Real Talk, Real Moms on Sleep and Bedtime Routines

Business of blogging

Hi friends, happy Friday! You’ve made to the end of the week and that glorious sense of relief, particularly if you’re a semi-permanently sleep deprived mama like me. It seems like no matter the age of your child, sleep is always a major issue. Which is why we’re marking the fourth anniversary of our Real Talk, Real Moms series by discussing all things sleep related! I’m confident that across all the mamas, you’re going to find a nugget of genius that relates directly to any sleep struggles your family might be experiencing.

With a four-year-old in the house now, I’ve managed to get past the majority of the sleep regression stage. Most nights we have a solid sleeper that’ll give us 11-12 hours of peace (save a night terror on the occasion. Those are never particularly fun).

A few thoughts on those early years of sleep that I think have given me a pretty good sleeper (and I will not front – I read all the sleep books – so many that they they all blend together now. I’m pretty sure this one was my favorite though). It’s amazing what you can forget in a few sleep deprived years. But here are the key points:

> Set a sleep schedule and stick to it. Same nap and bedtimes daily. Kids love and thrive with routine. Do not fear it.

> Sleep begets sleep. It can seem counterintuitive, but the more sleep a baby gets, the more they’ll sleep. So don’t fret those naps and maybe even move the bedtime up earlier.

> Create a super soothing sleep environment. Some people say this is “spoiling” your kids, but any sleep book for adults talks about creating the most sleep inducing environment possible. A blacked out room, cool but not too cold temperatures, a sound machine. Give them the best chance of falling and staying asleep.

> Sleep training is not evil. Just sayin’. (I used this book to do it at six months).

But these days, I have a whole new struggle on my hands. I’ve got a vocal, opinionated, willful preschooler. Swaddling is long gone my friends. While we can get a full night’s rest, it’s the getting to bed part that is proving extremely tough. Our bedtime routine regularly hits 90 minutes. And I swear it’s only your typical stuff – bath, brushing teeth, going potty, getting on pajamas, reading a story (or four), singing a song, a drink of water. Ok it’s a lot. And the rituals are mission critical, at least to the four-year-old. An attempt to drop one element is always met with massive resistance. Or better yet, the need to start the entire process over from the beginning. But things cannot continue this way. Such a long bedtime routine exhausts everyone, devolving into all the behaviors that’ll break us parents down – whining, stalling, hitting, tantrums. And I’m trying to not drink wine during the week anymore!

We try to do all the things the podcasts say. Boundless patience. Make things playful. When they get upset, get calmer. But I just can’t stomach a 8pm bedtime anymore. So while I like to try to come to these posts with something helpful, or a least share a personal perspective with you, this go round I’m in the thick of the struggle friends.

I’ve considered all the obvious solutions but we can’t really start the bedtime process earlier in the evening. There’s the getting home from school and the cooking and eating of the dinner that has to happen first. We’ve resorted to making baths an every other day thing in attempt to take out one element. We’re trying hard to stick to the one book per parent rule.

So this post is bit more of a cry for help than anything else. How do you manage your nighttime routine? Maybe 90 minutes isn’t abnormally long but it certainly feels that way to me. I would love any and all advice you may have.

I’ll certainly be scouring the posts of all our other mamas for every creative idea I can find. You should too!

Freutcake | The Effortless Chic | The Sweetest Occasion | Studio DIY | Lovely Indeed

For the entire Real Talk archive CLICK HERE.

images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Real Talk with Real Moms: Screen Time & Play

Decor

I’ve got exciting news for you today. After a bit of a hiatus in 2018, I’m thrilled to announce our Real Talk with Real Moms series is back! While I don’t talk about my tiny human around here that much – I find we can always talk about parenthood! And as I focus more and more on taking a very intentional approach to life, I feel like there’s no better time to trade as many tips and ideas as we can.

So over the course of 2019 I, along with a bevy of other powerhouse blogger mamas, will be diving back into topics that we suspect plague all you parents out there. Today we’re talking the ever-controversial screen time, but also play ideas.

We actually tackled the technology topic about a year and a half ago. As we approach my kiddo’s fourth birthday (how is that possible???), I’m pleased to report we remain a screen-free household. Call me crazy, but I remain firmly against screen time for young kids. That means we still do zero TV, no iPad games, no time playing with a phone. And I swear, it’s really not that hard.

Well ok, it’s a little hard. Plane flights aren’t my favorite. We don’t brave extended road trips. I have to do some major parental backflips to keep a pre-schooler engaged while trying to get dinner on the table. Yes, it is a bit harder on me. But I still firmly believe it is so much better for him.

I talked about this previously, but in case you missed it, you should know that studies have proven that technology screws with our brains – but particularly the brains of children. There is article after article after terrifying article about tech’s detrimental effects. I’m sure you’ve read many of them. If not, click on one like this. Even tech executives are severely limiting or straight up eliminating their kids’ screen time.

Of course as my son has aged I’ve allowed the occasional exception to our zero-screen-time rule. A quick animal YouTube video here. Katelyn Ohashi’s perfect 10 floor routine there. Yes, we FaceTime with the grandparents. I’m not a barbarian. And don’t get me wrong. Of course I’m excited for him to experience Mr. Rogers. I can’t wait to have Friday family movie nights. But in due time.

The unintended consequence of limiting my son’s screen time has been the dramatic decrease in my own. Where TV used to be a big part of my world, I now only turn it on to binge the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I recognize my own phone addiction and am doing more to mitigate it (do you check your usage stats?? They can be scary).

Now onto play ideas. I wish I could say I have some magic tricks in my bag, but I’m not the Martha Stewart of playtime. A lot of construction gets played. Lots of trains. Lots of art time. We just started board games. We turn a lot of home maintenance into “projects” and give him the opportunity to use a drill, a hammer or a KitchenAide mixer. We go outside. A lot.

One thing I’ve found that really helps keep things fresh is cycling toys. Put things away for a while. A month at least and then suddenly bring those toys back out and it’s like a whole new thing again.

Never underestimate how much fun you can have with a ball.

And then there’s “What’s on My Butt.” I can’t take credit for this. I heard about it from the podcast The Longest Shortest Time. This for the end of the day, I’ve got 30 minutes left before bedtime and I’m running on fumes time. You literally lay on your stomach, have your kid grab a household item and place it on your butt and you have to guess what it is. Just make sure they have to put it back! Bonus points if you can play with glass of wine in hand.

If you have any favorite activities for the 3-4 year old set, I’d love love love to hear your favorite ideas. For the rest of the mamas’ takes, click the links below!

The Effortless Chic || Studio DIY || Natalie Borton || The Life Styled || A Daily Something

For the entire Real Talk, Real Moms archive, CLICK HERE. I hope you’re excited as we are it’s back.

images via anna truelsen, maison pomme frite and anna landstedt

How to Create a Cozy Modern Nursery

Decor

I’m going to preface this post by saying right off the bat that no, I am not pregnant. However, that does not mean I don’t continue to peruse the latest in nursery decor as I like to see where the trends are going. And then be envious of all you mamas who are having your babes now because I swear, every year, the options for babies just keep getting better and better and better.

Case in point, the newly redesigned nursery collection from one of my long-time faves, Serena & Lily, is simply gorge. When Serena & Lily approached me to pick my favorite looks from their new collection I was so excited. It’s always fun to design dream spaces and I figured some of you must be planning a nursery too!

Serena & Lily has always had stand-out style. They are known for their use of color and pattern and for their really beautifully crafted pieces. With their new nursery collection, they’ve added modern twists, clean-lined options, and unique pieces. So, I thought I might as well design a little dream nursery….you know, just in case.

To start, I love the idea of creating a gender-neutral, global nursery that isn’t based on gray. Gray has just gotten so, so tired. Been there, done that! In contrast, this look is filled with layers of different shades of brown, giving it much warmer, richer, and inviting feel.

The key with this look is texture, texture, texture. All kinds of natural materials from oak to rattan to leather and wool mix with subtle print and pattern in softer, creamier hues. While there are playful elements, I love that this look doesn’t feel saccharin. A kid’s space should still feel like it belongs with the rest of your house.

I also love the idea of mixing up materials and the look and feel of different pieces in a nursery. I’m obsessed with Serena & Lily’s new modern Nash Convertible Crib and coordinating changing table. It is SO hard to find good-looking changing tables. I particularly love that this one has that open bottom, making it feel less bulky. It still has the drawers you need to store changing supplies, but then you can add baskets or books or toys on that bottom shelf. By simply removing the changing tray, the table transitions nicely into a console after you’re no longer changing diapers, too! You always want to think about how much you you will get out of pieces that go into your nursery.

That’s why I’m also obsessed with their rattan wing chair. Disgusting-looking gliders just need to be banished at this point. There is truly no need for them! The rattan trend is still going strong and it looks so good in a kid’s space. A footrest and a couple throw pillows are all you need for a cozy spot to read, comfort, or nurse. This chair could then easily transition into another room in your house.

Lighting options offer another great opportunity to mix in more texture and another material. Serena & Lily has some awesome woven options that create that collected, eclectic feel. I love the look of both the rattan Cayman Pendant and the Headlands Pendant. Either would be awesome in a nursery, and I’d repurpose it really anywhere in the house.

Mix in playful details like a hanging chair, darling crib sheets, and maybe cute cuddly friend or two and you have a thoroughly sophisticated but wonderfully playful space for baby. It’s enough to almost make me want another one. Almost.

For more nursery and kids’ decor ideas, CLICK HERE.

This post in a paid partnership with Serena & Lily & contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations I’m excited about and that have kept Apt34’s doors open.

photography c/o Serena & Lily

One Room Challenge: THE REVEAL!

Bedrooms

Sound the horns, strike the drums, or do whatever you do to attract a ton of attention because today is the day – today you get to see the AFTER of our 6-week One Room Challenge. Are you excited? I’m excited. But to quickly recap for anyone who might be new here, I decided to transform my son’s nursery into a toddler room for this ORC – since he is three, going on ten now. I’ve summarized the room’s before look for you quickly below.

And without further ado, here’s our after!

Ta-da! Do you love?! I love. I’m seriously so happy. But where to begin, where to begin?! Well, let’s dive into room layout first. I essentially mimicked the very same layout I used for the nursery design. As I’ve mentioned, this room is shoebox-shaped, and not particularly spacious. There’s only one solid wall. All the other walls are broken up by either windows or doors. So I stuck with what I knew.

Bed on the far wall to the left of the central window. Bookcase to the window’s right. Reading chair floating next to (the dreaded!) curved wall. Dresser moved into the closet. Thankfully, I was able to use an amazing new moving and storage service called Trove to remove and store all of my nursery furniture so I could move all the new pieces in all in just a couple of hours. Phew.

And just like that, it suddenly feels as if the amount of space has doubled. I accomplished this by getting rid of all things oversized. The 8×10 area rug, the floor-skimming drapes, the oversized glider – they are all gone (and I ain’t sad about it). Now the space has room to breathe. But it makes sense. The nursery was about being cozy and nesting. The new version of this room is about making space for energy, fun, and play.

Shall we talk color scheme next?? I hinted at my paint inspiration in previous weeks’ posts, but did you guess what I would do? I really didn’t want to fully repaint the room as I still love its original light gray hue, but the transformation did require a little refresh – something to make the room feel more mature. Well, I went with the triangle around the toddler bed idea and I’m obsessed with how it turned out. The paint color is a gorgeous deep teal/blue/green called Hague Blue from Farrow & Ball. It became the inspiration for all the other deep blue accents in the room.

I love how the triangle corner cocoons the bed and offers a graphic punch. I decided to go with a toddler bed because, well look at it, it’s just too dang cute. My son thinks its a car. I’m also hoping that the nest effect will entice him to actually sleep in his new big boy bed because right now he continues to opt for the crib (any and all parental advice on this one def welcome!). I kept the bedding nice and simple and added just a little playful touch with a block print pillow from Pom Pom at Home.

Since we live in earthquake-prone San Francisco, art over beds is generally frowned upon and so I needed to come up with an innovative way to hang art. I did that in two ways – first, I simply decided not to frame my art find – Sloths Riding a Tandem Bike with a Surfboard (love!). I then decided to hang the print using simple clips. It feels both more young and more casual that way. Bonus, using clips also doesn’t damage my 150 yr old plaster walls (more to come on the challenges of plaster – keep scrolling).

A simple, modern Nova End Table from Room & Board in black offers a landing spot for books, my husband’s childhood pinewood derby car and my latest favorite parenting invention – the Stay in Bed clock. These things turn from yellow to green telling your child when its ok to get up. Genius. A gorgeous Helix Light in deep navy created by my friend and rope artist Windy Chien serves as a gorgeous bedside light.

Opposite the toddler bed sits the room’s new play/reading corner. I love the open, modern vibe. It’s now super easy for my son to pick from his ever-growing book collection or pull out his legos for a major building session. On the upper shelves, I added an homage to his current interests including a guitar print by another friend, artist Jennifer Ament custom framed with Framed & Mated as well as a replica of Sutro Tower, a San Francisco landmark that we can see from our neighborhood.

The Wing Chair from Overstock offers a comfy seat to read. I love the low profile. It’s also really comfortable for humans of all sizes – my three-footer and my six-footer both really like it. A striped round rug from eSale Rugs offers the perfect little padded play space. And I continued to pull in my blue accent color through the custom roman shades I had made with Dwell Studio fabric at Calico Corners. I love the road-like ribbon pattern. Blackout shades are must for those tiny humans. They make bedtime so much easier!

The Woopsy Desk Lamp from LampsPlus offers a little whimsy. The Children’s Dictionary also comes from my husband’s childhood room. Some prized construction vehicles and jungle friends from my favorite online kid’s shop Bitte take pride of place.

And now to my curved wall challenge…

To accentuate the wall, I added three-dimensional constellations! Now I can’t take total claim for the idea. I spied something similar in a room by J&J Design Group. I’d been hoping to incorporate something star themed for a couple of reasons. Carter had a print of his astrological sign hanging over his crib since birth so I wanted to keep the theme going. We also sing Twinkle Twinkle Star every night. He immediately understood these were stars.

But perhaps most importantly, the way I conceived of the solution solved both my curved wall and my plaster problems. If you’ve never worked with plaster – don’t. It is SUCH a pain. It is highly ill-advised to put holes into plaster as it can make the entire wall crack. And once you do poke a hole there really isn’t any changing your mind. You can’t simply patch and repaint. It’s a process. So rather than deal with that headache, I used magnetic paint (per many a commenter’s suggestion) on the wall! Then to create the constellations, I simply used sets of magnets to create each constellation shape.

Truthfully, I’m a little disappointed with how the constellations look in photos. These images don’t really do them justice. The design would have photoed much better if I had used black cord, but I found glow-in-the-dark cord that turns his wall into a personal starry night. You’ll just have to trust me that it’s very cool in person.

Now, I couldn’t only use the Hague Blue around the toddler bed. I needed that color elsewhere in the room – and so to the closet I went! I painted both the exterior french doors and a half wall around the interior in that nice rich color.

I also transformed the closet back from a mini play area into the storage space I know we’re going to need long-term. Thankfully I could find a stylish dresser that fit into this relatively small space at Room & Board. They have such a great variety of sizes, styles and finishes. I knew I would find the perfect piece. And it actually holds a ton of clothes.

A sturdy two-toned basket from Overstock serves as a new laundry bin and I added a simple coat rack for jackets, hats and backpacks. It’s never too early to teach a kid that there’s a place for everything and everything should go back in its place! We’ll see how that goes of course.

I couldn’t bear to part with the animal alphabet print I got before I was ever pregnant so it now adorns the back closet wall. A Hey Handsome print from Minted is another nursery holdover. I couldn’t help myself – it’s too cute.

So there you have it. I’m pleased to report that my kiddo is totally into his new room. He’s already spending more time playing in there then he had before (mission accomplished!).

I so hope you enjoyed following along over the last six weeks. I’ve truly appreciated everyone’s comments, ideas and suggestions.

SHOP THE ROOM LampsPlus Tides Pendant / Bitte Wooden Toys / Farrow & Ball Hague Blue Paint / PomPom at Home Pillow / Ferm Living blanket / Toddler Bed / Sloth print / eSale Striped Rug / Woopsy Desk Lamp from LampsPlus / Pehr Designs Alphabet Bin / Overstock Wing Chair / Sutro Tower / Overstock Woven Basket / Room & Board dresser / Room & Board end table / Calico Corners Roman Shades / Minted Art Print / Stacked Bookcase from Sourced By Good / Birch Coat Rack / Jennifer Ament print / custom framing Framed & Matted / Windy Chien Helix Light / Cork Globe / Throw Pillow / Lego Storage

Be sure to check out everyone’s reveals by clicking on the links below! I can’t wait to see them all.

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE

Beginning in the Middle | Coco & Jack | The English Room | The Gold Hive

Michelle Gage | Natasha Habermann | The Painted House | Rambling Renovators

Sacramento Street | Shannon Claire | Sketch 42 | Stephanie Kraus | Bisou Style

Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by ORC

To catch up on the entire ORC, click the following links Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5

original photography for apartment 34 by bess friday

One Room Challenge Week 5: The Final Countdown

Bedrooms

Guys, I can hardly believe it, but we’re only one week away from the conclusion of the One Room Challenge and the big reveal of my son’s brand new big-boy room. I have to thank everyone for their recommendations on my curved wall dilemma last week. I think I’ve finalized my solution and design idea and I’m rurl excited about it…but I’m not gonna tell! Not yet anyway. You’re going to have to wait to see the finished product until our finale next week.

For now, I thought I’d update you on the goings-on. Over the past week, I’ve been frantically working to finalize all the details; things like toy storage solutions, all the little design accents and finalizing art and lighting. It’s always a little hard to know when enough is enough, but I think I’m getting close. So today I thought I’d give you a little sneak preview of the final design.

Remember when I described my design vibe as “CA + Scandi, aka California laid-back casual mashed together with a Danish modern edge? Here’s the mood board again to remind you.

Well, I think I’ve zeroed on my vibe… but really, you should tell me if I’m on the right track. Whatta think?

This is my furniture plan! To bring the Scandi feel into the space all of the furniture I selected is made of light woods and features clean lines. Sure, I could have used color in a kid’s room, but I feel like all the white oak will age better. Case in point, the clean, modern Moda dresser from Room & Board. I’d like that to stick around for quite some time.

Our dilapidated glider is finally getting ditched for a modern shell-style chair I found on Overstock. I firmly believe that you don’t need to put kid furniture in a kid’s room but the pieces you do pick should still feel playful. The slim silhouette of the shell-style chair should also open up more space in the room. I’m also ditching the too-big area rug that’s in there now for a smaller round rug in a graphic stripe to add the illusion of even more space. (if you need a reminder of before images, click here).

The lighting in the room is going to get a little upgrade too. I love the Tides pendant from LampsPlus. It’ll accentuate the 11′ ceilings nicely. A cheeky Woopsy Table Lamp will be a fun discussion point for a three-year-old.

I’m keeping all the art and accessories in muted tones so that all his toys, his art creations, and imagination will bring the color to the space. And of course I have a few surprises up my sleeve as well but you’ll just have to come back next week to see those. For now, I’m frantically painting, assembling, organizing and prepping – all around nap times. Working on a child’s room is much harder to schedule than I realized. Oy. But I’m confident it’s all going to come together beautifully. Well fairly confident (just kidding!). I can’t wait to see the look on my son’s face when he sees the final product.

To catch up on the first four weeks ORC, click the following links Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4.

Everyone else is probably in the same boat as I am (aka biting their nails wondering how they’re going to get in all done in time!) so be sure to check out their updates below.

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE

Beginning in the Middle | Coco & Jack | The English Room | The Gold Hive

Michelle Gage | Natasha Habermann | The Painted House | Rambling Renovators

Sacramento Street | Shannon Claire | Sketch 42 | Stephanie Kraus | Bisou Style

Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by ORC

One Room Challenge Week 4: My Conundrum

Decor

This week’s installment of our One Room Challenge update is a bit of a cry for help. Things have been going pretty smoothly thus far. I have my design direction. I found some killer ideas for cool paint features. I’ve zeroed in on my furniture plan (will be sharing next week!). But there is one part of my son’s room that continues to stump me. It is….

The dreaded curved wall!

You see, my son’s room is basically shaped like a shoe box – except for the right corner – which curves in to accommodate our curved staircase on the other side. (btw, the beat to a pulp three-year-old glider, Home Depot paper blackout shade on the window and that too-big rug are all going buh-bye and I can’t wait).

But back to the curved wall conundrum. I see the options for this thing as follows:

> Paint it – either as a feature or maybe some kind of mural. Bu that feels a little too permanent. Plus I do love my paint color.

> Wallpaper – this would definitely make that wall a focal point. But I’m a bit of a wallpaper-phobe. Wallpaper on a curved wall also seems like you’re just askin’ for trouble.

> Decals – Some sort of cool (non-cheesy!) decal to add some adornment is a viable option. But non cheesy decals are few and far between.

> Simply leave the wall as is. Maybe it’ll fade into the background with the other focal points I’m creating in the room. But that seems like a missed opportunity, no?!

Here are some of the ideas I’ve been considering.

I could do something large scale like a massive tree sticker. But I’m not sure it will age well. What’s cool at three years old just might not cut it at five, six or seven.

The world map is fun but I’m afraid all that color and noise would be too overwhelming.

Then there are repeating pattern ideas like a series of clouds, dots, stars, ships, planes etc etc. It’s a viable option. But clouds feel pretty babyish. I’m kinda into the abstract paper planes moving up the wall, but it also feels rather random and not cohesive with the rest of the room’s design. Le sigh.

I know there are plenty of ideas that would work, they just wouldn’t be the perfect fit.

If you have any creative ideas or amazing sources for a brilliant unforeseen solution, please (please!) send them my way. Cuz I gotta figure something out and real quick!

To catch up on the ORC to date, click HERE for week 1, HERE for week 2 and HERE for week 3.

And be sure to click on the links below to take a look at everyone else’s progress. There are SO many good projects.

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE

Beginning in the Middle | Coco & Jack | The English Room | The Gold Hive

Michelle Gage | Natasha Habermann | The Painted House | Rambling Renovators

Sacramento Street | Shannon Claire | Sketch 42 | Stephanie Kraus | Bisou Style

Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by ORC

One Room Challenge Week 3: Paint-spiration

Decor

For today’s one room challenge update, we’re talking paint. Choosing a paint color is often a very tricky business. Yes, white is an obvious (and actually deceptively challenging) choice. I certainly have never seen a white room I didn’t like. But white can also feel a little too simple. There’s always the accent wall idea. Kinda meh about that one too though. When it comes to a kid’s room, especially a toddler room, you have the liberty of getting extra playful with how you paint. I have committed to doing just that for the challenge, but the question is how??

As a reminder, here’s what the room’s paint job currently looks like.

The room is currently a soft blue gray, painted up to about two feet from the room’s 11′ foot ceilings (rough life, I know). I still really love the paint color and the effect it has on the room – it really helps draw the eye up and makes the room feel bigger than it is. Rather than repaint the entire space, I plan to add a playful modern accent moment (or maybe two!). You can just have so much fun with it.

The first idea is to highlight the bed. It’s going to be the new big-boy toddler bed so I think it would be wise to make an extra big deal out of it.

I could do a mountain motif.

Or perhaps a super hero theme?

Or maybe go prehistoric (though I guess this is technically an accent wall).

But I’m really gravitating to a more modern, abstract accent around the bed.

I think the triangle idea is cool, simple and would still feel fun a few years down the road.

But I don’t want to stop here. I also want do something on the room’s set of closet doors. Something like this…

I love the idea of painting the doors just half way up. It offers an unexpected focal point without being too strong.

Or perhaps going full height with a bold dark color like this! Go bold or go home right?

I’m still zeroing in on the final look. I’m also trying to not be intimidated by the DIY factor of all this (not my strong suit). And of course, I actually have to select my paint color. I’ll be finalizing my paint design and color selection sometime this week, so be sure to follow along on Instagram stories! I’ll be sharing all and most likely asking for your opinion there.

And if you have any creative ideas or DIY painting tips, please send them my way! This might be the scariest part of this whole project.

To catch up on weeks one and two of the ORC click HERE and HERE.

And be sure to take a look at everyone’s week 3 updates by clicking the links below. Can you believe we’re already halfway through?

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE

Beginning in the Middle | Coco & Jack | The English Room | The Gold Hive

Michelle Gage | Natasha Habermann | The Painted House | Rambling Renovators

Sacramento Street | Shannon Claire | Sketch 42 | Stephanie Kraus | Bisou Style

Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by ORC

images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

One Room Challenge Week 2: The Design Plan

Bedrooms

Week two of the One Room Challenge is upon us. Today I have my moodboard to share with you all. When working on a design project, I find it’s always helpful to create a moodboard to set clear boundaries – it helps in the decision-making process so much! A moodboard enables you to zero in and make all those difficult choices; overarching design style, color palette, perhaps a creative design element or two. Otherwise, there are just too many options out there to choose from. I always get distracted by the newest fun thought. Or I just can’t commit. Or I second guess myself. But eventually, you have to tune out all the distractions so you can actually get something done!

So I’m declaring this my official design direction. And since I only have four more weeks to make it happen, I really can’t back out now. I’m calling my look “CA + Scandi.” Think California laid back casual mashed together with a danish modern edge.

I want to accomplish three key things with this CA + Scandi design plan. The first is injecting a modern, slightly minimal Scandinavian influence. Think less is more. Kids accumulate so much stuff. The room design doesn’t need to add too much. That’ll come. I also want to create a space that I enjoy being in too. I firmly believe my kid’s room can fit within the vibe of the rest of our house while still being a room that is unique to him. And finally, I do want to ensure the room is fun and childlike. It should be a space that fosters creativity and play.

I hope to accomplish those goals by sticking with a pretty neutral color palette – black, white and natural oak with the injection of an accent color here or there (tbd on what color that will be). I definitely plan to have a little fun with paint to add an eye-catching design element (or two). And I know I will lean on the modern side when it comes to furnishings. That’s where I’ll really be injecting that Scandi feel. Accessories and accents are where I’ll get to add the bit of whimsy I’m looking for.

So what do you think?? You like? With my direction set, I’m off to pick my paint colors, source all my furnishings and work on one big design dilemma that I’ll wait to discuss until our next check-in. I’m curious – what are you most interested in about this process? Let me know in the comments so I can be sure to answer any questions and share what you really want to see.

I also can’t wait to check out everyone else’s progress. Click the links below to see where their projects are headed.

To catch up on Week One of the challenge, CLICK HERE.

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE

Beginning in the Middle | Coco & Jack | The English Room | The Gold Hive

Michelle Gage | Natasha Habermann | The Painted House | Rambling Renovators

Sacramento Street | Shannon Claire | Sketch 42 | Stephanie Kraus | Style Me Pretty Living

Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by ORC

Announcing the One Room Challenge!

Decor

If you’ve been waiting to have a little design fun around these parts, today’s your day. I’m thrilled to announce my participation in this season’s One Room Challenge! For the unfamiliar, the One Room Challenge features 20 bloggers as they tackle a room makeover – in just six weeks. You get to enjoy weekly updates, following along on everyone’s journeys, with a culmination of 20 final room reveals. You excited yet?! I know I am.

It seems only fitting that on the eve of my son’s third birthday, I tackle transforming his nursery into a full-fledged big boy room. Here’s what the room looks like now (at least when its photo shoot ready).

I’ve loved this room as a nursery. It has a sweet, tranquil vibe, but really nurseries are designed as a space for us, the adults, to function and care for our tiny humans (when stumbling around in the middle of the night). But now that I have a full-fledged person, with very big thoughts and very strong opinions, on my hands I’m eager to create a space that reflects his burgeoning personality. I want to give him a room where he can evolve and grow. I think it’s also time that we finally transition out of the crib (any advice on this highly welcome).

I have a lot of goals for the redesign of this space. Ample toy storage, a good sized play area, and a big boy bed are all on the must-have list, but I also need a spot to read bedtime stories and a super functional closet. I want this all to come together with a modern, sophisticated, but still kid-like vibe. No problem (ha!). So be sure to check in every Wednesday for the next six weeks. I’ll be sharing my inspirations, design plans, resources and progress sneak peeks that will all lead up to the official reveal. It’s going to be one heck of a good time.

And if you check in on Instagram today, you’ll get a bonus! I’ll be sharing a before tour of the room on Stories! Oh, and be sure to follow along with everyone in this season’s ORC by clicking on the links below. It’s a super impressive group. I cannot wait to see what rooms everyone will tackle.

For details about the nursery’s current design including where to source everything, CLICK HERE and HERE.

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE

Beginning in the Middle | Coco & Jack | The English Room | The Gold Hive

Michelle Gage | Natasha Habermann | The Painted House | Rambling Renovators

Sacramento Street | Shannon Claire | Sketch 42 | Stephanie Kraus | Style Me Pretty Living

Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by ORC

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