Kids Room, Nothing Kid-Like About It

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A California mother and blogger gives her daughters' bedroom an elegant update.

Northern Californian blogger Maria Carr happily has her hands full with her large family of four children and a cowboy husband. Besides raising her family, Carr loves to decorate, and she chronicles her projects on her blog Dreamy Whites. Carr's love of light colors recently expanded to her daughters' room. "I was inspired to repaint my daughters' room a soft dove gray after I discovered a blog called French Larkspur," says Carr. "I fell in love with the way the author, Tracey, had decorated her daughter's room. It inspired me to get my paintbrush out that weekend!"

For girls aged 15 and 11, the room is decidedly not kid-like, but Carr's daughters' are okay with that. Surprisingly, they're actually the ones who requested the mature makeover! "We live on a ranch, and all my kids outgrew playing with toys at a young age," says Carr. "They spend most of their time outside riding horses and taking care of their pets." Their only request? No pink walls!

Carr's objective in redecorating the room was to create an uncluttered, calm feel. She succeeded by opting for a soft color palette throughout the whole space and by repainting not only the walls but furniture as well. "Almost everything in the room has been repainted," says Carr. The twin beds were snagged at the bargain-basement price of $100 a pair from an antique store in the process of moving locations. "They were actually painted yellow," says Carr. "I covered them with Benjamin Moore's 'Decorator's White', then lightly brushed 'White Dove' on top to soften the tone." The shutter cabinet was found at a local store and painted white, and the chandelier was found on eBay. "Just when I think I've found the perfect room for the chandelier, I realize there's a better place for it. This is the third time it's been moved!" says Carr.

When asked about why she loves decorating with white, Carr has a practical answer. "I have a large family, and I've found that decorating in light colors is the easiest way to keep things looking fresh. I also love how light and airy a mostly white palette makes a room feel. This is a very small room, so keeping it white gives the illusion that the space is bigger than it really is."

 

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