Kids. Beautifully majestic creatures. They wake up with high energy and are ready to conquer anything. Like a magical trip through a sacred forest that they call, their bedroom.
Creating for Kids
As co-sleepers, it was very difficult to get our children to willingly sleep in their bedroom without us. It was even more of a tedious process once we moved into our new home. The environment was completely new to them, so it was fair to not want to sleep away from us. I wanted to create a space that would feel fun enough to attract them to their rooms. And still versatile enough to allow them a calming and safe energy to feel comfortable enough to sleep in.
The goal was to create security and comfort. We want it to feel magical and in sync with their personalities. My daughter (3), has the advantage of setting the tone because she’s old enough to express what she likes. I guess that’s an older sister perk. She’s always been drawn to nature, so I figured that that’d be a great place to start. I especially love it because she’d be sharing this space with her younger brother. My son (1) is full of life and energy. He likes to explore and like most boy, he’s a climber.
Leaning towards the theme of nature is always fun, it opens the doors for more creative opportunity. I feel it’s something that will be familiar between the 2, given that they’ll both grow to relate to nature. Nature promotes adventure and wonder, we want them to bond in that way.
Painting
My favorite way to envision any space, is to see the color for it. It helps me visualize better. The color of a room sets the tone of the environment. For this room, I felt green was the best choice. Something, grounding and focused. So, a darker green. I wanted the type of green that would feel focused in the day and melodic at night. A daytime green that would also be a nighttime blue.
I wanted a warming green for the solid walls, and I painted murals on the opposite parallels. The murals show nature, of course, like our little wild ones. For the solid walls, we found the best shade of Juniper green at Sherwin Williams. I’m in love with the way that it came out and how the mural compliments it’s subtle vibrancy.
I got a little excited with this project… I painted this entire room with sample paint. I wanted to test the color but, I got a burst of energy to create. I was also a little curious about how much coverage I’d get from that one little sample. It covered 2 coats of 2 walls. While, I was very impressed with the amount of coverage I got, it was a mistake. A lesson learned, for sure. Sample paint differs from buying the whole gallon because the gallon is better from cleaning. Despite having the room completed with sample paint, I still love it. It just means being gentler with the walls.
To compliment the Juniper, I found 2 shades of brown for the trees. Tea Leaf and Burnished Brandy. I accented the tree with other shades of green, like Westhaven, Bonsai and Glade Green, to name a few. All samples from were purchased from Sherwin Williams. Lowe’s can also make any shade you need. I like Sherwin Williams for the size of the sample.
For those having trouble affording paint and are open-minded to various colors, I recommend using Oops Paint. It’s cheaper for those who have more versatility to create. It’s a gamble to find exactly what you want. Instead, you’ll find something you didn’t know you need.
Every time I look for paint, I always check the Oops Paint. It’s how I found one of the shades I needed for my living room. Oops paint is the best money saver. At Lowe’s, I can usually find a gallon of Oops Paint for about $15. Which is significantly better than the $50-$70 you’d spend on a good gallon of paint at most storefronts. Sherwin Williams also has Oops Paint. The gallon I got for our living room was $2! And the quality of the paint is amazing.
After the painting is complete, our goal is to add 3D art to the walls of their bedroom. I love the idea of adding sensory art to really allow our children to fully immerse themselves into their space. I want them to feel the texture of moss and butterflies. At night, they should rest easily with firefly lights and outdoor sounds to calm them.
What I really want to create for them, is an experience. I think it’s so important for children to be excited for their routines. Especially their bedtime routines. It makes it a little easier for us as parents if the tone is set for bedtime.
I’m so excited to complete this room. I’m looking forward to seeing the way their curiosity grows through exploring their living space.
If you’d like to keep up with this project, when it is completed, photos will be available on here. Any design ideas I have before completing this project, will be on my Pinterest page @trywithzi. I will also post the journey on my TikTok @trywithzi.
If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! I look ahead to continue my journey in design and creating a space meant to comfort my family.
Love,
ZI