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Young House Love » Our Second House » Finishing Touches In The Playroom

| By Sherry Petersik | February 25, 2013 | 333 Comments

Finishing Touches In The Playroom

Mwah, hah, hah. Picture me laughing like a cartoon villain while rubbing my hands together maniacally. That’s sort of how I feel when I get to the “finishing touches” part of a room. Home stretch bay-bay!

Remember how the middle makes no sense? Well, this weekend I think we rounded a corner thanks to a few small tie-things-together updates (you know, between all the board & batten we’re furiously installing/caulking/painting for Wednesday’s big reveal). So let’s take a look-see, shall we?

Room Shot Vertical

As you can see, we finally got a new sheet set for the daybed (just a basic navy blue 100% cotton set from Target for a twin bed) to replace the worn and faded old tan fitted sheet that has lived on this daybed for almost six years since we got it. We also grabbed a cushy mattress pad while we were at it, just to make the bed Clara-ready whenever she wants to officially move in (she’s still happy to sleep in her crib so we’re following her lead).

Oh and we ended up rotating the rug the other way (don’t know what took us so long!) when we finally realized that we got more dots out of it that way (lots of them were hiding under the daybed when it was the other direction). We liked the idea of walking in and seeing a gradient from the door, which is why we originally put it the other way, but we realized (duh!) that there’s actually a gradient on both sides, so seeing a gradient + dots when you walk in = even more fun.

Room Horizontal Shot

Among the other small changes, you might notice that we finally added the storage baskets for toys & books that were on our list (in those little corners on either side of the daybed). They involved a little “customization” – which made for a fun afternoon project. They’re the same $25 baskets we’ve had from Target all over the house (you’ve seen them here and randomly in the background on Instagram)…

Baskets1

… and I decided to add a playful band of white along the bottom. I just thought some light paint could brighten them up so the corners where they’ll live won’t look all dark and shadowy. All I did was use a garbage bag to tape off the tops of each one and some Frog Tape to hold the bag down so we’d have a nice clean line.

Baskets2

A few coats of Rustoleum Universal spray paint later (it has built-in primer and a trigger finger thing to pull, so it’s my favorite)…

Baskets3

… and these guys were looking pretty spiffy. The funny thing is that I wondered if any of the spray would pass through the cracks of the basket when it was upside down and get on the inside, but it didn’t at all, so it was a really easy project (no pouring a gallon of paint into a giant plastic bin and manually dipping the baskets or anything like that).

Basket Detail Right

The one to the right of the daybed is full of toys and stuffed animals and games and puzzles, while the one on the left of the daybed is full of her favorite books.

Basket Left Side

It’s nice to add some function to those formerly unoccupied corners on either side of the bed.

Basket Right Side

And I like that the layout is flexible enough to replace the baskets with nightstands if we’d rather go that route when she’s old enough for an alarm clock or a cup of water by the bed.

Basket Tall Left Side

As for the added art project that you caught a peek at here, we’re back with the details for everyone that asked.

Domino Art Shot

You might remember that we bought those red dominoes and old scrabble letters that spell “love” at a secondhand store in Austin called Uncommon Objects (more on that here) and I specifically had Clara’s big girl room in mind when I did, since they perfectly echoed the colors going on in here and I knew I could make them into some easy yet meaningful art. See, 143 is pager code for I love you (it’s the number of letters in each word) so that’s why the dominoes are doubles of 1, 4, and 3. And of course the scrabble letters that spell out love above them hammer it home: we have no shortage of love for the bean.

Domino Art

When it came to actually framing them, I grabbed an old Ikea frame that we already had (are you sensing that we have a stack of unused frames lying around at all times? because we do) and removed the glass frame in front. This was my alternative to running out and buying a shadowbox, since I thought everything would look just as cute in a glass-less frame and you know we love using what we have.

Another fun little project was one that I got to do with Clara to add a little personalization over the Peruvian poncho that we framed above her play kitchen.

Play Kitchen Corner

We had a grand old time painting this wooden wall plaque that says her name together (which was homemade by an insanely talented and generous reader from one of our signings- how amazing is that?!). When I asked her what colors she wanted to paint it, it was no surprise when she said red (red & pink have been her two favorite colors for a while now) so we got some red craft paint out.

Clara Painting2

I got in on the fun too (mostly I did the harder-to-reach corners and smoothed things out a little while she went to town on everything else). It only took about fifteen minutes (and one coat of paint, which surprised me) but she talked about it the rest of the day. So we definitely will be doing more crafts like this together. I loved just focusing on something fun with her. And you know I love to see her rock a paintbrush…

Clara Poncho Name

It’s cool that as this room has evolved, Clara has gradually grown to have more things to do in her big girl room – between her play-kitchen corner, the fun games and toys in her closet…

Closet Done 2

… the toy and book baskets we just added, and the hooks on the wall that hold her hair clips/headbands/necklaces.

But one of her favorite things is still fake-sleeping in her big girl bed. Cutest thing ever. Seriously, come over and see it firsthand. It involves fake snoring.

New Sheets7

Oh and how can I forget her other favorite spot. Her little tea-party table. There’s always someone chowing down there (from a doll to a stuffed animal). Sometimes there are even tiny plastic animal meetings where twelve or so of them congregate on the table. And I love the pop of bright color that the red chair-backs add. Not that the various stuffed & plastic animals seem to notice them.

Red Chair Back

Today it looks like Clara’s cute penguin dressed as a chihuahua (more on him here) is having a nice nutritional breakfast of eggs, cookies, and ketchup. You know, the usual.

Tea Party Detail

Oh and when it comes to adding those navy sheets, they definitely look sweet with the heart pillow on top (a Joss & Main find a little while back) and Clara still loves gazing up at her birdcages (and the cool shadows they make at night), so we’re glad that we went with those guys to fill that bare wall-space instead of just bringing in more framed art. Once she has proven that she doesn’t want to swing around on them like a monkey (so far so good) we might add some fun toys or faux birds or butterflies down the line, but for now we don’t want to entice her to try to scale the wall. Haha!

Birdcages Detail

Speaking of some other not-framed art, we’ve all been having a lot of fun with the flash card shelves over the dresser. As you can probably tell, we’ve switched out some of the cards for other fun and random objects that Clara likes to look at. And since she has a bunch of flash cards down at her disposal in her toy basket, it’s nice to have some shelving that’s out of her reach for adding more “delicate things” to the mix – like metallic prints of a rhino and an aardvark that we got from a local art fair along with a few cool pop-art Clara prints that a reader named Jenna sweetly gave to us during one of our tour stops. I’d love to add some of Clara’s own art work up here too…

Flash Card Shelves

We also brought a few more of Clara’s favorite toys in here from her nursery (like her wooden stacking tree and her lettered blocks). Since the red bowl on her desk is lightweight and made of metal I love that it’s not breakable like a ceramic bowl would be – so it has worked really well for bringing the blocks down to the floor whenever we want to play with them (sometimes not having all of her toys on the floor somehow makes them more enticing to her). The bowl’s actually from Ikea a while back and I just spray painted it bright red (it was white originally).

Blocks In Basket

So there you go. A few baskets I painted, a name plaque for the wall that Clara helped me with, new sheets for the bed, some homemade domino art, and more toys/games/books in the room. It’s really starting to feel like a room instead of a “room in progress.” Although we still have a few last things on the ol’ to-do list:

  • paint the room (more on that here)
  • cut down our old den side table to make a play table (more on that here)
  • bring in a dresser (we’d love to find something secondhand) (more on that here)
  • make/hang some curtains (more on that here)
  • add a rug (more on that here)
  • make a frame collage full of animals Clara loves, and even some Clara art (more on that here)
  • paint the backs of the chairs along with her play table (more on that here)
  • hang our postcard ledges and fill them with favorite flashcards (more on that here)
  • install a new light fixture (more on that here)
  • hang a few 3D objects that we have in mind for wall decor (how’s that for cryptic?) (more on that here)
  • turn the junked up closet into an actual clothes closet/reading nook (more on that here)
  • get a new set of sheets for the daybed (most likely in navy) along with a cushy mattress pad
  • add accessories like more toys, storage bins, personalized art, etc
  • refinish or paint Clara’s new dresser (which we got here)
  • add crown molding (along with tackling the other un-crown-molding-ed bedrooms on this side of the house)
  • paint the closet and the ceiling a fun color (maybe soft coral or blue?)

Hope you guys have enjoyed seeing this room come together day by day over the course of a month or two, just like we tackled Clara’s nursery back in the day. Ah memories. And as much as I loved her little nursery in our first house (it was always my favorite place to be) I think her big girl room is my favorite spot in our current house, so I’m glad it’s not just a first-love thing with kids rooms (I thought maybe I’d never feel the same excitement as I did that first time). Turns out it’s fun every time. Haha!

What did you guys do this weekend? Anyone else working on board & batten? We can’t wait to reveal the full monty on Wednesday!

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Comments

  1. Rene' @ thedomesticlady.com says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:07 am

    Seriously, the spraying the bottom of those baskets is genius! Totally going to do that!

    Reply
  2. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:07 am

    Love it! Never really thought about painting baskets like that…and that’s why you’re you and I’m me! :)

    This weekend stunk…total waste of time and as I look around, there was a lot that could be accomplished around here if we’d bothered. Sigh…maybe next weekend.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:14 am

      Aw, good luck Anele! Next weekend for sure!

      xo
      s

  3. Danielle says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:09 am

    I’m going to vote for soft coral in the closet! My daughter’s closet is dark, and it seems that no matter how much light we let in, it is still difficult to pick out clothes on dark winter mornings. (Yes, it is on the list to be painted, but it is number 435 or so right now!)

    Reply
  4. K says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:09 am

    I think this might be my favorite room in your house. I love the spray painted bottoms on the baskets. Great idea!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:14 am

      Aw thanks K! It’s definitely one of our favorites too- I think it’s tied with the frame hallway, but since that’s not really a room, it wins! Haha!

      xo
      s

  5. Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:09 am

    I love those spray painted baskets! Such a quick and awesome project!

    I think I’m starting to “get” this room a little more now… except for the rug. I’m still struggling with the fuchsia mixed in with all the navy, grays, and coral-y reds. Otherwise, I love it!

    Reply
  6. mary says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:10 am

    Very cute. That bedroom looks huge.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:13 am

      Aw, I love that it looks huge to you Mary! In reality it’s just about the length of a twin bed (the daybed is only that wide with a few feet on either side of it) so it’s definitely of small to average size for a bedroom I think :)

      xo
      s

  7. Rachel @ Heroth Home says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:11 am

    I am love love love loving the domino/block art! What a cute idea! It’s great that Clara can see in so many places in her room just how loved she is.

    I am also extremely jealous that you Virginians are able to get your spray paint on in February. I am DYING of spray paint withdrawal up here in NY!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:12 am

      Aw thanks Rachel! We’re alternating between warm spring-ish days and cold wintery ones! So weird!

      xo
      s

  8. Samantha says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:12 am

    I love how this room has come together. I was nervous about the pink/red color scheme at first, but you guys are living proof that even scary sounding things can come together so well!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:16 am

      Thanks so much Samantha! It was freeing to give Clara some of the reins. I’m convinced that girl has better style than me and John combined though. Haha! Kids just don’t have rules and I love that.

      xo
      s

  9. Ainhoa says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:13 am

    I’ve been thinking of spraypainting a similar basket so I’m glad to see it can be done. I love the new touches!

    Reply
  10. Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:14 am

    The room is adorable beyond belief! You two did a great job, Clara is a lucky, lucky girl!

    Katy

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:16 am

      Thanks so much Katy!

      xo
      s

  11. Chris says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:15 am

    This looks amazing, Sherry! I’m in awe of all the little finishing touches that happened. Even though I am 23….I might use Clara’s room as inspiration to add some finishing touches to my own room.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:16 am

      Aw thanks Chris!

      xo
      s

  12. Rebecca @This Nest is Best says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:15 am

    Love how the room is coming together! Little details are my favorite to work on, too. Get me past all the “big” decisions so I can add the little things :D And I love that Clara painted her name to go in there! Makes it even *more* special.

    Can’t wait to see what you decide for the dresser!

    Reply
  13. Annelies says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:16 am

    I love all the colours in the room and how it turned out. It looks great as a playroom, but I wonder if it will be a good room to sleep in as well since there are so many distractions and a bed that is not against a wall. Only Clara will be able to tell when she’s ready to move in !

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:18 am

      We’ll have to see how it goes! She has quite a few things to look at in her nursery (giant frame collage, three flowery mobiles hanging from the ceiling, bold curtains, etc) and her crib currently floats the same distance from the back wall and the side walls in there (it’s centered on that wall and pulled out from the wall so we can grab all the stuffed animals that fall back there). I guess time will tell ;)

      xo
      s

    • Kim Wethe Rily says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:37 am

      My mom used to say “there’s no way your kid can sleep in that room, there’s too much going on!” When the lights are dim or dark, they have no problem sleeping. Also, they get used to what their room looks like, lots of fun stuff or no. :)

      It’ll be interesting to see if she stays in her bed overnight or not, though. Max has been climbing out of his crib since 18 months and he’s almost four and still ends up in our bed a couple times a week. (Usually it’s close-ish to sunrise, though.)

    • alisha says

      February 25, 2013 at 2:18 pm

      Pillow colors and artwork shouldn’t matter when the lights are off at night time–besides this girl is ahead of the curve, she’s had cool a$$ rooms from the get go! To her they might be standard, she’d probably have a harder time sleeping in a boring sterile room at this point, haha ;)

      I don’t think there are any hard set rules about beds against walls–that might just be our own personal preferences and styling/space limitations. Unless she develops a fear of monsters lurking in the crevice between her bed and the wall, all should be fine.

      And Thanks, Sherry, for acknowledging you rotated the rug–I thought I was going crazy! I like the more dots look, too! Super cute.

    • Sarah says

      February 25, 2013 at 2:28 pm

      Huh, this is so interesting. Growing up, my bed was never against a wall. I think it’s mainly because I didn’t grow up in the US. We had brick houses with no insulation, so you would get freezing cold sleeping up against a wall! I think kids are more flexible than we give them credit for.

  14. Taina Cunningham says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:17 am

    OMG!!!!! Clara’s room looks AMAZING!!!!! I want a room like that. I am in loveeeeee with the birdcages. Awesome feature in her room. Enjoy it Clara!!!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:21 am

      Aw thanks Taina!

      xo
      s

  15. Beth says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:17 am

    Love the “Clara” sign and the pop-art Claras – too cute. In case you need a cool map to add to the room, saw this great article, thought of John. Warning, I wasted 30 minutes just staring at these: http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/maps-you-never-knew-you-needed

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:21 am

      Haha, so funny!

      xo
      s

  16. Julia @ Chris Loves Julia says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:18 am

    It’s coming along!!! Do you worry about Clara playing all night long when she moves in there? When we moved Greta from a crib to a toddler bed (before we started her big girl room), we had to remove all the toys from her room because we found her on countless nights with her light on playing.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:20 am

      I’m not really sure how that’ll go! Clara has been a pretty solid night sleeper since birth, so it’s hard to imagine her getting up (we can poke her and talk loudly and hammer right outside her door and she sleeps through it all) but if she starts waking up I’m sure we’ll remove everything or even add roll guards to the bed to try to discourage her from getting up and playing with blocks at midnight! Haha!

      xo
      s

  17. Brady says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:20 am

    I love that wooden Clara script! You guys have some crazy talented readers!

    Over the weekend I found a great metal hook at an antique store and wanted to spray paint it (like you considered doing to the horse towel ring in your bathroom https://www.younghouselove.com/duck-duck-duck-duck-2/) and was wondering if you had any recommendation for 1. cleaning the metal and 2. the best spray paint to use. I’m thinking bright red!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:36 am

      I would just wipe it down with mild soap and water and then use the same spray paint I mention in this post (I love the built-in primer and it comes in lots of colors).

      xo
      s

  18. Ann says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:20 am

    This room looks great! Also–just wondering, do you like to have crown molding in all of your rooms? We bought a house with none, and I thought I would notice it more than I do. Do you think it adds something particular to the room/fits with every style? Thanks in advanced!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:35 am

      We have it in half of the house (well, every room except for the three bedrooms down this hallway) so we think adding it will unify the house and make the regular height ceilings feel taller (it seems to draw the eye up and add architecture to boring square rooms). Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  19. Margaret says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:21 am

    Love it, looks so pretty & comfy! Love the photo of her under the covers <3

    Reply
  20. Mina says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:21 am

    Turned out beautifully! I do a similar laugh. I find waxing my eyebrows to look a little more dramatic works wonders. ; ) Heh! Great job!!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:34 am

      Hahahah!

      xo
      s

  21. Melissa says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:22 am

    We got a good start on building a pedestal table like your little tea party table. All the parts are cut, but then it was lunch time and other distractions came up. You’re totally inspiring me to make my “big boy’s” room into a fun boy room rather than just a place to sleep!

    Reply
  22. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:22 am

    I love how this room is coming along! It’s so cute! I wish my room as a kid had been like this!

    Reply
  23. Kristen | Popcorn on the Stove says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:23 am

    I love the room – it’s really come together! Any ideas on what color you’re going to paint the dresser (that is, if you’re going to paint it)?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:33 am

      I think if we paint it we’re leaning towards navy. Who knows where we’ll end up though!

      xo
      s

  24. Mikki says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:24 am

    Love the room. I saw on Pinterest where a mom had used a pool noodle under the sheet by the edge of the bed next to the floor. When her child began sleeping in the “big bed” the pool noodle kept them from rolling off the bed at night . I thought it was an ingenious idea! I know that Clara isn’t quite there yet, but when the time comes this might be a great thing. Knowing Sherry, she probably already has this pinned on one of her boards!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:35 am

      So smart!

      xo
      s

  25. Alyson says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:24 am

    I love how uncluttered and functional her space is! It reminds me fondly of the days back when I had one, two, or even three kids (age four and under) and I could easily keep them organized and keep their space fun and functional. But somewhere along the line as children grew (now ranging ages 7-19) and the number of children increased (seven!) I lost control over their cluttered collections. For a moment, reading this post, I was in my smaller first home with the fabulous shelved bedroom closets, happily re-organizing toys and folding clean laundry just before my kids’ naps. :)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:37 am

      Wow, seven kids! You’re my hero.

      xo
      s

    • Bonnie says

      February 25, 2013 at 1:47 pm

      Seven kids? Molly Weasley, is that you? ;)

  26. Kerrie says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:24 am

    Her room is really coming together! Looks great! I can’t wait to hear about the hallway either as I have been considering adding some to my house as well! :)

    FYI – typo alert. The line about which baskets holds which times both baskets are labeled left rather than one left of the bed and one right of the bed!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:33 am

      Thanks Kerrie! All fixed!

      xo
      s

  27. car54 says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:25 am

    Oh another fake sleeper! My mom used to insist I take a nap every afternoon when I was little and as I got older, I would climb out of bed and play instead..but if I would hear my mom’s footsteps coming down the hall I would jump back in bed and fake sleep–complete with fake snoring, thinking I would fool her!

    She told me when I got older that it took everything she had to not laugh when she would peek in to check on me.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:31 am

      So funny!

      xo
      s

    • Hanna says

      February 26, 2013 at 9:55 am

      Haha! So cute! I can totally see my son doing that.

  28. Jenn @ Home Style Report says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:28 am

    This is such a cute room for a little girl! Is there any chance we can get a video of the fake snore? Out of all of the things kids try to do to act “grown up” this one always cracks me up. Sometims it sounds more like a sneeze, others it sounds like they’re saying “oh, schrew.” Love it!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:30 am

      Oh yes, I’ll have to sneak up on her and get it on video (if she sees the video camera, she gets too shy, haha!).

      xo
      s

  29. Kate @ Magic City Thistle says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:29 am

    Is that a little origami rhino I spy? So cute. (cb2 have a pink bunny on clearance if you’re ever looking to add to the collection). I love your painted baskets, I’ll definitely have to give it a try.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:30 am

      Yes! Someone made that for us while we were on tour – isn’t it amazing?! Clara’s in love with it… as am I. Hahah!

      xo
      s

  30. Heather P. says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:29 am

    I love seeing how this room turned out! It has so much of her personality in it, especially since Clara seems to have had a lot of input – that girl has some great taste! I think my favorite part is the shelving that holds all of the flash cards and other cool stuff. It’s something she can keep in that room for many years to come, switching out things as she gets older. That room is going to be great for the long haul, which I think is what makes it such a great room so far!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:30 am

      Thanks Heather!

      xo
      s

  31. Kelly says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:30 am

    I wasn’t sure what to think of this room at first, but wow — you’ve really made it come together! It does seem really bright and cheerful and perfect for an active little girl! I love the spray-painted baskets, too. It really dresses them up and makes them look more expensive.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:32 am

      Aw thanks Kelly!

      xo
      s

  32. Gabriella @ Our Life In Action says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:30 am

    Oh that room is just precious! I like the idea of spray painting the bottom of those baskets – it gives them a different feel and they are a perfect touch to the room.

    P.S. – her little rain boots are so cute!

    Reply
  33. Ronica says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:32 am

    I am loving this room, and so envious of all your energy! Gah, I struggle just to keep my house somewhat clean. :)

    But one note: I hope your kid isn’t a drooler. (My kids and husband are, so dark sheets are a nononononoOHGROSS in our house.)

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:32 am

      Thankfully we have a dark sofa (charcoal) and with a dog and a toddler it has held up well so we’re hoping the same is true for the sheets (Clara isn’t much of a drooler, but I guess time will tell! haha!).

      xo
      s

  34. Eliza says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:32 am

    I love kids’ rooms! This room looks awesome and fun! I have two boys, so I won’t be getting in on the pink and red fun, but I am totally digging the whole Scandinavian look lately (white walls with lost of pops of primary color, pattern, and a little midcemtury mod thrown in). Who knew I’d ever say I like white walls?! Love the Clara plaque–what a sweet, perfect addition. :-)

    Reply
    • alisha says

      February 25, 2013 at 2:36 pm

      DITTO, Eliza! I was hell bent on painting EVERYTHING once we bought a house, but, alas, 2 years later have yet to paint a single room! It came with every wall, ceiling, piece of trim & fireplace painted contractors white, but because everything I own is brightly colored (due to years of renting–and my obsession with color, hehe) and our extensive art collection we were uncertain of which colors to go with. Happy accident because the white really makes the art and color pop! The Scandinavian look is totally growing on me :)

  35. Stacey B. says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:33 am

    Love the idea of spray painting the bottom of the baskets. It really adds a lot of flair! The room is coming together great- it’s so fun to see all the little touches! I loved the idea of a block basket,too!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:39 am

      Thanks Stacey!

      xo
      s

  36. Alecia says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:34 am

    Don’t know if you guys have considered this yet, but I would definitely paint the ceiling before installing crown moulding. We did that with our bedroom and it was such a cinch to just paint and not have to worry about getting straight lines around the edges/corners since they would be covered up by the moulding. Just a suggestion.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:39 am

      So smart!

      xo
      s

  37. Katie says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:34 am

    I just can’t get on board with those curtains! They look like bad hotel curtains in the pictures although I know you have said they are one of your favorite things in the room. Do the colors/pattern look different in real life, possibly just not coming across the way they should on my screen?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:39 am

      There’s definitely a possibility that everything we share looks different on everyone’s monitors. In person we love them and Clara picked them out, which makes them extra special. Everyone who has come over in person has listed them among their favorite things about the room :)

      xo
      s

    • Kathy B says

      February 25, 2013 at 12:28 pm

      If they ever change their minds on the curtains down the road, they might look really sweet turned into pillowcases for big bolstery daybed pillows. That way they’d still be keeping them in the room, too, since Clara picked them out!

  38. rachael says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:34 am

    It looks great!!! I wish I had a room like that when I was a little girl haha. Are you guys concerned about Clara getting out of bed and playing with all her toys and reading when she should be sleeping? I know Clara’s not in the room yet but our little girl did that, and now her room is as bare as a desert. Yet she still manages to jump on the bed and even play with the condensation on the windows. Just wondering if you’ve thought about what you’d do if that happened?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:43 am

      I’m not really sure how that’ll go! Clara has been a pretty solid night sleeper since birth, so it’s hard to imagine her getting up (we can poke her and talk loudly and hammer right outside her door and she sleeps through it all) but if she starts waking up I’m sure we’ll remove everything or even add roll guards to the bed to try to discourage her from getting up and playing with blocks at midnight! Haha!

      xo
      s

  39. Willow says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:35 am

    Love *everything* about Clara’s big girl room. Did you groove the slats above the dresser to keep everything in place, or put them up as is?

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:38 am

      We used a router to make a little groove for things to sit in. We have a link to the original post when we made them back in the post where we hung them (it wasn’t too hard actually!). Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  40. Ariana says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:37 am

    How cute would this bird night lights be for when she starts sleeping there? Might feel as if a bird came down from the cage and decided to say hi :)

    http://www.thorstenvanelten.com/catalogue/pigeon_light/

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:43 am

      Adorable!

      xo
      s

  41. Katherine says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:37 am

    What a fun, playful room. I absolutely love the Clara name plaque! Does the reader who made it sell them, or could you tell me what typeface they used? I want one for my nephew or future kiddos!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:41 am

      I asked if she had an etsy shop and I don’t think she did (I think she and her man DIYed it themselves at home- maybe with a band saw?). Here’s hoping she stops by with info for you if she decides to start a shop – I wish she would! It’s so cute and I love that she left it raw wood so we could paint it together.

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 11:31 am

      Update: she DOES have a shop! Yay! Here’s the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/theletteredlane

      xo
      s

    • Karen F says

      February 25, 2013 at 1:14 pm

      I was coming here to ask the same question – that name plaque/sign is adorable!!

    • Katherine says

      February 26, 2013 at 10:02 am

      Awesome – thanks for checking!

  42. Angie says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:38 am

    Wow, switching that rug around made a huge difference. I love it!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      February 25, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      I agree! Something just seemed not quite right about the rug before. Now I love it!

  43. Heather W says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:39 am

    I spent the week-end taking down wallpaper in my half bathroom. Only about half done.. Can’t wait to see your reveal on Wednesday! Clara’s room is adorable!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:40 am

      That’s awesome Heather! Congrats on all that hard work – I bet it looks awesome!

      xo
      s

  44. Rebecca says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:41 am

    Love that you flipped the rug around. I was wondering why you were hidig all that beautiful gradient and spots!

    Reply
  45. jen says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:43 am

    everything looks amaze! I would never think to spray paint those wicker storage bins like that but it looks so cool! And I love the bird cages, too!

    Also, random, but where did you get the cute rain boots?!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:44 am

      Those were from the Target Missoni collection a while back! So excited that they finally should fit Clara this spring (bring on the rain! haha!).

      xo
      s

  46. Kim Wethe Rily says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:44 am

    I love that she painted her own name plaque. I love it when they can do things for their own room. Once Sammie could get out of her own bed, she kept getting up to be with us. But after a week of “if you get out of bed for anything besides going to the bathroom, you lose a doll for the night” she was 100% fine sleeping in her big girl bed. Ridiculous how much moving a doll from in her room in a basket to in the hallway table affected her so much, but it works.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 10:45 am

      That’s amazing! Clara’s pretty attached to her millions of stuffed animals so it just might work. Haha!

      xo
      s

  47. Wendy - Old Town Home says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:46 am

    Aww, this room is really, really cute! I love how it’s coming together. The collected, eclectic look really works!

    Reply
  48. Christina says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:46 am

    Looks good! Quick question – I know you opted for an organic mattress for Clara’s crib and was wondering if you were considering an organic mattress for her big girl bed. We’re looking at options for our toddler and were wondering if you had any suggestions. Thanks!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 11:06 am

      We heard that new mattresses offgas the most (and since we needed a new crib mattress while I was prego with Clara, we thought an organic one in that case would be nice) but since we’ve had this daybed for 6 years along with the mattress we hear that it’s done offgasing so we think it’s a great choice for Clara – especially with the organic mattress pad we added. Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  49. Taya says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:46 am

    Clara’s big girl room looks amazing!!! I love how you utilized the dead space on either side of the bed with toy/book storage.

    Does Clara have any problems playing with her kitchen with the dresser so close?

    I can’t wait to see what you decide to do with the dresser! Clara is one lucky kiddo!

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 11:04 am

      Thankfully she doesn’t! She’s in that corner all the time. You know frying up some cereal and serving some ice cream with eggs in it. Hahah!

      xo
      s

  50. Courtney says

    February 25, 2013 at 10:49 am

    I love how Clara’s big girl room is coming together. And now I’m thinking of a couple of baskets I have at home that would look awesome with the bottom parts spray painted.

    Can’t wait til Wednesday to see the board and batten. I’ve been wanting to do that to a bedroom in our house forever. Hoping Wednesday’s reveal includes a tutorial on how to do it.

    Reply
    • YoungHouseLove says

      February 25, 2013 at 11:05 am

      Oh yes, we’ll definitely share all the steps (including a video) which we hope to have done by Wednesday (if not it’ll follow on Thursday along with lots of extra pics!).

      xo
      s

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John and Sherry Sitting On Woven ChairHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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