Charlie’s Room Replace: Have We Been Designing Children’ Rooms All Improper (Or Simply Me?????)
Having a tween is a TRIP (having 2 is even trippier) and I’m having fun with the hell out of it (apart from all of the driving round, thank god for carpools). Through the day, they’re making an attempt on all these identities, into and over issues so quick, however then at evening they need to snuggle with their mama. I wrote a PSA final yr about not doing something too everlasting of their rooms for this actual cause (Elliot is so over her wallpaper that she as soon as BEGGED for). She needs to redecorate her room every day (I informed her we’d reassess at 13, which supplies the wallpaper a 5-year life span–I’m not happy with that, however I’m pleased with it). Charlie, then again, doesn’t need me to the touch his room; he loves it and desires so as to add stuff, like posters and tchotchkes, and I believe he’s scared that I’ll add butterfly wallpaper. And since I’ve different fish to fry (and realized my lesson with Elliot’s room), I clearly haven’t pushed something. However lately, he wished to make an enormous change that isn’t precisely an accepted design transfer, and being the “sure” mother that I’m, I used to be like, “positive go for it”.
However first … As a reminder, here’s what it appeared like for the primary yr we lived right here.
2023 – The Shared Room
They shared a room (their alternative, Elliot’s sat empty) with two IKEA mattress frames and a LOT OF STUFFIES. It was really so cute and candy, and so they typically nonetheless drag a conveyable mattress into his room to sleep for the weekend.
I began gathering all these cute classic or pop-y furnishings items that I beloved that he preferred, however solely in the way in which {that a} 9-year-old boy might. However I didn’t actually do a lot as a result of I knew it was non permanent.
2023 – Charlie’s Solo Room
Okay, right here was what it appeared like after Elliot moved out (age 8 and 10, I believe). The couch was cute within the nook, and this was earlier than he turned obsessive about the drums.
I really actually suppose this was cute. Not designed, however simply such a child’s room that had numerous components that made me smile. The inexperienced bookcase is now in his greater closet (which is a catastrophe, TBH).
This shot was taken proper after the cabinets have been put within the smaller closet, so we shot it with the stuffies, nevertheless it shortly turned used for garments. Simply exhibiting you the format of the room.
2024 – Making Some Upgrades
Charlie was now 11 and wished a much bigger mattress. We obtained a sponsor for an superior mattress and wished to make the content material a little bit extra fascinating, so we figured this was an incredible alternative to DIY an upholstered headboard with my classic cloth and a reasonable IKEA mattress.
The remainder of the room just about remained the identical. This was roughly the way it was till a couple of months in the past…
2026 – The Huge Shake Up
Just lately, Charlie begged me to place his mattress within the nook, particularly that nook, so he might control his bed room door at evening (and likewise to really feel cozy). Brian resisted greater than I did – however since Charlie was having issues sleeping and was in our room so much, I listened to him. He stated what Elliot has now echoed, that being within the nook feels cozier and safer. And I TOTALLY GET IT.
However he nonetheless wished his spherical couch there (which I discovered on FBMP), and it’s the place his pals keep once they spend the evening. They love leaping backwards and forwards and being actually tough on it. Now this placement bummed me out, so I attempted to discover a completely different spot for it, however he was agency. He wished it right here so the remainder of the room was completely broad open to play basketball, wrestle, play darts, drums, and many others.
He began sleeping so significantly better, so there isn’t a probability we’re shifting it (for some time at the very least). It made me notice how flawed I’ve been about children’ rooms writ giant. I all the time thought that you just organize them like some other room, however with extra children’ stuff. Positive, safer, extra storage, and keep away from white carpet or glass tables. However the identical format, simply extra enjoyable. They clearly look higher with the mattress centered and, , not slammed within the window towards two home windows. (BTW, I had security movie put in on the window, so in the event that they have been to interrupt, they will’t shatter; they’d simply be held along with a giant, clear sticker). However children need flexibility and area. They don’t care about symmetry or stability. They need the mattress within the nook in order that they really feel cozy, after which a ton of flooring area to wrestle.
The one different factor that Charlie is begging for is floating cabinets above his desk. He collects numerous tchotchkes or prank toys/collectible figurines, and so they can litter up his desk (he doesn’t like litter – it’s so odd having a neat child!!). So I’m going to try this for him.
So What Are We Going To Do About The Mattress??
Nothing. At the very least not proper now. If he’s blissful, I’m blissful. All I would like on the earth is for our youngsters to like being at their house (with us), so if he loves it like this, why would I care? Why would I create an issue that he doesn’t need solved? Now I do know I might make this “higher” with a nook mattress, one which has a headboard on the facet (like an L), meant to go in a nook (and perhaps I’ll). I do know that I might change out the world’s greatest spherical couch for a normal-sized massive lounge chair (and I do know that this one would look good within the visitor cottage band/speakeasy room). So I suppose I might see that taking place subsequent yr (together with the drums shifting over there). He loves his artwork (Elliot has gotten him each the cat artwork and the brand new tapestry – each of which I do not know what they imply) and sword and darts. He needs cabinets and a brand new mild in the course of the room (the one bulb doesn’t give sufficient mild). I don’t know, all of it simply feels very tween boy to me in one of the best of how, so in a way I nearly don’t need it to be extra pulled collectively or higher designed. He’s on this huge life part of “figuring it out,” and this room is a mirrored image of that.
I really feel like I ought to care, however I don’t. I simply really feel a little bit dumb that I’ve been a part of the issue, designing children’ rooms with the mattress within the center once I suppose most of them need them shoved within the nook. I assume my concern is that if we invested in a single (and a few are tremendous reasonably priced) or DIY’d one thing, that he may once more change his thoughts in 3 years, after which a nook mattress may be very particular and fewer straightforward to seek out the fitting place for it (however perhaps FBMP?). I believe what I might do for now’s have a giant cushion made out of extra indigo Boro cloth (lord is aware of I’ve sufficient). Though it’s simply an IKEA mattress that we connected the material to, and we all the time knew that we might take it off, plus that headboard is fairly dang excessive for these home windows. Anyway, I discovered a couple of nook beds that I really might completely see in right here and some others that I actually preferred however are much less his fashion. Right here you go:
1. Reversible Nook Mattress | 2. Velvet Tufted Nook Mattress
3. Scalloped Nook Mattress | 4. Low Tufted Nook Mattress
There have been some solidly cute ones at West Elm and Pottery Barn, however they have been extra like $2k, and since I do know this can be a non permanent scenario, that simply didn’t make sense to me. There may be all the time the thought of taking the material off the IKEA mattress and reducing down the headboard so it’s decrease, then constructing/attaching a side-headboard in the identical cloth and preserving the identical body (only for much less waste). Hmm… really, that does sound prefer it might be the fitting plan. After which as soon as the drums go into the visitor home, perhaps we put the couch the place the desk is and the desk the place the drums are. Possibly sometime he’ll have a room that doesn’t fairly look this “hodgepodged” 🙂 Ideas???
*Images by Kaitlin Inexperienced
