Friday, March 16, 2012

Kids Room 2.0

So in March 2009 I showed pics of the kids' room and how we fit 3 kids in a 9x14 room. When we refurnished everything this fall we trickled a few changes in the kids' room. The kids love it even more.
(I don't know why my pics are so yellow, it's a navy/bright white look!
before
The first change was the brick; this building was built in 1860, so deciding to paint over it was a careful decision. But we figured in this one room in the back corner would be too effective a change not to do. We left the copper pipe for the heating exposed though for contrast.
These pics don't do justice, our ceilings are (I think) 12.5 feet high? So that top bed is freakin' UP THERE! London sleeps up on top and climbs up by the side footboards that act as a ladder. It's almost 8 feet high so she wrote up a waiver for her friends to sign in the case of 'injury or accidental death'. :) She's fine, she takes the subway home by herself- she laughs in the face of danger! And it's formed her own private space. It's not as pathetic as it sounds, I promise. Just New York.
I'm so happy with how the dresser turned out; I saw the Novogratzes do duct tape on furniture once, so we did one better and used Gaffer's Tape. It's a fabric tape with a soft matte sheen. As solid as this furniture is (triple bunks are hard to come by, after all) I don't love it, so the navy and white set the tone for the "Industrial Whimsy" I was going for. I did the ladder's sides too. The tape is totally secure, but I am pretty sure can be removed if I wanted.
This grass rug from CB2 cracks me up. Irony as a design tool! Daisy really truly does not know what a lawnmower is so I brought this 'grass' to their room.
Here's the grass wall decal I applied to all the drywall in the room as well. We have our lovely Betta fish, Torpedo hanging out. That guy is setting the world record on longevity, he is 3 1/2 years old!
In the spirit of equality and anal organization, each kid gets a magnetic board circle. I'm going to change the green color of them as well as the "Dream" sign once I change their bedding. The red bench was once black but I painted it red and acts as our additional seating when we're having 12+ people at the dinner table. The red felt park or tricycle-like and this surface acts as the best landing pad for their clothes and books. Lastly, TAAAAALL Bookshelves in each corner, Ikea baby!
Below is their closet; I removed the door, put in the ribbon curtain to create a visual boundary, and it is the epitome of organization thanks in part to California Closets. You can see the inside on that 2009 post.
I'll be changing the lighting but for now it's my paper lanterns. If one gets old we are 6 blocks from Chinatown. :)
The kids love, love, love sharing a room! I have such amazing kids- they really love each other and as a result, love to be around each other, and rely on each other. They have plenty of books and toys, but nothing is ever extraneous or cluttered and it's such a 'light' way to live. They thrive on it.
I thought London would be dying for her own room by now, but the only person with apartment envy is me and a 3 bedroom in Tribeca, I'd rather spend money elsewhere. I can honestly say that I would be happy staying here 'til the kids grew up because the spirit and rhythm in our home works and as tempting as it is, I don't want to mess with a good thing. I block out the houses we owned, the yards we enjoyed, and the s p a c e we had in Virginia and I am just grateful to live where and how we do. There are too many pressures that convince you that enough isn't enough and then you're just robbed of your gratitude. Life is too short for that.

1 comment:

  1. "There are too many pressures that convince you that enough isn't enough and then you're just robbed of your gratitude." You nailed it. Great post!

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