Edward's Playroom!

Well, I did it before 2012 so that's a win for me! I also did it on a teeny tiny budget.  I don't know exactly how much but, like, a couple hundred dolla bills maybe?.  Yeah me! Unfortunately, I spilled an entire sippy cup of water in my diaper bag, which resulted in the loss of a camera, so all I can offer at the moment are iPhone pics.

Ok so here's what we have so far in this room o' playtime. 

Clearly, Edward is a gentleman and a scholar.  His playroom has sort of a preppy dorm room/circus vibe, which is pretty fitting if you've ever met him.  He will run around the house screaming about tigers, stop and browse his book collection for a few moments, then sit on the dog's head.  Just day in the life of a one year old. 

We ended up painting the room Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee, which is a really great off-white.  Edward's future big boy bed is simple at the moment.  I'd like to get a big tartan throw for the end of the bed.  The oversized blanket covering the bed is a Wamsutta Dream Zone blanket that was on sale at Bed Bath & Beyond and it's pretty much the softest thing ever.  Kip and I keep calling dibs on a nap in there, but it has yet to happen for either of us.  

The gallery wall has a picture of the Robertson Tartan with the family crest, a picture of a barn that has a special connection to my grandmother, a cover of The New Yorker that my brother gave me when I moved to New York, a drawing of the Governor's mansion in Jefferson City, MO and finally a framed sample of this Ralph Lauren wallpaper that I'm obsessed with.  It will be fun to explain the meaning of these pictures to him someday.

 Oh heyy Edward! Shelves are from Target.  Nothing fancy.  I want built-ins, but these are fine for now.

Here you can get a better view of the pelmet box I made using this tutorial from the Little Green Notebook blog.  Follow that tutorial before you ask me how I made it because I did some weird stuff to make that happen.  The shape is Miles Redd inspired.  I painted the stripes using Martha Stewart craft paint in Tartan Red.

I took this picture earlier, hence the mess, and the dog 

Elliot the Elephant wearing his trusty Abe Lincoln hat.

I can't even begin to tell you how delicious the Farrow & Ball Hague Blue paint is on the armoire. The picture doesn't do it justice. Like at all.  It's so yummy.  I still need to paint the inside of the dresser.  I'm thinking of doing an orangey red or finding a fun wallpaper.

I replaced the knobs with these burnt horn knobs from Anthropologie.

Who remembers the Fisher-Price record players? I had one when I was little.  I'm glad Edward will get to have one too! Thank you to my mother-in-law for finding one for us to play all of Kip's old records.

Here's a waay before picture (like before I moved in).  I can't find the picture I took of the room when it was storage for all of our stuff, but it's pretty embarrassing (like Hoarders quality) so it's probably better that way. 

My dog is obsessed with being famous

And after: 

And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed the tour!  It has always been my dream to give my child a playroom so it's very exciting for me to see it come to fruition.

BTdubs, has anybody gotten the new issue of Elle Decor.  Aside from all-around awesomeness, yours truly is in the issue!

Ha! Ok, I'm pretty much the most famous person ever now.  I know.  I won't let it go to my head.  Now all I need is a tweet shout-out from Justin Bieber and I'll be set.

And finally, I'd like to take a moment to wish a Happy Birthday to Miss Britney Jean Spears! Love you best friend in my head!

Have a fabulous weekend folks!

Blue & White Playroom

Lauren Leonard Interiors

Morning y'all! How cute is this bunkroom from a blog called The Cottage Mix that I found through Pinterest.  Apparently those are two Ikea bunk beds pushed end to end.  I'm always amazed when I see what people can do with Ikea furniture.  We don't have one near Kansas City, which is unfortunate because people here love a deal and I think it would do really well.  

Anyway, I spent all day yesterday working on the playroom! I think it's going to be a fun room when all is said and done and I promise I will share pictures when it's finished. Thanks for all of the tips on how to contain an escapee baby.  It seemed lowering the crib helped, although now I have be careful not to drop him when I put him in (yikes!)  We also bought a crib tent, but I hope we don't have to use it because it looks totally sad.  

Playroom Inspiration: Pelmet Boxes

Morning y'all! Ok, so if you follow me on Pinterest, you might know that I've been pinning lots of pictures of pelmet boxes.  I'm hoping to make one for the playroom using this simple enough looking tutorial from Little Green Notebook.  I'm not usually a huge DIY-er, visions of hundreds of unfinished friendship bracelets from my childhood come to mind.  But I'm making an exception for Edward's playroom because I have a budget of $4. The playroom is somewhat temporary until we have another little one running around (no announcements here ... not until I get a few decent nights of sleep!).  But I think a pelmet box will add some fun, out-of-reach-of-little-hands decor to the otherwise open blank room.

Billy Baldwin via Chinoiserie Chic 

Diamond Baratta

Miles Redd

Miles Redd

Miles Redd

Miles Redd

Miles Redd

The Greenbrier

Billy Baldwin 

I'm loving the whimsy of the pelmet boxes in Miles Redd's rooms.  I'm going to attempt one that looks like one of his and if it actually turns out, I'll definitely share it with y'all.

On another note, the white kitchen was a big fail.  Our paint looks like primer.  I'm not totally convinced that Sherwin-Williams actually put pigment in the paint because it looks nothing like the color I chose.

hmm that doesn't look right 

Our color is on the top left against two coats of paint ... not the same 

I've honestly about had it with this Sherwin-Williams.  Every time I leave there, I have this gut feeling that the person helping me got it wrong.  Like when you order food at a restaurant and the waiter doesn't write it down.  I'm more of a Benjamin Moore girl myself, but the SW store is like a block away.  Also, I wanted to get a color from the same color strip as the cabinets, which are staying the same antique white color.  As much as I'd love white cabinets and white marble countertops, it will have to be in our next house since this isn't our forever home so to speak. Sigh ... Hopefully, they will help me out and take back my paint or fix it and I will have something to show you by next week!

Playroom Progress

I just ordered this delicious Farrow & Ball Hague Blue to paint the armoire in the playroom.  Everyone is bloggyland seems to love it.

As does Miles Redd.

And it goes with this fabric that I want to use in the playroom.  

Edward loves patterned fabrics so I think he's going to love this.  Here is my working moodboard.  

You can see that the walls are pale blue.  They may need to change.  Any suggestions? 

This weekend we're going to look for daybeds so that whichever family member we like the least draws the short straw can have a place to sleep when everyone decides to visit.  

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Labor Day Weekend! 

Playroom Inspiration

Leta Austin Foster 

Miles Redd

Ugh I've been thinking about this playroom since January y'all! Now I have less than a month until Edward turns 1 and a family room that is overrun with toys and it's time to make some moves.  The problem: I would like the room to look like one of the rooms above, which is probs not happenin'.  Sigh...

This was my original moodboard.

I still like it, but I'm too lazy to paint the walls, which are currently a pale blue color from Restoration Hardware.  I also think I need to bring in more bright colors, since it is Edward's playroom and not my own personal sanctuary.

Me and Katy B. in her awesome playroom circa 1983! 

The good news: Kip and I moved all of the stuff out of there this weekend so I pretty much have a blank canvas.  I'll be interested to see how it comes together.  Of course, I'll share it with y'all when it's up to par, which may be next year ;)

Children With Fancier Rooms Than Moi

I have all of these random pictures that I've saved in my files and since my computer is slowly letting me know it's over it, I feel like I need to get them out there for y'all.  So here ya are!

So pretty and feminine and classic

Kristen Buckingham 

 I mean, I would sleep in here now.

Elizabeth Dinkel 

Please refer to post title

Timothy Corrigan 

This room is so simple and calming, which is probably necessary when you have twin boys.  

Elizabeth Dinkel 

Nancy Boszhardt 

Shannon Bowers 

I love the skirts on these girly beds!

Art for Kids 

 Fun Modern Playroom

DecorPad 

Massuco Warner Miller 

Art For Kids

And, of course, an awesome nook

Kristen Panitch

The New Trad Home

So Lonny Magazine and Traditional Home spawned a giant baby digital mag they cleverly call Trad Home.  I say giant because it is long, like really long to the point where it began to test the limits of my ADD.  I like the new magazine.  I'm just not so sure it offers what I am looking for, which is basically Southern Accents.  I have a feeling I'll be waiting around for awhile for something like that to come back (although Veranda is showing potential to keep my love tank partially full).  Sigh....

That being said, y'all should still check out the new Trad Home.  There were lots of things I really liked in the magazine.  Upon first glance, these are the images that jumped out at me.  I need to go back and actually read it now.

Gray & White Striped Nursery (Loves it ... obvi) Perhaps, this belongs to my son's female counterpart and future wife?

Sara Gilbane 

 Fab Ultra-Femme Vanity Loveliness

Ryan Korban 

Fun Kid's Playroom.  I love the colors and all the soft corners so when your kid crash lands while playing Superman, he won't get hurt.

Jeff Andrews 

 Elegant and Classic.  I love the soft color palette and the two stripes detail on the sofa.

Sara Gilbane

Gold. Copper. Stripes. =  Young. Modern. Glam.

Sara Gilbane

 Lovely Desk Area

Lauren Gold and Sasha Adler 

 More Gray and White Stripes

Patrik Lonn

 Lovely Seating

Patrik Lonn

 Pretty Window Seat

Jayne and Joan Michaels 

Vanity +  Green Velvet Chair = Love

Amy D. Morris 

 Another Vanity + Blue and White Monogrammed Chair = More Love

Robert Passal 

 Peacock  Chair + Blue and White

Robert Passal

*Edit: I realized I sounded really grumpy in this post.  I actually really liked the magazine, probably more than any other online magazine, and did not convey that very well.  That's what happens when I blog after a long day of organizing.  I also tried to tell my husband how much I loved him, but instead the words that came out of my mouth were something to the effect of, "why are you standing so close to me?"