Architecture Blog

In case you missed it, I am officially designing my daughter’s “big girl room” (see the design scheme here, if you’d like!) It’s wild. In my mind she is still THIS. But apparently time has other plans (*rude*). And though I intentionally designed her nursery in a way that could grow with her, it never really occurred to me that I would actually be presented with this phase of life. At the time it felt like I was planning for way (way) in the distant-never-going-to-happen future.

RELATED: THE ORIGINAL NURSERY

But alas, here we are three and a half seconds later – seemingly… I won’t lie, I went through a bit of a mourning phase at first, but now I’m pretty darn excited for my girl. She’s been asking to get out of her crib/toddler bed for a while now and it feels so wonderful to make this happen for her. We have made lots of progress on her space since I last updated you.

All of this, however, has had me thinking about something I always do when I’m designing a kids room, but have never really shared. And that is to really make sure I’m designing the space for the long haul.

Trust me, I know firsthand that it’s so tempting to plaster a nursery with baby bunnies and sweet as can be details… But the reality is that these little nuggets grow out of these spaces so quickly. As they say, you blink and you’ll miss it.

So my preferred method of designing a kids room is to make sure those base layers feel timeless and classic. I do so by sourcing items that can really serve them at each phase of life (not just the first). The dresser, the rug, the wall coverings/colour… Once that’s complete I then like to layer in those sickeningly sweet details. Cute art, adorable toss cushions in sweet fabrics, teeny tiny booties, blankets, and meaningful shelf tchotchkes are all fair game here. They’re all things that can effortlessly be switched out later on.

With that in mind, now that my daughter has grown out of her crib we made sure to purchase her a really beautiful “big girl” bed (this one here!) It’s one she will have for the rest of her life, as far as I’m concerned. It was the only furniture item we needed to switch out in order to completely reinvent her space for her. Everything else has remained as is. The update has been so seamless so far.

Layla Grayce, purveyors of some of the most beautiful timeless, classical, furniture pieces, generously gifted our daughter’s bed to us and I’m so wildly grateful. I love that it feels delicate and feminine, but not over the top saccharine. Though I am of course open (and encouraging!) of my daughter discovering her own style, I secretly admit that I love the notion of her taking her childhood bed off to her first home with her. Gah, the romance! And if, down the line, she decides it just isn’t for her I’m no worse for the wear. I mean, this is a piece I already know I’ll love for decades to come – I’m happy to give it a forever home.

We are getting so much closer – I’m excited to get my office back (haha), and for our girl to start enjoying her big girl room in due time.

Thank you to Layla Grayce for partnering with me on my daughter’s bedroom. And thank YOU for supporting my partners <3