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?
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.
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)…
… 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.
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)…
… 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).
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.
It’s nice to add some function to those formerly unoccupied corners on either side of the bed.
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.
As for the added art project that you caught a peek at here, we’re back with the details for everyone that asked.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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…
… 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.
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.
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.
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!
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…
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).
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 padadd 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!
I am loving Clara’s “Big Girl” room! What great design collaboration – Clara likes “red & pink” and Sherry balances it with navy blue. I love how you’ve stayed true to who Clara is and the result is a unique happy space.
(YAY! There is no commercialism (ie Disney princess theme), no over-done yellow-blue-red “kiddie” theme, etc)
I think even us “grown-ups” love Clara’s room because it all started with love and listening. We all want a piece of that!
I am quite amused that some readers have difficulties with the daybed being a few inches from the wall. Looks to me like the curtains need a little wiggle room and as I’ve heard many designers say, “Stop holding your furniture hostage by pushing them up against the wall. Pull your furniture away from the wall and create breathing space.”
Oh I just love detail work! It really makes things come together and you feel the reward of all of your hard work! This is definitely one of the cutest rooms ever!
Thanks so much Megan!
xo
s
BAM! Just like that it magically* comes together. I can’t wait to see how this room grows and evolves with Clara. I kind of love that it’s still got so much room for changes over time.
*the magic of a lot of planning and hard work
Hahahah! Thanks Chrissie!
xo
s
Clara’s room is so inspiring–and I really like the rug “turned around.” It makes a lot of difference. Reading about your finishing touches this morning reminded me (oddly, for the first time since you began on this room) of how my first year college roommate and I decorated our dorm room in pink (walls we inherited) and red (leftover bedspreads brought from home). We both, like Clara, thought that pink and red should be combined at least sometimes. But we both were too cheap and too preoccupied (what other matters would we think about at such a time in our lives??) to do anything else significant to the room. Neither of us were savvy enough to add more than white curtains–even white and navy pillows would have helped! Maybe the slight unease of that room is what led to my interest in decorating–who knows?
Haha, such a funny memory. I love it!
xo
s
Congrats on a productive weekend. I was wondering — you said the hooks on the wall hold her hair clips and earrings – does Clara have pierced ears?
Ahh, not earrings, I meant hair bands and necklaces. Haha! Her ears aren’t pierced.
xo
s
I love the ceramic animals on the wall you are using to hold accessories, particularly the elephant! Do you mind sharing where you found those?
Those are from Anthropologie, I think they still sell them!
xo
s
Her room is looking so good! I cant believe she doesn’t want to move in yet, she seems like she loves it! Does she just tell y’all she doesn’t want to move yet?
As for what we did this weekend.. we painted our living room/kitchen/dining (It’s all one open space and connected) AND the hallway from an aqua color to a nice gray. Took literally a Friday night and all day and night on Saturday but I LOVE it! Cant wait to add pops of coral and green to the dining room. Thanks for your inspiration!
She loves her big girl room, she just always likes to play in there but asks to sleep in her crib. We’re just following her cues, but I’m confident she won’t be in a crib at 15 years old, so it’ll happen whenever she’s ready! And you know I’ll keep you posted :)
xo
s
So, I’m curious. What’s the plan for the dresser? Are you sticking with all white furniture or changing it up with the dresser? Ooooh – will there be gradient drawers?!?
Also, very smart getting the room ready before Clara wants to move. My daughter surprised me last week by moving out of her crib. We put an air mattress down for a sleepover, and she’s been sleeping on it ever since. We took her crib down Saturday, but her big girl bed won’t arrive for a two weeks. I moved furniture around to accommodate the air mattress, but now I’m itching for the bed to get here, so I can get serious about updating her room.
I think for now we’re leaning towards a navy dresser but who knows where we’ll end up! And congrats on your daughter’s surprise crib move – such an exciting time! Good luck with her big girl space!
xo
s
Loving the baskets and, in general, a ton about this room. Great job! I am not sure if it is just my monitor, but I feel like the blue sheet set should be grey. There is a LOT going on this room most of it in a good, child-like fun sort of way, but in the zoomed out/whole room shot, the eye is drawn to the very blue sheet and competes with the gorg comforter. I feel like if it was grey, the eye would naturally travel around the room discovering all the bits of fun it has to offer. The navy in the cages, curtains, and light fixture allow that the happen, but the blue of the sheets is just throwing it all off for me. How about that for over analyzing a stranger’s child’s sheet set? Obviously, I watched too much Oscar coverage last night. Take me off my soapbox and enjoy your day. Overall, fab job – the room is wonderful and it seems like Clara loves it – all that matters!
Maybe it’s just your monitor or the sheets are reading as “bolder” in a flat picture than in real life? In person the brighter zig-zag bedding is more of the focus and the navy sheets just lay back and layer into the mix. We love that they tie in well with the curtains and the light fixture (it’s nice to have something navy near the ground, something navy near the ceiling, and the curtains on the walls to tie it all together). Hope that makes sense! :)
xo
s
I must say I was not sold on the rug at first but now that it’s switched it’s perfect, funny how small adjustments make such a difference! Also I am team navy for the dresser!
I love how this is coming together! Is it bad I wish it were my room?! :)
Haha, not at all! I want to have a sleepover in there!
xo
s
Oh John and Sherry I love what you did with Clara sign I made for her!! I’m so glad I went with my gut not to paint it so that she could have a hand in choosing the colors! I saw someone asked above and I do have an etsy shop in case any one asks! It’s called The Lettered Lane:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/theletteredlane
I loved meeting you guys!!
Oh my gosh, you do have a shop! I just updated the post with a link. We love ours so much and I’m sure others want their mitts on one of their own!
xo
s
Great idea spray painting those baskets! I have the same basket from Target to store toys in my living room (but I think they’re more like $30 now!) and I think that would be so fun to do with a neon color!
NO way! $30?! Target’s upping their basket prices!
xo
s
Dang….it sure has come a long way!!!
Hey S and J; cute room. Just as a heads up, we have the same sheets (in navy and red) in our son’s room and they are great-but just watch out when you wash them and what you wash them with. They tend to bleed a bit (but they don’t fade at all)! Not sure if someone already pointed this out and I hope I don’t seem weird for telling you this! =)
Thanks for the tip Misty! So good to know!
xo
s
LOVE it! I love everything about Clara’s new room and it will grow with her so easily..well done mom! I have to ask where you got the curtains and how you hung the bird cages? Oh and where you purchased her bedspread? Thanks, can’t wait to see the big reveal! :-)
If you look at our to-do list at the bottom of this post there are links next to each crossed off item that say “more on that here” – so if you click those links they’ll share all that info! Hope it helps!
xo
s
Looking good, Youngsters! Switching the rug was genius and the color on the baskets is so clever.
Her room looks so good! Y’all are so creative! My daughter just turned 2 so it won’t be long before we are working on her big girl room! My sister bought the same navy sheets from Target and they turned my nephew’s hair and skin blue, even after washing them! Maybe that won’t happen to you but just thought I’d let you know!
Thanks for the heads up! We pre-washed them and so far so good, but it’s only fake sleeping going on, so we’ll have to see! Haha!
xo
s
You might try washing them with a cup of white vinegar to try to set the dye.
Great tip!
xo
s
I can’t! This is absolutely adorable! I love love love. Our 2 year old is in her daybed/crib set up, and we’re moving in a few months and I just am going crazy with ideas for her new and improved ‘big girl’ room – most are from you guys! Thanks for sharing all your hard work! Beautiful, as always!
Best –
Kim @ Two Ten
Aw thanks Kim! Good luck with everything!
xo
s
LOVE EVERYTHING! I think the rug may be my favorite thing in the world- my room is super pale pastel green with cream and pink (looks more sophisticated than it sounds!) I would happily have that rug!- and I’ve always wondered, I love the blanket on the daybed, but it doesn’t look warm enough? will you put a big fat duvet cover or anything under it? I think it would make the bed look really finished! xo
We’ll have to see how it goes, but Clara currently sleeps under just a quilt that I made in her crib (it’s actually feels lighter than the knitted blanket) so I plan to bring that in and layer it into the mix. Hope it keeps her cozy – and if not we can beef it up more of course!
xo
s
I love it!! Basket painting is genious!
My vote is to off set the Clara on the pancho art a bit.
Can not wait to see the dresser. Hoping for a bit a pattern.
Everything looks so cute! Painting the bottom half of those baskets made them so much more playful. And, I love how you used Clara’s initials for the flashcards across the top shelf – and the script ‘Clara’ from your reader! I think I may have to hit her Etsy shop pronto – my friends joke with me that in our house if it sits still for a minute, it gets spray paint or a monogram :)
Aw thanks Katie!
xo
s
Thank you for sharing the Clara paints piece.
We made a little musical something for Susanna for the Winter Pinterest Challenge. Then at about 2 am today we learned about another musical Susanna, Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles.
Yes, the hub and I were awake then randomly discussing 80’s music as our girl slept!
Here’s a coincidence: just as I was looking at the photo of one of the baskets with Eric Carle’s Very Busy Spider book in it, an itsy bitsy spider scurried across the wall of my office, just behind my computer screen! :)
(Yes, I’m reading this at work. And no, I don’t normally have spiders running around!)
Haha, no way!
xo
s
I really love the look of the rug turned the other way! It makes the room look more balanced somehow, and the baskets look so cool! Such a little change with a huge impact :) Her room is really coming together. How do you plan to paint her ceiling and add crown in there with all of her stuff in the room???! I was wondering (since it is on your list) why you didn’t do that at the beginning?
We clear rooms and paint all the time (well not all the time, but maybe a few times every few months) so clearing a room isn’t a big deal and we wanted to see the room come together (we had no idea what rug or curtains or bedding we’d use) before choosing the ceiling color, just so we wouldn’t regret it for being too fast to choose it!
xo
s
Will you guys be moving things from Clara’s nursery gallery wall to her big girl room (her silhouette, the blue wood with her name on it, the butterflies, etc)?
Oh yes, anything personalized for her will move into her big girl room once she’s no longer sleeping in her crib (don’t want to strip the nursery while she’s still in there :)
xo
s
Things are looking good in the Big Girl Room.
You aren’t the only one with a stash of empty picture frames. I found a huge box of nice frames at a rummage sale and ended up with the whole shebang for $5! Since they were in perfect condition I didn’t mind that some of them were in colors that I don’t care for. A can of spray paint can easily fix that. Now, when I have a new picture to frame, I just go out to the garage and pick what I need out of the box.
Love that!
xo
s
I really want you to paint the inside of the lighting fixture. Not sure what color, but the white interior is so stark against the black.
That’s a fun idea!
xo
s
I wondered about the curtains also. They seem very gray on my screen. They I looked back on the link where you first did them and they definitely looked different. Maybe the light is shining through in this picture.
The room is coming along cute. I would like to see something in the birdcages.
Oh yes, it must just be the way that pattern looks in pics (you know how certain patterned shirts don’t read well on TV/in pics either – maybe that’s what’s going on?
xo
s
What I love most about this room is the fact that it could easily be a teenager’s – just replace the tea table and play kitchen with a desk and bookcase. And I want that Missoni-ish blanket for my own house in the worst way!
The pic of CLara in her bed is priceless!
That’s fabulous! What I really love about this room is that it’s clearly a kid’s room without screaming immaturity. I don’t have kids but have seen many a kid’s room where there are trendy/age-specific decorations all over the place, so the kid quickly outgrows it. With this room, you could do minor tweaks as Clara gets older without having to completely revamp the room, which is really awesome! It screams class yet fun.
Such a nice room! I’m so happy you are nearing the end of that bulleted list. I am so behind on my daughters room (and she’s 6!) with updating it to reflect her ever changing tastes. Sigh…one day, someday… but someday SOON! Fist to the sky!
My best, Lynn
Her room is coming along so nicely! I like the rug much better flipped that way. Good move. Interested to see where the dresser ends up, finish-wise.
My weekend was spent snowboarding on Saturday and doing loads of homework Sunday. Full time job + post bacc program = OMG BUSY.
Sounds like fun! Good luck Wrenaria!
xo
s
Okay – I have a serious question and I certainly don’t want this to come off rude whatsoever.
But, do you guys feel like you’re making your daughter’s room more to suit your own needs/wants than hers? Looking at this beautiful room, I could see a young 20-something living in here (minus the short table/chairs, lol).
I struggle with this myself. My son is 3.5 and when we moved and I was decorating his room I wanted to go all “YHL” and make it cute, trendy, fresh and unique. My son, however, is in love with Spiderman and space-stuff, so I felt like I would be being selfish if I did that room in any other way. He’s only little once, so I felt like I need to indulge his childhood desires (when it’s feasible). After all, he’s only gonna like Spiderman/Handy Manny/Toy Story for so long. So his room is a mish-mash of the cookie-cutter themes he loves.
Thanks!
Leslie
A kid’s space definitely should be for them, so that’s our goal. And it sounds like your son loves his room, so that’s awesome! Clara picked the colors (red and pink) and even the curtain fabric. She’s not into Spiderman or anything so that’s why you don’t see it, but I’m sure that day will come and we’ll add that in too! Right now she loves kitchen stuff and animals (she asked Santa for eggs for Christmas and is obsessed with zoos/animals) so we added a tea-time table, brought in her kitchen and fridge, represented animals with the elephant and giraffe hook on the wall, used animal flash cards, added some animal art, hung birdcages, etc. We’re definitely trying to work in her interests as we go (knowing they’ll probably change every few months, haha!). It should be fun to see how this room evolves :)
xo,
s
There. See?! I knew the rug would look 10 times better with the dots closer to the dresser. It just makes more sense now. I think it’s coming along quite nicely. The navy sheets really help a lot (compared to the old tan ones). I think it’s starting to look like a sweet little girls room. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was liking it so much during the process! You’re right, the middle makes no sense. I have a daughter who is turning two and I know that she would just love that cherry room.
*cheery not cherry!
I love how the room is coming together. :)
I am noticing a trend of really neat items gifted to you along your book tour. How amazing is that? It’s truly a sign of how much people love and respect you guys. And considering most of us have never or will never meet you face to face is a huge accomplishment. So glad you guys are here “with” us daily!
Yes, people are so talented and amazing! It blew us away.
xo
s
I really love it!
Thanks Nora!
xo
s
I’m sure I missed this but where is the daybed from? Love it!
That’s from West Elm six years ago. Hope it helps!
xo
s
It looks Wonderful!! Love the color scheme you guys chose, and the basket idea, thats a good one, it adds that unexpected touch, you guys are good,I just ordered your book cant wait to read it!!
Aw thanks Jeanna! Hope you love it!
xo
s
Aww, she looks so cute snuggled in her big girl bed! I really love the heart throw pillow. And painting the wicker baskets was a great idea, I’m definitely going to have to try that!
I have really enjoyed watching how Clara’s big-girl room has turned out!
I’m in the process of doing a big-boy room for my son (about the same age as Clara), and I’m taking a lot of inspiration from y’all about how to put together a fun, eclectic, purposeful space.
And I actually love the dresser as is. It’s a nice contrast to the more modern elements.
Um, can I move in to Clara’s big girl room? It looks AWESOME! Also, Sherry – I wonder how you would think you wouldn’t feel the same excitement over the next kids’ rooms….You get so excited about everything, which is why we all love you! haha :)
Haha, guilty as charged!
xo
s
Hi,
I would like to know how do you stuff your pouf? It looks nice and sturdy. I stuffed mine with towels and old blankets but it becomes really heavy.
I enjoy reading your site, thanks for sharing your home with us.
Mine came stuffed (not sure what’s in there – maybe foam or batting?).
xo
s
Love it! I want to move in!
Everytime I see those birdcages I think a single Edison-esque bulb in the middle one would be an adorable hanging lamp. Talk about fun ceiling designs!
That would be fun!
xo
s
getting better and better!
Spraying the baskets sounds much more paint saving than dip-dying.
Oh, and….Can I move in until Clara is ready? ;)
Can’t wait to see the next post.
Haha, sure! Come on over!
xo
s
How did you attach the tiles and dominos to the canvas? We want to do a similar project, but I wasn’t sure which glue to use.
Thanks
I actually used that blue sticky-tack that you use to hold posters up in college. Seems to work and it doesn’t damage the back! They’re holding on tight for about a week now!
xo
s
What a fantastic room and what a great way to let Clara get used to the room and feel at home in it, before she moves in and makes it her bedroom. All that fake sleeping in the day bed will pay off later. : )
I really enjoyed how focused she was on her painting.
Aw thanks Diane!
xo
s
That Clara pop art is my favorite reader gift so far! So cute!
Isn’t it cool?! Love it.
xo
s
Love seeing more of the fun dots with the rug switcharoo. And, that wooden Clara sign is just so sweet. You guys seem like you’re having a lot of fun with this and that’s the best part!
Aw thanks Amy! It’s all inspired by the bean. She loves it in there and her enthusiasm is contagious!
xo
s