Well, hello!
There is a very special place in my heart for kids. When I first moved to NYC, I worked as a nanny. This is a common occurrence in this city; most people, unless they have landed their dream job right away (go them!!!), have a side hustle. Rent is high and you need money fast. Interviewing takes a lot of time and you need to make money until you do the thing you set out to do when you moved here, the city of dreams and heroes (the sandwich…and I guess the people).
I ended up being a nanny for 4 years. I was waiting for a transition to happen so I wouldn’t feel like I was just leaving the kids. It was the most fun “job” I have ever had. I would spend 11 hours a day going to art classes, music classes, pizza dates, water parks, sand parks, you name it. We would sing on the bus, and my girl would hail us our taxi. Mini New Yorkers are the best, you guys. To this day, I am jealous of little lady’s high top collection.
I was so blessed to have found a wonderful group of other nannies and their kids, so we created our own little Upper West Side family. I still visit the group of nannies and kids a few times a month because I miss them so much and I want us all to be friends forever and for the kids to grow up and marry each other. Is that too much to ask? Hehe.
After working as a nanny for so long, I noticed the flaws in a lot of the furniture and accessories that are designed for babies and kids. I actually have a notebook of re-designs of strollers, cribs, and changing tables. Maybe I will do something with that some day. I feel like I have insider knowledge, after all.
So, obviously, a baby/toddler/kid room is my favorite space to design, hands down. We can learn a lot from the design of a young person’s room. Kids are so free; their rooms are so colorful and bright, oozing warmth and fun at every inch. Kids’ rooms are unapologetically daring and you can tell they were designed with a heart for adventure. What would our spaces look like if we designed with a mindset of freedom? Now, I’m not saying the “kid” aesthetic belongs in every space, no way. BUT, the mindset of risk and willingness to add unique pairings and a flare for the unexpected is what we should keep with us. Approach your spaces with abandon, and see what you will discover.
I design a kid’s room with a sense of adventure, fun, whimsy, and flare (including neutral and monochromatic spaces too, guys!). This particular design is a dreamy and patterned little girl’s room, because the white leopard wall paper and colorful rug were basically screaming at me to be of use. And who am I to turn down a leopard? That doesn’t seem very safe.
So here we go! A lovely space for a lovely little lady. I hope you enjoy, because designing this rocked my socks off.
SHOP MY DESIGN
- Curtains 2. Beaded chandelier 3. Art 4. Bed 5. Pillow (similar) 6. Pillow 7. Pillow (similar) 8. Side table 9. Paint 10. Rug (similar) 11. Art 12. Lamp 13. Art 14. Lamp (similar) 15. Floor lamp 16. Laundry hamper 17. Teal bookcase (similar) 18. Dresser 19. Velvet chair (similar) 20. Side table 21. Pouf 22. Storage ottoman 23. Oh Joy planter 24. OK decoration 25. Tibetan faux fur pouf 26. Aqua table and chairs 27. Toy storage
