After over a year with their room with it’s original layout, I decided to move things around. My hope was that it would give them more space, but also inspire them to entertain in their room and truly enjoy it.
Before re-arranging their room, I pinned several images of children’s room, and what I realized was that several of their rooms were bedrooms in Europe. Simple, open space, available for imaginative play.
A before and after of their room, and a few details below…
Here’s their room now!
I got rid of their old book shelf, so that their beds can go against their wall. As a temporary (may last for a while) solution for their books, I divided their books into two old wooden boxes used for wine and storage. For Oak’s “every night” books I placed a Ikea crate (that was in his bookshelf/ closet) under his bed. He can easily pull out his favorites, like The Snow Day and cuddle with them at night.
River keeps her favorites. in a small stack on the cart beside her bed or on top of the wine crate.
We went through their baskets and got rid of a few things they no longer liked or needed. While we can surely get rid of more, it feels so much better to have their room be a bit lighter.
Their mural is still a favorite. It’s an oak tree with a river wrapped around it. It was painted by my friend Jenna Gribbon. We’ve gotten the baskets over the years, but here’s a similar here and here.
After a few years of not having a art wall, it’s now back! They have a art class every Saturday and come home with the sweetest work. Then they go through and decide what they want to hang and hang it on their own with a bit of washi-tape.
For Christmas, the kids got a record player and take turns spinning their favorites and dancing in their room.
Oak’s kitten, St. James soaking in the room when he has the chance (we have a no-cat in their bedroom rule (recommended by our allergist)). A very spoiled baby, if you ask me.
While their room has changed, their evening routine has not. Every night I turn on their little mushroom lamp, I drop lavender in their diffuser, I put the humidifier on next to River’s bed, and place the sound machine right in from of their room so that it blocks noise from the building and kittens. They can still hear the sound in their room, and have grown accustomed to the hum on their way to sleep. I have grown to love how we all take part in powering down (or up) depending on how you look at sleep.
I hope to add a large hanging plant in the new few weeks for a bit more of green in their forest-inspired room.
I look forward to the memories that will be made in this new set-up. Most of all, all the dance parties that’ll be cut along that floor.
For those that may be curious:
+Their blankets are custom from Upstate
+ Their dresser is vintage.
+ Their beds are Ikea. River is pulled all the way out and Oak’s is not. They will likely have these beds well into their teenage years.
+ Their rug was purchased at Rug USA a while back.
+ Their circle mirror was from Target, but theres one available at World Market
+ The zebra and unicorn head is from Target.
+ The Come Together poster was a gift.
Photos by Amanda Petersen for LaTonya Yvette
