… And we’re back.
Of course, I’ve decided to start writing again, after a protracted absence, at the start of the Labor Day weekend, a time known as an escape from thinking, work, and, most of all, computers. So we’ll see how inspired I become to write again before late next week. Let’s just say it’s a slow process, getting back into the blogging gig.
sugar rush
These past few weeks have been jam-packed…my niece received her Hebrew name, my grandma and aunts visited from Florida, my search for full-time work resumed in earnest, my husband received some fabulous work assignments, and my house was host to friends from abroad and around the block. But most momentously, my son Fionn turned 1. Happy birthday my sweet boy.
Here’s a post I’ve had on the back burner, and I’m so pleased to finally share it with you(thanks Braden and Justine, for your patience). A few weeks back, I sent a request out to my local neighborhood parents’ newsgroup, requesting photos of beautifully-designed kids rooms. In return, I received a set of beautifully-shot images of the sweetest space, which is shared by two boys named Fisher (2+ years old) and Ryder (4 months). And through my correspondence, I met the photographer – an incredible woman named Justine Cooper, who specializes in portraits of babies and children. Long story short, as a result of that post, Fionn has had his first official studio session (a birthday present for my husband) and I’ve got some fabulous inspiration to share with you.
All thanks in advance to Fisher and Ryker’s mom Braden for answering all my questions in great detail about the room – there’s so much great stuff in here it’s hard to decide what to focus on!
Fish-eye view of the room
So let’s start with the basics… You’ll probably recognize the crib as a Stokke, the bed is an IKEA Lycksele sofabed (which folds up into a chair/cot), large rug is from Not Neutral, and the storage unit/bins are Expedit, also from IKEA (See Esther’s roundup of Expedits in nurseries here). But what makes this room special are the personal, handmade touches Braden added to make the room fun, quirky, colorful, and uniquely Fisher & Ryker’s.
What I especially love is the fact that the room is fully decorated (and full of primary colors) but it doesn’t feel cluttered or haphazard. Look at the ceiling… one one side is a globe lantern brought back from a trip to London, on the other side is a blue fish windsock send from friends in Japan to celebrate “Japanese Children’s Day” (Kodomo no hi), a festival held on the 5th day of the 5th month every year to ” respect children’s personalities and to celebrate their happiness.”
There are three other creative touches in this room I’d like to point out – maybe they’ll inspire you for your own kids’ rooms.
Wall Candy Arts decals, customized
1. Turning dots into fish.
Rather than just taking decal dots directly from the package and sticking them on the wall, Braden cut some of her WallCandyArts decals into fish shapes (and their requisite bubbles).
'handmade' footprints and tourist hats
2. Turning kitsch into decor
Braden writes, “My sister-in-law bought these animal hats at a cheesy tourist place in Cancun, Mexico… Fisher LOVES them. I thought that since they were so colorful I might as well make them ‘functional art.’” (Isn’t it crazy how your kids always gravitate towards the things you’d be least likely to actually want around the house?) It’s a wonderful way to get stuff like this out of the closet or off the floor, making it top-of-mind and more likely to be played with.
3. Turning traditional ‘family art’ into wall-worthy pieces.
Each family member created his/her own footprint painting in the brightest, most colorful color combination possible!
Fisher and friend (and Ikea rats)
What I thought was most interesting about this space is the fact that although it looks large, there’s not alot of actual deep wall space to place traditional furniture against. This means Braden needs to maximize all her storage cubbies and closets, and it means that as the kids grow, their stuff is going to multiply and grow in towards the center of the space. And once they get big enough for real beds and desks, Braden’s going to have to be creative about her space planning. I have all the faith that she’ll do a great job with it…
Thanks again, Braden, for letting me feature your sons’ room, and for all your help.
Any questions about Fisher and Ryker’s room or any of the pieces in it? Please leave a note in the Comments section. Do you have a room you’d like featured here? Let me know.
I always love learning about new places in my neighborhood, especially when they’re shops. Was going through my (junk) email this morning and saw this post by Daily Candy about custom wallpaper, designed by a UK company and available exclusively in the US through a company called Modern Anthropology.
Then I found their shop on the site.
Take this IKEA Besta Burs lacquered desk ($299), for example, and add one of Modern Anthology’s cage lamps to ‘authenticate’ the space a little more, without looking like a construction site.
And a perpetual favorite, done in a new way… A bus route sign, cut down the middle and framed as two images. I don’t know if these prices are per image, framed or unframed, but if you’re in the market, they’re definitely worth investigating.
for $25.95, I think he could easily become a bedtime favorite (with or without the hot water).
