Room to Grow: Designing for Children

I love a grown-up chandelier in a little girl's room or handsome navy drapes for a boy. My favorite children's rooms celebrate youthfulness but have a dash of sophistication. A colorful collection of toys against a backdrop of chic wallpaper. A beloved and worn stuffed bunny resting on a beautiful antique bed. Timeless furnishings such as vintage armoires and elegant mirrors are practical choices because they can transition from nurseries to teen spaces. You may notice one thing all the rooms pictured below have in common: there are no visible electronics. I think everyone sleeps more peacefully without the glow of televisions or computer screens. I also believe children deserve quality sheets and bedding - just like adults. [I add waterproof mattress pads for practicality.] While I think the furnishings in a child's room should relate to the rest of the house, boys and girls should have some say about the decor in their spaces. After all, a child's bedroom is the one place where he or she can close the door and dream . . . 


"In designer Dana Abbott's comfortable and casual California home, a pale green antique French bed snuggles behind curtains in her youngest daughter's bedroom."
Photography by Amy Neunsinger.

"The ABC Carpet and Home chandelier in Olivia's bedroom inspired the remainder of the room, which [Laura] Day wanted to feel calm but exciting, magical, and intriguing."
Townhouse of designer Laura Day and her family on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Interior design by Laura Day.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
"Trading Places" written by Shawn Gauthier.
Lonny (April/May 2010).

"A soft palette and elegant antiques give this space classic appeal. Invest in traditional pieces for a child's bedroom and you'll be rewarded with maximum flexibility and longevity. Although this room belongs to a four-year-old girl, it could just as easily work as a pretty guest room, thanks to a vintage bed, needlepoint rug and antiqued gold chandelier. Similarly, the lavender paneled walls can be toned down with cream paint when she gets older."
Wall colors: Pale Amethyst (SW 1547) and First Blush (SW 1571), Sherwin-Williams.
Designer: Tara Fingold.
Photography by Michael Graydon.

"Grown-up architectural details add unexpected elegance to a child's bedroom. Soft bubblegum pink walls and artwork create a decidedly feminine look in this young girl's room. A steel gray marble fireplace provides a dramatic focal point and keeps the space from appearing overly sweet."
Photography by Ted Yarwood.
Canadian House and Home (December 2009).

"Domino's antique bed nestles in a nook amid hand-colored English prints."
Hibiscus Hill, the Bahamas home of India Hicks, David Flint Wood and their children.
Renovation, interior design and landscape design by India Hicks and David Flint Wood.
Text by India Hicks.
"Island Girl" photographed and produced by Miguel Flores-Vianna.
Veranda (May - June 2011). 

"A young girl's bedroom is youthful and sophisticated and is capable of adapting to the changing tastes of its maturing occupant."
1920s Spanish Colonial in Los Angeles's Brentwood neighborhood.
Interior design by Estee Stanley.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
"Hollywood Remake" written by Robert Leleux.
Lonny (August 2012). 

"The nursery is suitable for a small child, yet in keeping with the rest of the home's decor. While a wool rug's softness makes it perfect for playtime, its well-seasoned style keeps it aesthetically appropriate for any room in the house."
1920s Spanish Colonial in Los Angeles's Brentwood neighborhood.
Interior design by Estee Stanley.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
"Hollywood Remake" written by Robert Leleux.
Lonny (August 2012). 

"[Designer Sara] Scaglione mixed twin beds and lamps from Pottery Barn and pink toile bedding with a vintage mirror and chandelier to create 'a room that's not too grown up or too little-girl.' "
Interior design by Sara Scaglione.
Photography by Luca Trovato
"Relaxed Style in Austin" by Fred Albert.
House Beautiful (September 2009).

"A vintage Lilly Pulitzer bed in Eloise's room is paired with a side table from West Palm Beach's Shi and Erhard. The chandelier is original to the house."
Los Angeles home of Ruthie Sommers and her family.
Interior design by Ruthie Sommers.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
"Informally Elegant" written by Shawn Gauthier.
Lonny (July/August 2011). 

"Roman shades, made from Sister Parish Design's Dolly print, enhance a bedroom's natural light."
Home on Maine's West Penobscot Bay belonging to Ramey Caulkins and her family.
Interior design by Ramey Caulkins.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
"Maine Stay" written by Caroline Biggs.
Lonny (January - February 2013).

"A former sleeping porch became a daughter's bedroom. Roberts hid blackout shades behind eyelet sheers on the three walls of windows, then added linen curtains trimmed in Lee Jofa's Portofino Headboard and bed skirt in Sister Parish Design's Dolly, through John Rosselli and Associates."
Interior design by Markham Roberts.
Photography by Thomas Loof.
"A Nashville Home That Plays with the Past" by Carrie Nieman Culpepper
House Beautiful (November 2013). 

"In the nursery, vibrant window treatments recall hot-air balloons."
Prewar apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Interior design by Lilly Bunn Weekes.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
"East Side Story" written by Robert Leleux.
Lonny (September 2012). 

"[Kate] Simpson outfitted Ellie's room with Lulu DK for Matouk, which launched its line when Simpson was pregnant. 'I had to have it!' she says."
Rowayton, Connecticut, home of Kate Simpson and family.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Styled by Michelle Adams.
"Beach House" written by Shawn Gauthier.
Lonny (October - November 2009).

"[Designer Julie] Charbonneau created this large bedroom suite for her daughter Alexia by joining two small bedrooms together via a former closet. It features antiques, a chandelier, a neutral off-white palette and a simple, large mirror that will age well as she grows. Julie designed the crib-sized girls bed to look like a sofa, which it can be once Alexia graduates to a full-sized bed. The focal point of the room, the fireplace, is original to the house."
Interior design by Julie Charbonneau, de Poitiers.
Photography by Angus McRitchie.
Canadian House and Home (December 2009). 

"An antique cabinet creates a grown-up look. For her young daughter's bedroom, designer Julie Charbonneau mixed kid-friendly decor, like a miniature tea set and lamb figurines, with gorgeous French-style antiques and a pretty lamp. It's a look that will last as her little girl grows. The designer created a unique art display by framing a large panel of silk toile and using it as a backdrop for a Peter Rabbit print." 
Interior design by Julie Charbonneau, de Poitiers.
Photography by Angus McRitchie.
Canadian House and Home (December 2009). 

"A botanical wall covering lend[s] depth and sophistication to the girls' bedroom."
Swedish summer home of Jennifer and Mikael Jansch and their children.
Interior design by Jennifer Jansch.
Photography by Jenny Brandt.
"Field of Dreams" written by Caroline Biggs.
Lonny (March 2013). 

[Designer Amanda Nesbit's] teenage daughter's room is 'hip and young, with splashes of modern art' by Polly Apfelbaum hanging on the bookcase, and Gregg Carbo over the bed, 'It's a room she can grow into, although I've left some little-girl elements' The extra-tall headboard and the window shade are Canovas's Montego Tourmaline within navy-blue cotton tape. Carpet is Stark's Beaton in brown. Note the stylized Greek key on the rug and headboard."
Interior design by Amanda Nesbit.
Photography by Pieter Estersohn.
House Beautiful (March 2008).

"[Annie] Brahler's 14-year-old daughter, Isabel, a softball-playing Francophile, decorated her own room with a Louis XV-style bed and French mirror." 
Annie Brahler's Jacksonville, Illinois, home.
Interior design by Annie Brahler, owner of Euro Trash.
Photography by Bjorn Wallander.
Styled by Philippa Brathwaite.
Written by Douglas Brenner.
House Beautiful (May 2012).

"For two-year-old son Eli's bedroom, [Caroline] Robert chose soft blues and neutral tones. 'I wanted it to be peaceful and sweet because it's his nursery, but not over-the-top baby so he can live in it for a few years,' she says. The architectural piece above the bed was originally part of a Catholic confessional."
New Orleans home of Caroline Robert and her family.
Interior design by Caroline Robert.
Photography by Patrick Cline.
Art direction by Michelle Adams.
"Historic Style" written by Shawn Gauthier.
Lonny (May/June 2011). 

A child's sophisticated blue and white bedroom.
"The Good Life on the Lake" by Frances Schultz.
House Beautiful (May 2006).

"Twin beds in the attic. Tailored lighting and rugs grant this room a crisp, preppy air. Here, designer Scott Yetman created a space that was playful yet sophisticated. 'Kids grow up fast, so keep their rooms fun, but not too childish,' he suggests. Instead of bringing color through the bedding, he chose blue bed frames to contrast against the wall paneling."
Interior design by Scott Yetman Designs.
Photography by Leona Mozes.


"In this little boy's room, designed by Ken Fulk Design, the bedding is Frette's Hotel Collection. The ceiling is painted Robin's Egg by Philip's Perfect Colors, and the wainscoting is Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White"
Interior design by Ken Fulk.

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