I know, I know. I was all giddy with decorating excitement a couple months back, thinking that we’d be all moved in and sorted within a matter of weeks. Baaaa-haahaahaa!!!! Yeah, that would be a big no. The fact is when you have to buy everything for an apartment except a kitchen table and some artwork and accessories, it’s sort of stressful. Buying under duress isn’t as fun as stumbling upon that perfect occasional table or picking up a new rug. It’s overwhelming.
But the kid’s room is in pretty good shape and has been for awhile (I finally got my act together to take photos). In fact, dare I say, it’s my favorite room (and not just because it’s the only finished one). It’s just warm and cozy and yes, he has the best view in the joint.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the humdrum “before” shot:
And now the “afters”:
The best thing we did was cover that heinous floor with this Dash & Albert rug. I love the way it looks. Plus it’s very soft and good for playing on (and lying down on at 6:30 in the morning). Ryan painted one wall in “Google” blue (yes, I am married to a geek), and the curtains were ones we already had from Pottery Barn (I still need to hem them, but for now, their awkward length is hidden behind the chair and the bookshelf). I picked up the wrought iron black bookshelf at an auction upstate years ago for around $5. I love the curlicue sides. G’s big boy bed is from KidKraft and we love it (especially the little bench/bookshelf at the end).
This chair was my favorite chair in our house growing up and has been recovered so many times. It now has a sage green slipcover, which I had made in Buenos Aires by a crazy Russian woman, who inexplicably made a slipcover for a SOFA instead of CHAIR (never mind that the word, “silla,” is the same for both; I clearly requested one for “uno cuerpo,” not “dos”. *And* she had the original slipcover to copy! Good thing I discovered it two days before we were leaving the country…).
But I digress. It’s a great chair — and also a pretty good spot for reading books and napping hounds. The ottoman is from IKEA (discontinued). It’s the perfect size for the chair width. The lovely organic cotton blanket on the chair was a gift from my sister which I had completely forgotten I had. I was especially pleased when I realized it matches the room colors. The pillow is a Jonathan Adler sample sale score from a few years back.
The white IKEA cabinet used to be in our kitchen in the East Village, which had hardly any cabinets and not a single drawer (did I mention that I have three — count ‘em, three — drawers in my kitchen now? Yeehaw.).
The fabric and felt wall map was a splurge, but seeing as how we love to travel and I’ve collected globes for years, it was a no-brainer for us (this homemade version from Fern & Feather is fantastic, and the kid is pretty cute too). The tall baskets are from Land of Nod; the smaller brown and blue ones are from Pearl River Mart (great spot in Chinatown for bamboo blinds, dishes and other fun stuff).
The school desk was a street find from the fashion high school in Chelsea (where we sublet before moving to this place). We still need to hang some more artwork, and I’m working on a little pennant project. I’m also kicking myself for donating a small wooden shelf that would’ve been perfect on the wall above G’s bed (a double kick because my mom just told me the shelf was in her house growing up — ack). But overall, I’m rather pleased with how this room turned out. It was one of those happy situations where you just kind of know right away want you want to do and it all works out. Doesn’t happen that often (see: all the other rooms), but I’m glad it turned out to be in my son’s room. It’s a very happy place.
