kids spaces Archives - Emily A. Clark

Getting Back-to-School Ready with IKEA

Jun132018

I know it’s crazy to think of going back to school when we literally just got out for Summer, but I also know how quickly these next months will fly by and that many of you are already scheming up dorm room and first apartment decor for your big kids. I’m teaming up with IKEA as one of their brand ambassadors to share how we recently finished up my oldest daughter’s room and to hopefully pass along an idea or two that you can use, as well.

Our inspiration was this beautiful (and ever Pinterest-popular) studio apartment designed by Lauren McGrath featured in Domino magazine. I love this layout because it offers plenty of storage on one wall and still leaves her floor space. We used a pair of the HEMNES bookcases which were a perfect fit with her (thrifted) daybed. (The IKEA FYRESDAL is another good option.) If you have less room to work with, the single HEMNES bookcase might be a better fit.

No daybed? An elevated twin mattress will work, too, and can double as a sofa/study space.

It was important to give her some hidden storage so we added several of the gray KVARNVIK boxes on her shelves and these fabric DRÖNA cubes fit perfectly turned sideways. (We also added more under her bed for out-of-season clothing storage.)

I left the shelves pretty open so that she can add her own personal touches and just picked up a few pretty vases from IKEA’s GRADVIS collection. I also added color to her neutral bedding (the TRÄDASTER duvet is a good alternative) with super affordable GURLI pillow covers. The colors worked great with the artwork that was already above her bed.

The GÖRLÖSE rug is super affordable and does a good job of sectioning off this part of the space. (A trick that may be more needed in a shared dorm room!) I floated a KVISTBRO table (with a removable lid for more possible storage) in front of the bed that can serve as a nightstand and/or ottoman.

1. RANARP wall spotlight 2. FYRESDAL daybed 3. HEMNES bookcase

4. TRADASTER duvet 5. GURLI pillow cover 6. KVARNVIK box with lid

7. GRADVIS vases 8. KVISTBRO table 9. GÖRLÖSE rug

10. DRÖNA box 11. MELLTORP table 12. BERNHARD chair

I am a Brand Ambassadör for IKEA U.S. This is a sponsored post.

Upstairs Update: Ceiling Fans & Kids’ Carpet

Mar152018

After my post on choosing a paint color for my daughter’s room, I received a ton of questions about the ceiling fan. I completely understand why. When we renovated our upstairs last year, I think I looked at every possible online option available before finding “the one.” I loved it so much that I put it in every one of the kids’ rooms.

kids room ceiling fans

I don’t know if a ceiling fan can ever be described as pretty or sleek, but this one comes pretty close. (It was actually named for Audrey Hepburn.) I ordered the white (which also comes with reversible wood tone blades), but there’s a black option, as well. My only concern before ordering was if it would be enough light for their bedrooms. It takes a 9W LED which is equivalent to 60 watts. But, they all have lamps in their rooms, as well, so it’s worked fine for us.

brass white ceiling fan

The only room I didn’t install a fan in was our playroom. I still wanted everything to flow and ordered this sputnik light. (Such a good price and was really easy to spray paint gold. Also, the right bulbs make all the difference!)

See more of my flush mount lighting favorites here.

There’s also been lots of questions about the carpet we finally decided on for the kids’ rooms. (We went with hardwoods in the hallway.) You all gave me a ton of great feedback when I posted about it here. I ultimately wanted a look similar to a sisal rug but with both softness and durability. We ordered this berber carpeting through our contractor. So far, so good. . . It vacuums well and we’ve only had one slight mishap with some slime but I was able to get most of it up. (And then I banned slime forevermore from our house. Grrrr.)

BEHR OLE PINK BEDROOM WALL

kids room carpeting

berber carpet kids room

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Creating a Cozy Teenage Workspace

Sep282017

This post is sponsored by BEHR® and POPSUGAR.

I can hardly believe I just typed the word “teenage.” Wasn’t I just blogging about sending him off to kindergarten? Whether I like it or not, teenage-dom is coming for us fast (in just a few days!), and I promised my oldest son we’d finally pull his room together. Our/his first priority was to create a workspace in the little niche by his closet. He’s gotten really into making and editing videos and I’m happy to support this hobby. (How good would an in-house videographer be for my blog?!)

We were both up for a change and agreed on darker walls. Paint is almost always the easiest and most economical way to make a dramatic design difference. I used BEHR PREMIUM PLUS ULTRA® Interior Paint & Primer in One for this project and chose a new color from their 2018 color trends palette. BEHR recently named “In the Moment” (a tranquil blueish green) as their first ever “Color of the Year”, but I opted for something a little bolder for his room.

My almost-teenager and I decided on a deep green color called Equilibrium. The color is earthy and cozy and is dramatic without being too “in your face.” (This paint goes on extremely well; I could’ve probably gotten away with one coat. And, I’m happy to report there was no strong paint smell. He was able to sleep in his room the same night.)

The official “before and after.”

So that the room didn’t feel too dark, I kept the trim white, brought in (my) white parsons desk, and reused the colorful flags in white frames from his old room.

When using a darker paint color, I also like to pull in a natural wood element or two and brass accents.

I also used the same paint color and some painter’s tape to quickly dress up a plain bulletin board.

Whether we’ll ever see him again is yet to be seen, but we’re both happy with the space. :)

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What color trend would you like to try?

One of my readers will win a $100 Home Depot gift card. Just pop over to this quick form and let me know which color trend you like best. (You can find all of the trends here.)

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES. All entrants must be the age of majority in their respective state as of the date of entry and over 18 years of age. BEHR® Color Trends Sweepstakes- Emily A Clark (“the Sweepstakes”) opens at 12:01 a.m. PST September 14, 2017 and closes at 11:59 p.m. PST on November 4, 2017. Void where prohibited by law. Participation constitutes entrant’s full unconditional agreement and acceptance of the Official Rules, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy. Sweepstakes is sponsored by POPSUGAR Inc. (owner and operator of popsugar.com) having an address of 111 Sutter Street, 16th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104. One grand prize valued at $100.

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