BIA Interiors Feature: Creating Kids' Rooms

The top floor of this Brooklyn Heights townhouse was claimed by the kids. The floor consists of separate bedrooms for twin boys, along with a nursery for their younger brother. It also contains two bathrooms and a laundry room. We worked closely with the clients during the design process to ensure that each child’s personality and needs are reflected in their space. 

For the nursery we were inspired by Schumacher’s Up North wallpaper, which features trees and woodland creatures such as moose, deer, foxes and bears.  This cheerful wallpaper is a perfect accent to the niche. Benjamin Moore’s Flora on the casings was selected to pull from the green of the wallpaper’s trees. We paired the green casings with Benjamin Moore’s Wind’s Breath for the walls.

The Safevieh green and cream shag rug is a comfy place to play as the sun shines in from the south-facing window. The bookcase and floating shelves were a must for the family’s little reader, along with the yellow corduroy lounge chair from Crate & Kids. Woodsy accents such as the birch table lamp and the cotton string pendant shade create a warm and airy feel in the nursery.

Designing separate bedrooms for twins can be tricky, so we relied on our clients to help determine the desired differences in both bedrooms.

This rear bedroom overlooks the backyard, which encouraged the addition of green elements to the room.  The Taylor area rug from Revival, combined our primary color, blue, and accent of green seamlessly. Mixing different species of wood from West Elm Kid’s Mid-Century collection in acorn and Crate & Barrels oak nightstand add layers into the space.

Our goal was to create similar foundations in each bedroom but have unique elements in each space. The focal point of the furniture plan in the front bedroom was the wood bed, which we centered in the room for easy access to the trundle.

Anthropologie’s Odetta nightstands in navy, paired with West Elm’s terrazzo table lamp, pops on Benjamin Moore’s Wickham Grey walls. Blue features. such as the gradient Caden rug from Revival and Arteriors Home Wilson’s pendant, stand out against the mid-century furniture pieces. Both kids’ bedrooms were designed for their occupant to grow and change with the space.

This bathroom has traditional architectural features, including the mosaic penny tile with floral design on the floor coupled with white and navy gloss subway tiles on the walls, for a classic design.  The Room & Board Berkeley slab door white oak vanity adds a modern component to the space. In addition, the navy Hudson Valley flush mount in and bright yellow Schoolhouse sconce help juxtapose the traditional elements, adding a pop of color and a touch of the childlike flair seen throughout the floor.

Each of the design decisions made on the top floor of the house create a space that is whimsical, comfortable, and will be a great space for the boys to grow up for years to come.