There are many joys to being parent, but often one of its first—even before the little one makes his or her appearance—is getting to design the bedroom. Four families gave us a sneak peek at one of their favorite rooms and shared what inspired them to decorate the way they did.
When Peter and Rebecca Hartman learned they were expecting a baby, they were over the moon. And when they learned they were having a girl, Eloise Clara, that was the icing on the cake.
Rebecca, an interior designer, wanted her new baby’s room to be as special as her first born was certain to be. “I loved the idea of using the color blue in a little girl’s room,” explains Rebecca. “I liked that it would be unexpected. It was also important to me that the room have a softness to it. And by choosing the right color blue and selecting furniture pieces in a soft palette, we achieved this.”
Another nice detail in Eloise’s room is the placement of her crib. “I didn’t think the crib needed to be flush with the wall because it’s not like she’s going to fall out,” adds Rebecca. “By placing it in the middle of the room, it divides her changing area from where her books and toys are.”
As for Eloise’s feeling about the room—aside from the fact that she’s been sleeping through the night since she was only eight weeks old—her smile says it all.
Oh, the Places He’ll Go
When first-grader Luke Hughes goes to bed at night, he dreams about the world he’ll someday travel. Because surrounding his bed, painted on all four walls of his room, are some of the most spectacular historical landmarks ever built. “We’ve worked with Kelli Eizenga for the last 10 years,” says Luke’s mom, Dr. Therese Hughes. “She’s an unbelievable muralist who really listens to my kids and is able to create the rooms they want.”
When Luke learned that his room was going to be updated, he went to work printing pictures of buildings he hoped Kelli could paint. “I couldn’t believe that we were asking her to create St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Sydney Opera House, and the Taj Mahal,” Therese remembers with a laugh.
But Kelli took the architectural masterpieces in stride, first tracing a general outline on the wall before painting in the details. “I think I’m as excited about this room as Luke is,” says Kelli, whose artwork can be found on the walls of many local homes. “It never stops amazing me what children dream about.”
A Little Lady’s Room, Not a Baby’s Room
There are baby rooms and then there are baby rooms. Teagan Hoopis’ room is not a baby room. And according to her mother Kelley, that was by design.
“When I was thinking about what the girls’ rooms could be,” say Kelley, mother to three little ladies (age 19 months to 5 years old) who each have their own room, “I wanted to make sure that however we designed them—it would timeless. Having to redo a room when they were a toddler was not something I really wanted to have to do.”
So in keeping with Kelley’s love of color and bold prints, she paired a deep lavender with a black-and-white floral-print wallpaper. But the real scene stealers are the miniature white vinyl club chairs. “I’m crazy about repurposing vintage furniture. When I saw these chairs, I knew they would be a place my girls would want to come and sit.”
If only those chairs could someday talk.
Remle’s Circus
When Sandy Carson learned that her daughter and son-in-law were expecting their first baby, she and her husband knew they wanted to get the baby a special gift. “I was thinking we could maybe buy them a crib or a rocker. But Amanda and Ernie [Denninger] had something else in mind,” says Sandy.
The “something else” was that they wanted Sandy, a graphic designer, to paint a theme in the nursery. “I was filled with different emotions, but very excited about the possibilities and thought this would be fun.”
So Sandy brainstormed some nursery themes with the expectant couple and there was only restriction: The room needed to work whether it was a boy or a girl. “Amanda and Ernie were determined not to find out. So we settled on a circus theme with bold primary colors.” Sandy worked up sketches of different animals that were friendly looking but not too cartoonish. But her favorite element of the room is the red-and-white ceiling she painted to mimic a circus “big top.” “The more I painted, the more fun I had. But my greatest joy came on September 8 when my granddaughter Remle was born, and I could add pink bows on the animals and a banner that said ‘Remle’s Circus,’” she adds.
Someday when asked, Remle may tell us that her room is indeed “the greatest place on earth.”
— Ann Marie Scheidler
