Coolest Kids’ Room Beds

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 222013

Do you like contests? What about top 5 lists? What about cool kids’ room beds? Well, I like all three and if I had to judge a contest (which I don’t) to choose the top 5 coolest kids’ room beds, I would choose these…..

#5

How cool would it be to have a real truck in your room? This vintage truck reminds me of my dad’s truck when he bought it out of a junk yard. We loved to ride in the back of the truck……this kid gets to sleep there!

#4

Super sleek and totally awesome, this race car reminds me of my brothers’ and my boys’ Hot Wheels cars. This would definitely been kept in the case with cool cars, not in the toy box. I love red….and polished cherry red is perfect for a kids race car bed.

#3

There was a vintage carousel in an amusement park near my childhood home. Takes me back to my childhood……this carousel bed for is perfect for twin cribs.

#2

Almost my favorite kids bed…..should be #1. I designed it. Still have the napkin sketch and rough drafts. It was fun to watch the idea become the real thing.

#1

This is my all-time favorite and what I think is the coolest kids bed ever designed. I love the beautiful woodwork, upholstery, and paint colors. Of course, Cinderella is also my favorite fairy tale. Totally cool, even for a princess.

More cool beds? Check out Totally Awesome Boat Beds, Top 5 Totally Awesome Boys’ Beds on Wheels, and Beds Toddlers Want to Sleep In.

Retro Family Game Room

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 212013

Themed design is often found in kids’ rooms….but what about the family room designed for games and entertainment? Family rooms are often the star of the house and a place where memories are made, family is gathered for holidays or just a little downtime. Why not take the memories back in time with a retro family game room!

How many retro items can you spot in this photo? Let’s see…..lava lamp, bubble gum machine, ’57 Chevy, vintage camera and a few other items make time stand still a few minutes.

Try a soda counter with swivel stools in chrome on a checkerboard floor and metal school lockers in bright red…..then invite your parents over to tell stories of when schools had lockers.

Try a sunken seating area with round sofa and patterned carpet of the 70’s era…..

jukebox and pinball machine for retro family game room

…..or a 60’s jukebox and pinball machine. Love the lips!

Use your garage to go back to the 50’s diner era with booth seating, chrome dinettes, records and soda counter……

Or convert the basement to an ultra cool retro hangout complete with bowling alley.

Now who says the good old days weren’t so good?

Goodies for Family Game Rooms

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 202013

Sitting on the sideline can be almost as much fun as playing the game, especially indoors in a family game room full of goodies. What do I mean by goodies for family game rooms?

For kids it means a place to eat, readily accessible food, and lots of it. It means awesome games and a place to play with friends as well as family. It means lots of cool seating, not just ordinary stuff, where kids can gather for fun times.

Check out these fun family room goodies…..

Open plan room with colorful modular seating, lots of light, and accessible storage for stuff is an ideal family room. Love the splash of color on the ceiling!

The #1 snack for kids and family rooms…..popcorn. Small serving area complete with popcorn machine, mini-fridge for drinks, and sink for washing off buttery fingers.

Air hockey tables are still popular for teen gatherings, especially the boys…..who will definitely enjoy a collection of football helmets.

Tall table with soft seats that are easy to get in and out of make perfect places for board games or just gathering to munch goodies.

The ultimate “cool pool table”……now that is definitely a family room goodie!

If you want more family room design ideas, see the Family Room Design Series for ideas on the essentials needed, designing for specific ages in Tots to Kids and Tweens to Teens, and coping with the challenges of kids media central and noise control.

Storage a challenge? Read Top Family Room Storage Ideas. Get ideas for furniture perfectly suited to family rooms, especially with teens in the family in the Softer Side of Teen and Family Room Furniture.

How to Use Chroma and Intensity in Kids’ Room Color Schemes

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 162013

Kids’ love bright colors in their rooms, but let’s face it……parents don’t. Seeing neon green, hot pink, and other in-your-face color each time you open the bedroom door can be hard to take.

But they want it. So, just how do you use chroma and intensity in in kids’ room color schemes and make both of you happy?

Just so you know, chroma is purity of color and intensity is highly saturated pigments (like the photo to the left).

Pure color isn’t the problem. It’s the intensity that can be hard to handle. Intense colors lend a fresh dramatic appeal. That’s why kids like it. It works great in playrooms and recreation areas.

But if they are really set on bright color in their room, here are a few tips on placement that makes high chroma and intensity acceptable to both parents and kids.


Use a bed frame of intense color and bedding with bright pops of color, but notice, the room is painted white which lowers the intensity of the bed.	Small areas of high chroma makes strong color easier to handle. Accessories are a quick easy way to add intensity….and easier still to remove when tastes change.

Applying their favorite intense color to just one wall will make them happy.

High chroma color on the floor with a few more spots using accessories…..and lots of white to tone it all down. An area rug would help reduce the intense floor color.

Back of the bookcase is always a winner for bright colors. Still intense but can be subdued by covering with kidstuff.

Did this make it a little easier to think of using bright colors in your kids’ room? See these posts on using hot pink in tween rooms and colorful bathrooms if you need more ideas.

Watch the Kids’ Room Color Essentials design basics to cover the following:

Light and Dark
Warm and Cool
Chroma and Intensity
Tints, Tones, and Shades
Monotone Schemes
Monochromatic Schemes
Analogous Schemes
Triadic Schemes
Complementary Schemes

Kids’ Room Color Schemes {Cotton Candy Pink}

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 152013

Soft cotton candy pink rooms….brings back lots of memories from childhood. Everything in my room was pink (except the ceiling) and my mom loved it! When we think of kids’ room color schemes, pink is for babies and little girls. Why?

Here is what we know about pink:

Considered tender, delicate, and soothing
Implies innocence—being sweet, nice, playful, and cute
Is a universal color of love, friendship, and affection
It inspires compassion and a caring attitude
Expresses a feminine quality, romantic and charming

Maybe that is why pink is so connected to little girls. It’s the sweetness of bubblegum, flowers, and cotton candy that remind us of a time when innocence should reign in a child’s life. Maybe that’s why mom loved it so much.

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More Kids’ Room Color Schemes:

Playroom Storage…..Round Ideas

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 142013

Containing clutter in the kids’ playroom can be a challenge….unless you have plenty of storage. And not all storage containers have to be boring square boxes. Why not try a few of these round ideas for containers.

Why use round repositories?

To add a little variety
Little kids can wrap their arms around round containers to carry them.
They make great targets for tossing toys into during clean up.

Found a few “in the round” to get your ideas flowing…..

…..making square fabric bags round with wooden hoops.

…….placing flat and round on the wall.

…..using soft-side fabric baskets in the round.

…..utilize round woven baskets for toy storage, handles or not.

….for symmetry in style, make use of identical round wire baskets lined with fabric.

recycled spool table for kids book storage

…..recycle a large round wooden spool to house books, like spokes on a wheel.

$small round containers in metal, glass, and plastic for small desk items.\$

…..metal, plastic, and glass in the round for quick organization of the little stuff.

Soft-side or hard, handmade or store-bought, large or small, patterned or plain—doesn’t matter. Round containers make great toy storage receptacles.

Check out Divide to Conquer Playroom Storage Problems for more ideas on playroom storage.

“Mini-Me” in Kids’ Room Decor

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 132013

Sometimes it’s not about the room or the colors used or the cute little accessories. Sometimes it’s just about the one that resides there…..about the little guy who loves hideaway places or the little shadow behind an older sibling or one who mimics everything you do.

That’s the “mini-me” in kids’ room décor.

As I scrolled through photos I use when writing my blog posts, I kept finding evidences of ‘big and little’ in the same room and it caused me to ponder and reflect on families, on the love that is shared and important things in life.

Here are a few photos that tell the story of my thoughts on “mini-me” in kids’ room decor……

……the mini-doll bed beside a bed holding your pint-size treasure—caring for others begins early in life as little girls learn to care for dolls. Nurturing is important.

…..big sister and little sister—who is a shadow following everything big sister does and wants to be just like her. Example is important.

…..little house inside a big house—the place where you can watch kids mirror your everyday actions. Home (not house) is important.

…..big doors and little doors—little ones will follow where you go. If you want them to take a certain path, make it available and show how to get there. Leading is important.

You see, it’s not the décor…..it’s you and your family that live there that make a house a beautiful place to live. It’s the way you teach, train, and lead the “mini-me” that is most important.

Mom…..Happy Mother’s Day

Posted by jsimpson at 7:00 am

May 122013

l

Happy

Mother’s

Day!!!

Kids’ Room Collection Series {Dolls}

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 092013

doll and stuffed animal collection storage

Headboard with shelves and hinged storage is a great way to house a collection of dolls and stuffed animals.

Dolls…and stuffed animals. The two really are inseparable in girls’ rooms. Loveable and cuddly, they become imaginary friends or part of the family—and the reason dolls are often the largest collection in kids’ rooms.

As loveable and cuddly as dolls and stuffed animals are, they can become a nuisance when playtime is outgrown. Setting aside a specific place to display the childhood collection not only gives them a home, it helps preserve memories.

Outgrown cradles, wagons, and other vintage toys make great repositories…..as do the other methods shown in these photos.

Show off the favorite collectible dolls in a small, unused corner with built-in shelves.

large doll collection in dollhouse bookcase

Large and small, dolls and animals all fit comfortably together in this house shaped bookcase. Nice way to display a collection and still let the kids play.

Shelves mounted on the wall are held in place with fabric slings. Simple solution for a doll collection display.

Build a display using wall-mounted boxes with paper or fabric lining.

Architectural elements make wonderful displays. If you don’t have a fireplace, head to the salvage store, pick up an old mantle and place in any kids room. Love the look.

See Toys to Jewelry to Music…..Storing Kids Collections then catch more of the Kids’ Room Collections Series here:

Kids’ Room Collection Series {Toys}

Posted by jsimpson at 10:00 am

May 082013

Parting with cherished, yet outgrown toys can be hard for kids. (Remember “Toy Story”?) Toys have been a big part of their childhood helping form imagination, increase creativity, and provide entertainment while recording hours of memories. That’s why toys are part of our kids’ room collection series. They are important to kids.

Just like other kids’ collections, there are two ways to look at toys—store and play or store and display. Store and play keeps toys within reach for playtime but gives kids a place to put them away where they can be organized and seen. Store and display is for those outgrown toys that are too treasured to discard.

Check out the cool ways to display cherished toys from childhood.