My Daughters' Bedrooms — by Guest Mom Lara Fishman

I love to design kid’s spaces because there is a lot more room for whimsy and daring. When I was designing my daughters’ rooms, it was an exercise in balance. I wanted them to feel empowered to make design decisions (they are after all two very creative little souls), but I also wanted to make sure that their rooms flowed with the rest of the house.

We started with by defining color palette: one that the girls loved, and one that also fit with the rest of house. From there we chose complimentary but distinct wallpaper patterns as the base of the design.



The next major step was choosing the right bed. Both girls wanted “cananopies,” as they called them, so we had to figure out how to give them two similar but, again, distinct canopy beds. For the elder, we chose a vintage bed. For the younger, I custom designed a high canopy bed for the tight space; the large pot drawers below provide extra storage.

Next we considered durability. We chose furniture and finishes that are non-toxic, but also multi-functional. We also kept in mind the fact that kids use their spaces heavily — there was no reason to spend a fortune on something like bedding. We took a standard coverlet from Bed Bath and Beyond and added a bit of appliqué. Suddenly, we had what looked like custom bedding at a very budget-friendly price.

And since it’s important to me to instill a sense of heritage, I mixed in family heirlooms with the new features. We put a vintage French vanity that has been in my family for years in my younger daughter’s room as her desk. And my elder daughter has my grandmother’s rocking chair in her room.

The result is two similar but distinct rooms that are fun and youthful, yet quite timeless. We hope the girls will enjoy them for years to come.