Name & Age: Sayer Theiss (3.5)
Location: Mount Vernon, WA (north of Seattle & south of Vancouver, BC)
Room Size: 10'x12'

Sayer's parents are both artists and their personalities as well as Sayer's come through loud and clear in his colorful, nostalgic room. It's a refreshing mix of old and new, with many toys you probably had when you were a kid. The focus is on play: toys, music, dress-up and books all within easy reach and is reflected in the playfulness of the decor.

We first saw Sayer's room when he was just a baby and it has since evolved with the help of a crib conversion kit and a few strategic pieces that have helped the room mature alongside him. One of our favorite pieces in the room is the dollhouse that used to belong to Kristin as a child (check out the proof right here). Her husband modified it to become a changing table complete with mirror on the underside of the roof. Now that Sayer is older it functions as toy and book storage and is a great example of the heart and soul in this space.

This room is a place to grow up and have adventures and it doesn't feel over crowded or saturated with superfluous things. It's a great place to make a fort one day and have a wild rumpus the next. Plus, it's obvious that Sayer loves his space and interacts with it quite easily. Want to check it out? Well right this way!

What was your inspiration for the room?
We wanted to create something that was modern, personal and fun for Sayer. We combined old and new things with special attention to adding objects that are handmade and that have a story. As Sayer is getting older, he is voicing his aesthetic views more frequently and we make sure to listen. Red has entered the palette now that he loves firetrucks.

What is your favorite element in the room?
I love the "S" that my husband painted on the wall along with the wall of books on the custom ledges that he made. I'm also very fond of my old dollhouse that he refurbished into a modern changing table/toy and book shelf.

What is your biggest challenge?
Keeping things organized and from looking like a hurricane hit the room. We are always coming up with new storage ideas.

What do your friends say about the room?
People have mentioned to us that it's a happy, colorful and fun room. I think our friends also notice the things in the room that are from our childhood like vintage toys, books, or furniture.

What was your biggest indulgence?
Hands down the crib which we bought a conversion kit for so now it's Sayer's bed. (Thanks to Sayer's grandpa Theiss.)

What advice would you give to someone designing a nursery or children's room for the first time?
For us, we really tried to tap into our inner child when decorating and designing Sayer's room. We thought about the all of the things that we remembered fondly as children. My advice is to have fun! I also like the idea of including personal and handmade objects. There are a lot of hidden treasure at thrift shops and of course on Etsy.

What is your dream source to shop?
Design Within Reach, Tottini, Molly-Meg, Fawn and Forrest, Babybot, and Modern Nursery. Another dream source would also be to visit some flea markets in Europe & NYC too!

Resources:
Drum Shade: Helen Rawlinson
Bean Bag: Fat Boy
Crib: Oeuf with conversion kit.
Carpet Tiles: FLOR
Fantastic Mr. Fox Print: Jayme McGowan
Jazz Man & Red Balloon Prints: Blanca Gomez
Toys & Desk Chair: Vintage
Long Storage (between bed and book corner): IKEA
Silver Sage Paint: Restoration Hardware (the paint used for the "S" is a custom mix using the same Silver Sage)
Comforter: Vintage Marimekko
Mobiles, Prints, Plush: klt:works (Yes, Sayer does have an inside connection - he is the klt:works muse afterall.)
Husband, Husband, & Husband (he made me write this, but he is very handy & does deserve a lot of credit.)

Thanks, Kristin! Readers, Kristin can be found running klt:works and her respective Etsy site where she's busy making mobiles, letterpress and children's clothing design at any given moment of the day.

(Images: Kristin Loffer Theiss)