From Playroom Chaos to Clara’s Dream Retreat: Our Journey to a “Big Girl Room”
It all began with a simple, yet profound observation from our sweet Clara. About a month ago, while strolling through the park, she pointed to a majestic dogwood tree and declared with wide-eyed wonder, “Wow, that’s a big big tree in a big big world.” John and I immediately burst into laughter. Her innocent, yet insightful perspective resonated deeply. Now, as we embark on transforming what we affectionately (and often ironically) call “the playroom” into Clara’s official “big girl room,” that phrase echoes in my mind: a big big room for our little girl in this big big world of ours. It’s more than just a renovation; it’s about creating a personal sanctuary, a space where she can grow, play, and dream big.
The Playroom’s Transformation: A Journey Through Time and Clutter
This room has seen more lives than a cat. Its journey began as a blank canvas, full of potential, when we first moved into our home. It was a spacious, empty room just waiting to be filled with family memories and creative endeavors. Little did we know the roller coaster it would become.
Before long, the room inevitably became a catch-all, a repository for everything that didn’t have a designated spot. Toys, forgotten projects, and various odds and ends accumulated, quickly turning it into a chaotic storage unit rather than a functional space. This stage, while frustrating, highlights a common challenge in many homes: how quickly unused spaces can become dumping grounds.
Recognizing the need for intervention, we tackled the mess with the invaluable help of my mother. Her organizational prowess, combined with our determination, led to a temporary state of order. For a brief period, the room was once again a functional, albeit temporary, playroom. This experience taught us the importance of regular decluttering and having a system in place to maintain tidiness.
However, like a scene from Groundhog Day, the room seemed destined to revert to its cluttered state. A year later, primarily due to months of intensive book-related projects and the accumulation of materials, it was back to square one. The sheer volume of books, prototypes, and creative chaos took over every available surface, demonstrating just how quickly a well-intentioned space can spiral into disarray when an ongoing project demands its footprint.
The turning point arrived when we decided enough was enough. We embarked on a monumental decluttering effort. This involved not only a thorough cleaning but also hosting a major yard sale to rehome countless items and auctioning off numerous book projects for charity. It was a cathartic experience, stripping the room down to its essentials and reclaiming its true purpose. After three Christmases of this space serving as nothing more than a junk-filled storage area, the relief of finally seeing it clear was immense. A victorious (and perhaps slightly embarrassing, involving some moonwalking) dance around the daybed was certainly in order! We were finally ready to give this room the attention it deserved, transforming it into a functional and beautiful space for Clara.
A Strategic Shift: Playroom Today, Big Girl Room Tomorrow
Our vision for this newly reclaimed space is dual-purpose: it will initially serve as a vibrant and organized playroom for Clara, and eventually transition into her “big girl room” once she outgrows her crib. This thoughtful approach to room design ensures longevity and adaptability, maximizing the room’s potential as Clara grows.
The decision to switch rooms was a practical one, driven by the size constraints of her current nursery. The nursery, while cozy, is simply too small to accommodate a daybed comfortably without sacrificing all available floor space. Moving Clara into the larger spare room, which is the focus of this makeover, makes perfect sense. This not only provides her with ample space for play and sleep but also strategically keeps the nursery open for a possible future addition to our family. We love the idea of having a dedicated, smaller nursery for a new baby, should one come our way. And let’s be honest, designing kids’ rooms is one of our absolute favorite projects, so we’d leap at the chance to create a new one!
In fact, we’ve even considered the versatility of such spaces. Here’s an old mood board we put together previously, showcasing how Clara’s current room could be easily adapted with a few tweaks to suit a little boy. This foresight in planning allows for flexibility without major overhauls, embracing the dynamic nature of family life.
The Pre-Painting Palimpsest: Erasing a Book Project’s Legacy
Once all the extraneous items were cleared out and the remaining furniture was neatly pushed to the center, it was finally time for the most transformative step: painting. This room wasn’t just a cluttered storage space; it had also secretly served as our impromptu backdrop studio for various book projects. This meant the walls were a vibrant, yet chaotic, canvas of past creative endeavors. We had repainted sections of the walls at least ten times to achieve different colored backdrops for our photo shoots. One window trim had been given a moody gray coat, and a significant portion of another wall bore the mark of a stencil. Truly, no surface was safe from the madness that accompanied our book shots. It was a colorful mess, a testament to intense creativity, but definitely not suitable for a calming “big girl room.”
The evidence of this artistic chaos was undeniable from every angle. Various sections of the walls displayed an array of colors and patterns, a visual history of countless experiments and tight deadlines. It was clear that a complete repaint was not just desired, but absolutely necessary to achieve a cohesive and serene environment for Clara. The task ahead was to erase this visual history and prepare a fresh, clean slate for her new space.
Here are a few other oddly-painted angles demonstrating the extent of the artistic ventures:
Indeed, a fresh coat of paint was paramount. Our first order of business was to tackle the window shade, which had been painted a moody gray for a specific book project. With a crisp, glossy white, we restored its original clean look, immediately brightening that corner of the room and setting the stage for the rest of the transformation.
Designing with Heart: Involving Clara in Color Selection
Before committing to a wall color, we always take a moment to consider the larger picture – what other elements, textures, and furniture pieces will inhabit the room. This holistic approach ensures all components work together harmoniously. More importantly, for Clara’s big girl room, we wanted her to have a voice in the design. After all, this will be *her* space. When asked what colors she envisioned for her new room, her answer was immediate and enthusiastic: “Pink and red!” Her preferences had recently shifted from pink and orange to these new favorites, a sweet development we were happy to embrace.
Bringing in warmer touches of pink and red will be a welcome addition to our home’s overall palette. While we undeniably love our greens and blues, which are prevalent in many other areas of the house, incorporating these vibrant, cheerful tones will create a unique and personal feel for Clara’s room. John was entirely on board with her choice, humorously stating, “As long as we’re not going hot pink all over the living room, I’m down with Clara getting to pick the colors that we use in her big girl room.” His easygoing attitude and support for Clara’s preferences truly highlight our collaborative approach to home design. He’s a man who can build a deck and is perfectly cool with pink, a true gem!
Crafting the Vision: The “Floor Pile” Mood Board and Neutral Foundations
To give you a glimpse into our evolving design vision and how we plan to integrate those desired pinks and reds, along with other complementary colors and textures, we’ve adopted a very organic method: the “floor pile” mood board. While not a formal design tool, it’s a practical way for us to visualize how various elements will interact. This curated collection of items we’ve been saving for Clara’s room, all gathered in one spot on the floor, allows us to assess colors, patterns, and textures in real-time. It’s a dynamic, hands-on approach to building a layered and intentionally “not-too-matchy-matchy” aesthetic. Just kidding, sort of, about it being the *new* mood board, but it genuinely helps us!
Our goal is to prevent red and pink overkill. Therefore, we plan to introduce balancing tones like crisp white and sophisticated navy, alongside pops of vibrant yellow and serene teal. These accent colors will serve to break up the dominant hues, adding depth and visual interest without overwhelming the space. By carefully curating these elements, we aim for a room that feels energetic and youthful, yet also refined and inviting. Crucially, because we want the accent items in the photo above to truly stand out against the walls, we opted for a soft, pretty neutral wall color. This strategic choice ensures that the decorative elements will be the stars, rather than blending into similarly colored walls. Furthermore, choosing a neutral offers incredible versatility down the line; kids’ favorite colors can change on a whim, and we don’t want our walls to be forever tied to a specific red and pink scheme. Flexibility is key for a growing child’s room!
This time, instead of gravitating towards a grayish neutral, which we’ve used successfully in several other rooms, we consciously dipped back into a warmer neutral palette. Our choice was a super soft tan tone, reminiscent of tea with just a touch too much milk – rich, creamy, and incredibly comforting. This particular shade seamlessly integrates with our whole house color palette, yet introduces a slightly warmer ambiance compared to some of our cooler grays. It provides a beautiful, inviting backdrop that will allow Clara’s chosen accent colors to truly shine.
Our final decision came down to two incredibly similar colors. Naturally, we employed the most reasonable tie-breaker: the one with the better name! The winner was ‘Alaskan Skies’ by Benjamin Moore, a no-VOC Natura paint in an eggshell finish. This choice was deeply personal; we honeymooned in Alaska and took an absurd number of photos of its magnificent skies. The delightful coincidence is that the paint in Clara’s nursery is ‘Proposal,’ also by Benjamin Moore. It seems we’re subconsciously drawn to wedding and honeymoon-related names for our significant home projects. These personal touches infuse our home with memories and meaning, making each space uniquely ours.
The Painting Process: A Team Effort and Therapeutic Transformation
In our painting dynamic, I’m typically the “cutter-inner” while John is the “roller” – a division of labor that makes the process incredibly efficient (and yes, those do sound like strange euphemisms!). I must admit, I felt a pang of jealousy watching John embark on his “erase-the-past” roller moves, systematically covering up all the erratic paint colors from our book project days. Meanwhile, I was meticulously perched on the floor, carefully painting above the baseboards. Look at me go! (Just kidding, it’s a bit more tedious than glamorous). The sight of him smoothly rolling over the haphazardly painted portions of the room was truly satisfying. Although I wish it were a montage, capturing the full scope of his efforts, this photo, along with the previous one, perfectly illustrates the dramatic transformation.
Honestly, watching John systematically cover the array of random colors and stencils on the walls was incredibly therapeutic. It felt profoundly good to move towards a unified color palette for the room once more. While he efficiently handled the expansive wall surfaces, I painstakingly edged around the windows, doors, and the ceiling. Speaking of the ceiling, we decided to leave it its original crisp white for now. However, we’re actively debating adding a soft, subtle tone to it down the line, once the room’s overall design starts to truly take shape. Stay tuned for that potential future update!
We are absolutely thrilled with the chosen wall color. It strikes a perfect balance – not too pink, not too gray, not overly tan, and definitely not stark white. This nuanced shade allows the existing window trim and molding to pop beautifully, and we anticipate it will look even more stunning against the future crown molding we’re planning to install. It’s like the perfect cup of extra milky tea against a clean white mug – comforting, inviting, and effortlessly chic. Yum.
The Road Ahead: Furnishing and Final Touches for Clara’s Sanctuary
As of now, we’re patiently waiting for the fresh paint to fully cure. Once the walls are completely dry, the next exciting step will be to strategically move all the furniture back into its semi-normal spots. This stage marks the beginning of truly envisioning the room’s layout and functionality, taking it beyond just a newly painted shell.
Following this initial furniture placement, we’ll be sharing many more photos, along with detailed planning, specific projects, and the evolution of the room as we progress. We’re excited to delve into choosing decor, organizing storage solutions, and adding all the personal touches that will make this space uniquely Clara’s. We remember how Clara’s first nursery, back in 2010, evolved over the course of about 20 blog posts and several months. We anticipate a similar, joyful journey with this room, watching this currently bare space transform into a vibrant, functional, and cherished “big girl room” for our beloved daughter. The potential held within these freshly painted walls is immense, and we can’t wait to bring it to life!
So, that’s a glimpse into our busy weekend and our ongoing journey to transform Clara’s room. What exciting projects or adventures have you been up to recently?