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oh joy builds a house: the kids’ rooms!

Oh Joy! Builds a House: The Kids' Room / via Oh Joy!

Oh Joy! Builds a House: The Kids' Room / via Oh Joy!

Ahhhh…drywall is in! And, it’s time to show you a peek at one of my favorite rooms…the kids’ rooms! My girls currently share a room in the apartment we live in. In our new house, they will each have their own smaller room. But they love sharing so much that we’ve decided to have them share for a little while longer and let them split up later when they’re ready. So, for now, one room will be their shared bedroom, and one will be their play/craft room. Here’s a peek…

Oh Joy! Builds a House: The Kids' Room / via Oh Joy! // Graphic Wonderland a Kids' Room

Mixing in some items from their current room (see the evolution here) with some newer pieces, the two rooms mix neutrals like white, wood, and brass with pops of color as I’ve always loved from their current room. These two smaller rooms are connected by their shared bathroom.

1. Eleanor Bowmer wallpaper, 2. Bunk Beds by Oeuf, 3. Cedar and Moss Fjord Light, 4. Tamar Mogendorff Shell Pillows and Aelfie Lion Pillow, 5. Schoolhouse mini ledges, 6. Aurora Wallpaper by Calico (in Petal), 7. Speckle wallpaper by Studio Cope, 8. Craft table by Nico & Yeye and Chairs by Nico & Yeye, 9. Reform closet doors, 10. Oh Joy! for Lorena Canals washable rug, 11. Oeuf bookshelf (from their current room), 12. Mohawk wood floors in Beachwood Oak.

Oh Joy! Builds a House: The Kids' Room / via Oh Joy!

Here are some things to consider when designing kids’ rooms:

1. Design for longevityIf you’re in a home that you hope to stay in for a while, bring in pieces that can evolve with your kids as they grow. For example, while we’re getting a bunk bed for now, I chose a bunk bed design that can easily separate and be used individually. In the play/craft room, we have two smaller tables that will be pushed together to create one long table. But those tables can later separate to bring one into each room to also use as a desk for homework.

2. Custom elements. With something like bunk beds, you’re missing out on floor space for the top bunk to have a traditional night stand. So, think of ways you can customize that area for maximum function. We’re adding a small lighting source up top near the upper bunk and adding a place to hold books and other night time items with a brass floating shelf.

3. Let your kids give input. My kids are generally okay with things I pick out for their rooms, but they still love being involved and getting to have a say. For example, I showed them wallpapers and paint colors to see what they liked. There was a flamingo wallpaper I was initially thinking about for their room until my oldest daughter said, “Mommy, I really like it. But I wouldn’t want it to be in the room I sleep in because I feel like the flamingoes would be staring at me all the time.” Noted! And I saw that as a very relevant point and switched wallpapers!

If you have little ones, how have you seen your kids’ rooms evolve and change over the years? Anything you wish you did differently?

Check out my post at over at Architectural Digest’s Clever to see some of my initial inspirations for the rooms.

{Photos by Lily Glass. Construction by Boswell Construction, Architecture by Project M+, Interiors in collaboration with Cleo Murnane at Project M+. All other layouts by Joy Cho.} 

6 comments

  1. I decorated my son’s room. Meaning I scraped the wallpaper off myself and painted it myself. He’s now 7 and steals my sticky tape and sticks posters from his Lego magazine up on the walls and a dinosaur poster he found in a book. I was a little annoyed at first as I had just painted it. But, it is just so cool that he’s customising it to his taste. I own an art school and have a large chalkboard sticker on the wall in the studio. I think it’s important for kids to be creative in their bedrooms. Sorry for the long post!

  2. Beautiful! Looking forward for the final reveal lol!! I appreciate the mini shares in the meantime. Very inspiring

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