this is a kid’s room, so let them be kids

January 13, 2016


As the girls grow, things change in their room. It’s not just a reflection of my likes and style, but also theirs, as it should be.

When I look back at my earliest memories of my own bedroom, I remember my mom had it decked out in Strawberry Shortcake with a canopy bed. I felt my bed was so magical with that canopy. My first memory of trying to insert my own personality into my room was putting together wooden animal puzzles and trying to give it a museum feel. I thought my one or two wooden puzzles were artifacts, and I totally thought I was nailing that museum vibe.

In late elementary school, I got hit by the Disney bug bad. I was Disney obsessed growing up and wanted to work as one of their animators one day. Lion King was one of my favorite movies and I had giant decals plastered all over the wall (this was during middle school to sophomore year in high school!). My canopy bed was gone, and I had a bunk bed shared with my sisters, and our bedding was all Lion King. In eighth grade, I even got a Mickey Mouse phone. It definitely looked like the Disney store in my room.

The day finally came for me to get my own room, and so I moved downstairs (that was a big deal). I decked my room out with my favorite movie posters, Titanic (yes, really), My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Mrs. Winterbourne (random, I know). At 16, I discovered this quaint antique shop, and my mom bought me my first vintage piece. It was an antique vanity set, perfectly shabby chic and sweet. Of course, IKEA also came along, and I had little things from there in my room too. In college, I came across an article of a home featured in Victoria Magazine, and I ripped that out and saved it as for inspiration for my future home (still have it and it has inspired my house today). I digress.

For Soul’s birthday, Ben and I got Soul this Luke Skywalker decal. We were deciding between a cardboard cut out, or the decal, and I think the decal was the best choice. The other day Brave was talking about how all the people in Star Wars are actors, and Soul said, “Not Luke. He’s real.”

Glow’s favorite, as you probably already know from her birthday request, is Yoda, but she says she loves R2-D2 just as much. So not only does she have one Yoda next to her, but 3, and then a string of Yoda lights (my sister got it for her for Christmas), and if you look at the window above her bed, there are more Yodas. These girls of mine are too funny with their love for that genius space soap opera.

This was their room just a couple months ago; there isn’t too much change. We changed out the rugs (brought in the one from True and Brave’s room), and obviously their love for Star Wars is now quite evident. I like watching how they bring their personalites into their rooms. If you’re wondering how we keep their room neat … the rule is they can make a mess and play as much as they like during the day, but before bed, everything needs to be cleaned back up and put in its place. #notnegotiable

How do you approach decorating your children’s rooms?

8 comments on “this is a kid’s room, so let them be kids”

  • Love it! And love your bedtime rule – we do the same and now I can often hear the girls say to one another ‘we better put this away before we get anotehr one out!’ Winning!
    Your rooms always look so wonderfully put together! 🙂

  • Mindy says:

    Love all the Star Wars! Where is the rug from? It’s gorgeous.

  • lin says:

    THE HAUNTED VANITY!!!!!!!!!

  • Meg says:

    I am in the process of decorating my first’s nursery and ideally I like to think it will be neutral enough, pink and gray, to easily transition as she grows older. A part of me wants her room to be decked out with Disney princesses or whatever she gets into as she grows but I think I’m going to struggle to find the balance between characters and wanting the room to look chic. This looks like a nice mixture of what they love and pieces you love good job!

    • Rubyellen says:

      I think you just have to be flexible as they get older. I think I set up the foundation and we infuse their rooms with their personalities.

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