With existing guest bedroom furniture and a train table as their starting point, clients came to me seeking a design for their son’s “big boy” room since the nursery was soon to be filled with a new member of the family, another boy!  The color palette for the child’s new room was inspired by a collection of brightly colored illustrations and book covers, specifically  Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go.  We began by painting the furniture, walls, and selecting fabrics – a stop light inspired pillow for the bed and a cheery printed stripe from Amy Karyn Textiles for window valences. 

 Next, came the lighting change. We went with a train station ready overhead fixture in a polished nickel finish and some Pottery Barn You-fill-it lamps.  The lamps are filled with a family collection of matchbox cars for now, but can easily change to other items depending upon their child’s interests, ie: Lego’s, army men, etc. 

An entire wall was transformed by hanging a piece of sheetrock, painting it with chalkboard paint in black, and framing it with a simple moulding profile in a high gloss yellow. Learn how to DIY, here.  We simply taped book pages to the top of the chalkboard- leaving room for the child to go wild with the chalk down below. 

I love the picture captured above. The big boy room is bright and full of sunshine, but not too theme driven- a room he can grow and play in.  Which children’s book would inspire your kids room?

 -Brittany