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My friend reached out to me the other day asking for help with her daughters’ bedroom design. She knew she wanted to add color to the room, but wasn’t sure where to start. Purchase a rug first? Use the existing linens? One bedding option for both girls or two different options?

This is an issue I see pop up frequently - I call it ‘design paralysis'. It’s hard to pick a place to start when you’re already overwhelmed by all the decisions that will come after.

In these situations, I suggest zeroing in on one piece that really speaks to you. It could be a rug, curtains or a piece of artwork. Use that as your starting point and begin to build everything around that.

This is similar to how I would approach larger residential and commercial projects, which is by orienting around a design concept- or the core idea that drives your design work. By allowing one piece to be your “concept”, you can always orient future additions around it.

So how does this look in practice? After choosing your focal piece, think about the balance you can achieve with the decisions you make after as well as your budget.

Balance /

Color and pattern can bring such joy to a childhood room, but mixing patterns can be tricky, so I suggest taking a simpler approach if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Utilize pattern on one area - the walls, rug, curtains or bedding- and then pull the colors out from that pattern into other areas of the room. Instead of more pattern, consider solids, tonal textures or a very simple pattern like stripes to keep a nice balance between color and pattern.

Pulling in a neutral like white, grey, black or brown is also helpful to keep the space grounded. White walls can be a great backdrop for colorful rooms, so don’t rush to paint if you’re not feeling it.

Budget /

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start with a budget. There’s usually an amount that’s off limits, but below that feels murky. If you use your focal piece as your north star, decide whether that item represents low, mid or high end. Then base your budget around that - pulling in some lower/mid range items to balance a high end focal point or vice versa.

I pulled together some colorful inspiration for your kid’s room, and now, all I want to do is design colorful kid’s rooms! I went gender neutral with the colors which is great for a shared room, and really honed in on items that felt playful and joyful.

1. West Elm 8 X 10 Rug - $400

2. West Elm 8 X 10 Rug - $1000

3. Crate&Kids 8 X 10 Rug - $829

4. Crate&Kids 8 X 10 Rug - $569

5. Anthropologie Throw Pillow - $78

6. Anthropologie 84” Curtain - $78

7. Anthropologie 96” Curtain - $98

8. Crate&Barrel 18x18 Pillow - $49.95

9. Crate&Barrel 20” Pillow - $39.95

10. West Elm Pillow - $40

11. West Elm Duvet - $120

12. Anthropologie Quilt - $120

13. Crate&Kids 84” Curtain - $69

Which items did you love the most? Did you go colorful in your kids’ bedrooms? Or your own? I’m partial to the #2 West Elm rug, as it currently resides in my son’s bedroom and the #7 Anthropologie curtains, which are similar to a style in my daughter’s bedroom.

I may love white, wood and neutrals in the rest of my house, but I adore the colorful spaces my children inhabit.

With love,

Steph

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