From spills and crumbs to fingerpainting fails, designing a kid-friendly space is no easy feat. And while we may dream of wall-to-wall white living areas littered with precious (and breakable) knick-knacks, the ladies behind Austin Design House have (much) better ideas for creating a kid and adult-friendly home… As they put the finishing touches on their children’s bedrooms, we caught up with Aimee, Taylor, Jess and Kat to get their expert advice on designing with kids.
First off, we should say that our childhood bedrooms were definitely not this cute! How do you design their rooms to evolve with them as they grow up? Thank you! When we’re working with clients or designing for our children, we try to invest in things that will age with them, like drapes and headboards. From there, we add personality through accessories, art and bedding. For example, adding removable trim to drapes.
That’s so fun! What other suggestions do you have for window treatments? Are there any child-friendly options out there? Yes, there absolutely are! We offer shades, drapes and shutters at all price points, and love working with you (and your kid!) to add trims that accent the space.
How else do you add flair and personality? Art is a great way to add personality to both little girls’ and little boys’ rooms, whether it’s the abstract by Jessa Adler in Riley’s room or the gallery wall in the boys’. We also love creating custom pieces with matching upholstery, like the vanity that Santa brought Riley for Christmas!
We seriously wish we had that vanity! What are your favorite parts of children’s bedrooms? We love an upholstered headboard - it adds a playful pop of color without claiming too much of the space. Plus, it can (and should) evolve with the room as your child ages. Our team can commission headboards in any shape, size and fabric, plus match custom shams, pillows and bed skirts that embellish the headboard. Right now, we’ve been loving small prints with contrast piping.
Are there any “number one” design tips you give to clients with children’s rooms? We’ve tested all our tips and tricks in our homes and with our children, and we’ve found that using performance fabrics and materials is a game-changer. Whether it’s opting for all-white bedding (so it can be bleached) or using indoor/outdoor rugs (which are affordable and easier to clean). As you can tell, we also love seagrass rugs, because they’re durable and hide stains well.
What about storage? Kids have a lot of stuff! What are your favorite storage solutions to hide all their toys, games and books.? We know from personal experience that kids indeed have a lot of stuff, and finding the right storage system is only one part of hiding the mess. Getting your kids to use the storage system is a huge part. And, partly, that’s why we love the Ikea EKET shelves. They’re child height and look great with decorative baskets.
They’re also very cost effective… Exactly! We highly recommend working with cost-effective pieces because they’re going to experience a lot of wear. We’ve found great options at Ikea, as well as thrift stores. One of our favorite things is adding paint, new hardware and/or a local artist’s vision to these more affordable pieces to bring a special touch to your child’s room.
Any other favorite finds or tips you can share? Absolutely! Right now, our kids are loving monogrammed reading pillows. We matched the thread to the colors in their respective rooms and have found the pillows to be a fun, functional design piece!
