Puzzling bedroom – working a puzzle piece theme

So I found that puzzle ottoman in that other article and started on a trail looking at options for puzzle designs. It’s a great theme idea because it can grow easily with your child and the pieces you buy can work with any other theme your child might want later. It’s a bit of a low-risk investment as far as themes go. The biggest challenge here is trying to come up with a color scheme you like that works with the pieces you find.

First thing I found was this puzzle quilt set over at Linens ‘N Things. I’m actually a smidge surprised that it’s the only puzzle piece bedding I could find. But that’s also the first thing you’re likely to want to change out in a bedroom makeover, so maybe you don’t want to start with that. Maybe this Kidkraft puzzle book shelf would be a better place for you to start. I found it for under $90 at Amazon and the primary colors would go great with a lot of children’s themes. Bonus is that it’s made of wood, so you could sand it down and paint it in different colors as needed.

Out of the tons of puzzle decor pieces I found, there are two I want to show you, mostly because they are good investment pieces due to their color schemes. Well, and they’re just really cool. The first is a puzzle piece wall clock over at Amazon. With all those bright colors, it’s sure to work with any color scheme you use and it just looks really fun. The other is one of lots of puzzle piece rugs I found. I picked this one from Rugs USA because it has all the basic colors you would be likely to use and it doesn’t have straight edges. It’s those kinds of details that add to the wow factor in any room.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle

Colorful ottomans and stools perfect for a kid’s bedroom

Kids are usually bouncing off the walls, but there comes a time in the day when they just want to sit down, put their feet up and take a break. (Talk about mimicking mom and dad!)

Now, if you want them to keep their feet off your furniture, you have to give them their own. And there are a lot of ottoman and stool options out there sized for kids. But seriously, what kid wants a boring blob in their room?

I found a couple of options sure to please just about any kids, although they might not be a perfect theme match for you. (Not to worry. These are just a few of the ones I found. There are tons of other choices.)

One of my favorites is the cute green puzzle piece ottoman, perfect for just about any theme and any age child. It’s available in five colors if green doesn’t work for you and comes via free shipping at Amazon.

And what girl wouldn’t love this bit of pink fluff? It’s a pink flower fabric ottoman from the folks at Gund, so you know it’s quality. Best of all, it works with just about any pink theme you can think of.

But my all time favorite that I stumbled upon months ago is this adorable little guy! This blue elephant stool is sure to draw oohs and ahhs from anyone who sees it. The elephant works with a circus, jungle or safari theme – oh, probably zoo and elephant as well – while the polka dot fabric makes it a match with a room going for a polka dot theme. The blue doesn’t make it just for boys, but that color will pair well with themes for them, for sure.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle

Extra savings on Land of Nod bedding

When it comes to high quality basics and gorgeous distinctive designs, you can’t do better than The Land of Nod for bedding sets. Their basics are far from boring – like this great solid pink comforter with the great ruching detail or a cargo comforter complete with pockets. Interesting stripes, fabulous dots – they have several basic designs that would work into just about any child’s room.

Where they really excel – in my mind, at least – is in their themed bedding. They by far have some of the most interesting and well executed designs whether it’s the train bedding pictured here or a nautical set done with bold stripes. They really are just beautiful designs with throw pillows that add to rather than repeat the design.

And you can score a great bedding set for a great deal right now. They’re offering 15% off baby and children’s bedding through the end of the month with the code “SLEEPY”. Sweet dreams!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle

Excellent option for primary colored bedding

So many themes for kids bedrooms could be built around unthemed bedding. And since it’s for kids, primary colors tend to abound.

Which has always left me a little flummoxed as to why it was so danged hard to find primary colored bedding to use for kids. Think about it – red, yellow and blue works for Sesame Street as well as Bob the Builder. It can be the basis of an airplane theme as well as a ladybug bedroom. And if you find the right bedding set, it can transition well from young child to teen.

So I love this set I just stumbled across recently over at Linens ‘N Things. (Why don’t we have one of these around here any more? Only online for me!) I was actually trying to find a quilt that looked like Maisey’s (more to come) when I found it. It has the red, yellow and blue that are just perfect with a bit of white thrown in to keep it light. Stripes are a nice gender neutral pattern, so it works for both sexes. Pair it with bright flowers for her or vintage airplanes for him and you’re good to go!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle

Sharing a bedroom across genders

Seen a lot of questions lately where two young siblings of opposite sexes are having to share a room and mom is struggling to come up with a bedroom theme that will work. The trick is to think about not just themes that cross genders, but where the circles between themes overlap. That Venn diagram thing. This could be the setting, it could be a common element, it could be pink and blue sides of the same coin. Here are a few ideas:

• Castle – element that overlaps for princess and knight (or prince/king) – oh, don’t forget the dragons!
• Underwater – setting that overlaps for sea creatures and mermaids
• Above water – setting that overlaps for pirates and mermaids
• Stars – element that overlaps for outer space and dreams
• Sky – setting with airplanes for him, hot air balloons and rainbows for her
• Outdoors
  • Forest and meadow – he gets bears and deer, she gets butterflies and bunnies
  • Backyard – he gets a treehouse with a “no girls” sign, she gets a garden in full bloom
  • Farm – put the pigs and tractors on his side, the stable with the horses on hers
• Pets – Dogs and snakes on his side, cats and rabbits on hers
• Book characters – Do they both like Curious George? Babar? Clifford? Find a book they both love and build around that.

And don’t forget that there are just some nicely gender-neutral themes to consider that usually just get changed around by color scheme. Work with a color scheme both children can agree to and then work in elements.

• Artist – think crayons, paint brushes, palettes, bright colors
• Circus – animals galore and a big top tent
• Jungle – lots of green and great animals to work with
• Safari – think brown prairie grasses, a watering hole and African animals
• Beach – sand, water, sky colors mixed with bright surfboards and towels and swimsuits
• ABCs and 123s – Work in any color and can be mixed with lots of other elements

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle

Start with a signature piece when executing a kids bedroom idea

You’ve decided on a bedroom theme for your little girl or boy but where to start on actually executing it? After all, when you can get SpongeBob sheets and a SpongeBob comforter and a SpongeBob rug and SpongeBob posters and SpongeBob trashcan … just where does it stop? How much is too much? Ack!

My advice has always been to start with one signature piece and build around it. Generally, this would be the biggest thing in the room, but it could be a collection of small art pieces or figurines. You start there, build out and keep the theme from overwhelming the room.

Great examples of a signature piece would be bedding, rug, wall mural, artwork and furniture. That sounds obvious as I write it, but it’s so easy to forget them. The bedding is an easy one as the bed tends to be the focus of the room and there are so many themed options for that. But what about the other pieces?

With rugs and wall artwork (whether mural or decals or posters), it’s a little more difficult to define the next step. Do you still get bedding with the theme? Do you need to have nothing else with the theme? Two things to consider here in my book – scale and focus.

Scale – This one is all about pattern mixing. (Everyone’s favorite thing!) If your signature piece is big and dominating, you don’t want other articles to be big and dominating as well. For example, let’s say your signature piece is this really cool baseball field mural. Well, you might not want to use a big baseball headboard. But those really cool ones they make out of baseball bats would be smaller and subtler and work nicely. You might then pair it with a pinstriped comforter to mimic baseball uniforms rather than a comforter with baseballs all over it. The other patterns/items go with the main piece without being plain solid pieces. (I now want this bedroom!)

Focus – This is all about where you want the eye to fall. Is that rug so special you want that to be the thing guests go “ooo, where did you get that” over? Or is it just within the theme and the first thing you have? The more focus you want on that piece, the less spotlight you need to shine on other places. That could mean going with solid or non-theme-patterned bedding. It could mean balancing out a big signature piece with small theme pieces like throw pillows or shelf accessories.

The point of the signature piece is to set the theme for the room. Use it as a launching pad to make the rest of the decorating a breeze!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle

Four steps to zoning a child’s bedroom

Zoning your child’s bedroom can increase the fun while decreasing the clutter. Sounds great, right? After all, who wants to fight clutter all the time?

Here’s a battle plan for creating activity zones:

1) List out the activities your child does in the room. These likely include sleeping, dressing, reading and playing. Then break down the play activities into types – dress-up, art, music, building, toy-based. These will help dictate the types of zones you’ll have in the room.

(Warning – don’t go overboard with the zoning. A child’s room is only so big and you’re trying to help them be organized, not overwhelm them. You might want to stick with four or five major zones and move some activities to other areas of the house.)

2) Watch where they do those activities. Do they prefer to play dress up along with tea? Do they like to read by the window? Do they take their cars all over the house? This will help you decide what zone should go where in a way that your child will understand (and use!).

3) Figure out how you’re going to divide the room up. You want to make clear for the child where the boundaries are. Ideas for this could be divider screens, furniture groupings, fabric panels, color schemes or area rugs. If you’re replacing the flooring, you might consider sectioning the rug into different colors even.

4) Get everything in its zone. That means bedtime books and toys should be over near the bed. Art supplies in storage in the art zone. Dress-up clothes in their section, every day clothes in theirs. Rather than keeping all toys in the room together, put them in the places where your child will play with them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle

Kids Bedroom Ideas: When They Share a Room

One of these things is not like the other. And sometimes, it’s your children. My sister and I could barely be more different and we had to share a room most of our childhood. If you’re in a similar situation, you might have a fight on your hands when it comes to decorating the kids bedroom.

So, how to handle differing personalities, ideas and wishes? Here’s the three options I came up with.

Negotiate
Try to find the common ground. It could a particular color or style. It could a class of characters. It could be absolutely nothing. But sharpen your negotiating skills to try to figure out how you can get agreement on some to most of the room elements. This could actually mean introducing an entirely new theme neither child had considered.

Examples: One boy wants cars, the other wants airplanes. A good middle ground would be a general transportation theme that brings in both elements. Or one girl wants princess, the other wants soccer. Maybe you can get them to agree on the color pink, then allow for separate accessories.

Dictate
This was how my mom handled things when I was young. I don’t remember having a say in the pink and green Holly Hobby decor that went in our shared bedroom. She just decided and it was done. If you have easy going kids or know them well enough to develop something they’ll like but never think of on their own, this might be an option for you. Or it could just be your final stand in the negotiations where if they can’t work out the difference, you’ll decide for them.

Give Up
This is where my sister-in-law found herself recently. Her two boys came to agreement on their room, but the girls – not so much. Part of the struggle was age differences, which lead to vastly different tastes and interests. They couldn’t agree on a color or theme. So, their room is pretty much a hodge-podge with teapots painted on the wall (left over from the nursery), Tinkerbell on one bed and hot pink cheetah on the other. It’s not the most-pulled together, well-decorated room, for sure. But each child got what they wanted in their own little piece of it and they’re happy. Which is what matters in the end, right?

How did you handle a difference of opinion in decorating with kids who share a room? Love to hear your tips!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle

Kids Bedroom Ideas: Where to Get Them

I have people tell me all the time that they just can’t come up with a good idea for decorating their child’s bedroom. Sometimes, they’re trying to avoid the cartoon character trap. Sometimes, they’re trying to work on a budget. Sometimes, they’re just overthinking it and making it more difficult than it really is.

So, how to develop a kids bedroom decorating idea? Take a deep breath and relax. I’m going to walk you through how I do it.

Personality
What’s your child like? Mellow? Hyper? Girly? Rough and tumble? This might help you decide on the overall tone for the room. A calm child might like a zen garden theme, while your “all boy” child might prefer something with bold colors. Working with their personality type can help you figure out a spot on the color wheel, as well as point you toward a set of concepts. Not to mention, clue you in on just how many accessories and what kind would be appropriate. (Example: a hyper child might never register that series of cute little airplane prints, but they’ll notice the one big wall graphic you apply.)

Interests
The obvious one, right? But coming up with a good theme involves more than just knowing they like SpongeBob if you want a theme that lasts. What are their favorite colors? Activities? Books? And carry those out farther than the obvious, if you can.

Example: My niece loves Nancy Drew. Not something you can run out and get a bedding set for, but doable. But we could take it just a step farther and go with a detective theme, incorporating Nancy Drew but maybe some other classic detectives like Holmes or Encyclopedia Brown. That one interest takes us in a different direction than we might have thought of at first.

Skill level
This one is about you. The complexity of the theme you choose is really dictated by how well you can do things like differentiate colors, mix patterns, balance scale. Or whether you can enlist a friend who does those things well. If those things scare or are just beyond you, keep it as simple as possible. That might mean just getting that cartoon character bedding and calling it good. Less stress, more sanity, happy child.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: bedroom theme, puzzle