Thanks again for indulging all my hemming and hawing about the office. I think I’ve fully vetted the possibilities and have a pretty good idea of what to do for Plan A and Plan B. I’ve also come to the scary realization that we need to get some doors on that room or it’s not going to matter how pretty it looks — it won’t be functional for an office. So decor for “the office” is tabled for the time being until we solve that problem, and I’m moving on to one of the many other rooms that need attention before baby gets here: Ike’s room.
If you don’t recall, here’s what his room in the old house looked like:
Now for this room I really wanted to give him something different, but I also want to reuse as many things as humanly possible. I have so much stuff to buy for this house that I need to make SOMETHING easy on myself (ha! as if). So, without further ado:
Hmmmm, yeah. Maybe not that different. Let’s discuss the room itself. It’s long and narrow and has zero architectural interest — not even the pair of large windows the other room had. The one small window faces west, so it’s dark during the day and then gets a burst of sun in the evening. There’s no way a light color would work in here, so Sanders helped me pick Deep Secret, a kind of gray/navy that I think will look nice with the sisal carpet and also have some kid appeal (I foresee some hubble telescope posters in here someday soon… Ike is obsessed with space).
I don’t love the white furniture, but I tried very hard to use what I already had, and Ike still sleeps in his crib… IT’S A MIRACLE. Like, he climbs in himself, but we have convinced him that climbing out is dangerous. It’s kind of hilarious. Anyway, when we he outgrows it I’ll get a cute antique twin bed and paint the white table set, or more likely just pass it on to #2.
So the only things here that need purchasing are the curtains, light fixture (hot air balloon fixture is going in baby’s room), a colorful basket, and that leopard stool — which is only $1400. Just kidding, suckers! I’m going to paint the old ottoman and add a cute cushion. Donezo.
I think the basics are here, but it’s missing the wow factor. Does it need wackier pillows and bedding? Or maybe I have a big piece of art I forgot about… Or perhaps I should spend $400 on a roll of this wallpaper and frame a few panels:
But $400/roll?!… I’m thinking no.
Ok, enough of what I think. What do you think?
Related posts:
Well, being that I loooooved the room the first time around, you could keep everything the same and I’d still ooh and aah like I’ve never seen it. Srsly.
I do think a big, graphic hit of black and white would look amazing. Can you hook it up with a giant canvas and some black paint? (Or a series of smaller, depending on the space.) Could save you $360…
Love it! I agree about the wow factor and can’t wait to see what you come up….and the fact that Ike won’t climb out of his crib is freakin hilarious and makes me see green all at the same time. You lucky girl you!
Don’t know if you have a Costco membership but I recently found on their website they have an Art and Image Gallery (under the Photo tab I think) with a ton of really cool prints that you can blow up to poster size for like $10. They have some really cool black and white animal photography!
http://www.costcophotocenter.com/PremiumContent/SelectImage/?p=75154341-a327-4cbb-867f-95a63e8c0821
http://www.costcophotocenter.com/PremiumContent/SelectImage/?p=75154341-a327-4cbb-867f-95a63e8c0821
Okay, sorry I’m done now.
I do have a membership — I’ll have to check it out. I also have a ton of black and white photos that I took and printed myself. Some are even of animals. I don’t know if that’s what I want to do in there, though.
Something will come to me, but I love the suggestions!
I think it’s already time to go for the awesome, space images! Yay, Hubble!
I love it – so helpful! We have a blue-gray in our boy’s room to showcase his NASA space collectibles (his grandfather was a NASA pilot) so I can say from experience that it is a good backdrop color. We have an oriental rug that is currently unused – it may be perfect for his new room.
We are booting our little guy and turning his nursery into a girl’s room for his sister that is coming in September – this post is full of great ideas for me! THANK YOU!
Maybe I need something like this:
http://pinterest.com/pin/69946600432662972/
I need to see the room before I can fully form an opinion, but I like the layered rug, wall color and mature woody pieces for sure.
Maybe a space triptych of some sort would be cool.
I like teepees for wow factor that is useable. Not that anything wows us jaded, blog reading bitches. I would go big and colorful on Art, not B&W. And maybe do a whole wall of those robots (wait–I assume tiny robot is the tin 50s reproduction kind and not the dwell pillow kind). ‘Cause they are awesome. And I never tire of a cool mobile or an enormous map wall.
AND LOVE the light fixture.
Hubble poster!
http://olioboard.com/boards/90705-ike-s-room-deep-secret
I need to stop commenting on my own post… ridic.
More!
http://www.astrographics.com/Posters/POS1000.html
For big (cheap) art with a nice graphic punch, I am currently turning to the framed vintage scarf. I have like five arriving this week from Ebay. Got the idea from Design Manifest’s Naomi (Thanks, Naomi)! Could be a jaunty option…
Where’s the drummer boy painting going??
I love that wall color!
That IS a good idea, Rosie. I have a bunch already, although most are too girly.
Wendy, love the posters! For some reason I’m really drawn to the one that says “hubble” even though I don’t usually care for art with text on it.
Anita, I think he’s going in the baby room… we’ll see.
I love that animal wallpaper from Anthropologie, as well. It is actually called Hackney Empire Wallpaper by House of Hackney, and it may be possible to buy it for a little bit less directly from England. However, I do not know this to be true. If you have enough readers, who love this paper as much as you and I do, perhaps you could organize a partnership, wherein each of several readers would pay a portion, and receive a single large piece of paper for framing. I would participate in such a joint venture.
Shut up, Erin. I don’t usually “do” kids rooms, If I do, 99 percent of the time, they’re girl’s rooms. Ike’s room, I’ve shown to clients, ( I redact that slightly. One fun client.) Because I think the old room was a great blend. Not feeling the Hubble print. I know there’s a million ways to make NASA design worthy. I love the idea, hate the print. Lots more to rummage through.
That sound so pretentious. My point was, people don’t ASK me to do them.
Awww thanks, don! I’m highly flattered that you showed ike’s room to anyone, much less someone who might pay for a design.
Honestly, not sure I can bring myself to hang a poster of any kind in his room… Unless it were an original serigraph, of course.
How’s that for pretentious?
Mostly I just hate that cheap glossy paper they use for posters. Yuck.
Sorry I’m so late to the party – I was out most of the day and away from my fave blogs yesterday. I love where you’re going so I don’t have a bunch of great ideas, but I know you’ll find the perfect art. That chandelier is sick! I’m sort of going through some similar stuff with my little boy’s room except he’s going from “big” boy (which was the incarnation after the crib came down) to “really big” boy room – he turns 7 on Saturday. I haven’t changed his room in about 4 years and it needs some serious help. He has requested green for the walls (and not an army or olive), so I’m hoping to find a mellow hunter-type green to play off of (I need Sanders)! So, if you find any great art options let me know because my creativity tank is running low right now! Sorry to ramble!
What is that grey in Ike’s old room? Love it.
Hi Eileen, it’s wolf by Pratt and lambert.
Why don’t you ever post finished pics? I lie awake at night wondering what came of the finished Dark Harbor room, and wondering if we will ever see Ike’s current room?
Not complaining – I know what it’s like to be 35 weeks pregnant – just letting you know we would all love to see these things.
I know I know… mostly it’s because rooms aren’t finished (I just got the painted shelves for dark harbor room back last weekend). Ike’s room, however, IS done. I will try to post as soon as I can.