done so - I think it helps that I have very little clutter in the room (at least, when her toys are put away!) and used more blue than any other color, to help ground things. And yes, the green walls are bright but they are actually quite subdued in the evening when lit by the incandescent table lamps and floor lamp.
I also commented on another competitor's entry regarding photography. It's amazing how much better a room can look if you eliminate artificial lighting (overhead lights, your camera's flash), put your camera on a tripod and push back the curtains to let natural light into the room.
I've answered questions posed in comments above on my blog: http://www.jennyology.com. Apologies for the shameless plug!
I saw those curtains at a children's boutique in Hudson a few months ago, and regretted not asking the owner where they were from...and now I know! And they're in stock! I'm definitely making the trip to Red Hook this weekend. So, thanks!
Absolutely love the room, too.
I love it -- but where's the crib?
I have a similar room, I think, and struggle with furniture placement. Problem would be solved if I didn't put a bed in the room. Maybe I consider that.
Also, what a name!
What a fantastic room! You have solved the problem I've been struggling with--choosing a wall color that will work with accessories of many colors. You've made apple green work in the best possible way. I hope your entry is the winner!
great room!
I love that you made a space where kids bright toys will blend, it's always such a downer for great nurseries when the toys all clash!
i cant believe i cant VOTE FOR THIS.... this is absolutely my favorite. thank you for sharing all of your sources as well. those curtains kick @ss (and i think i'm getting that rocker it doesnt break the bank, it looks good and i just about HATE our $5 wicker garage sale find that squeaks)....
Thanks roxtarchic! The rocker is great - it's a little lightweight and sometimes slides a bit when I sit on it (this may not happen on carpet), but it looks good and it's very comfortable.
Wow! I am apple green with envy - what a talent.
I love this room!!! Such intense color and perfectly balanced, so inviting. I agree with the poster above who said how great it is that toys will blend into this room,its really awesome!
My husband and I picked out a similar color when I was pregnant with our first. Lime burst. Last summer I decided to give the boys the bigger bedroom and painted over the vibrant green for something a little more restful. Everytime they see a picture of it now they morn the loss of their green room. It really does make a room more playful!