I’m pretty sure that planning our child(ren)’s room is one of my favorite parts of nesting. For our Mini Michelangelo, I had five different wall colors (including a magnetic chalkboard), 8 or 9 different fabrics, and more little details than I can count. And it all came together in a fun, vibrant, and graphic room that still fits him today. I don’t do themes really… but I really like stripes and dots and typography. Somehow, it all works. (And I totally, totally love it.)

Imagine my surprise when I was planning out our second son’s room and I had discovered that this room did, in fact, have a theme. It all started with a fabric that I loved. I had loved it for months and months, but when I saw it again recently… it occurred to me that I could use it for our second son’s room! (I’m thinking he will be “Pint-Sized Picasso” here on HB.) Add in that I had a paint color already on the walls and a red chair that I wanted to live in there… and I knew I had a solid start. It kind of grew from there. A little bit of surfing on some of my favorite sites, and before I knew it… I had my inspiration board.

Going in I knew that I wanted it to include bright colors (bright colors are the norm in this house!) and I knew I wanted to stay away from anything too “baby-esque.” Not only because our second son will most likely come home  at 16-18 months old, but also because I want it to last well into elementary school years. I have big plans to DIY this room… so some of this is truly inspiration, some of it is actually bought, and the rest of it is on my wish list.

Without further babbling on my part, here it is… Pint-Sized Picasso’s Coastal Chic Toddler Room:

 

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1. Fabric from Hawthorne Threads: One of my new favorite places to buy fabric. If for no other reason than to use the color grid to buy coordinating fabrics. This fabric will be used for a modern quilt and some bedding, as well as other small fabric touches throughout the room. From top left to bottom right: Laurie Wisbrun, Don’t Be Crabby; Riley Blake, Small Dots; Michael Miller, Stitch Floral; Emily Herrick, Going Coastal; Emily Herrick, Going Coastal (again); Riley Blake, Willow; Timeless Treasures, Crosshatch Sketch.

2. Land of Nod Hangin’ Around Lamp: We actually have this exact lamp in Mini Michelangelo’s room and I LOVE it. The color, the shape, the size. Last time we received it as a gift. Maybe we’ll score that generosity again?! If not, it’s going to be my splurge for the room.

3. Artwork: I’m a fan of “non-traditional” artwork, and I think this Wooden Crab from Slippin’ Southern fits the bill perfectly. Big enough, but not too big. And adorable too!

4. A Nightlight: I’m obsessed with this Star Egg Nightlight. But given the price… you can file this under the inspiration tab. I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for something similar that will work in my budget.

5. Sherwin Williams “Byte Blue” paint: This is actually the wall color that is currently in the room, and I plan to keep it.

6. Land of Nod Strapping Storage: Another one of my favorites. We have these scattered from top to bottom in our house and I cannot get over how amazing the durability is. They have lasted through four years of hard use… with no signs of wear or tear, and they look as good as they did on the first day. It’s a fun, affordable way to add functional color into their rooms. (And they are on sale until the end of the month!)

7. A Red Chair: The one pictured above is from Overstock and similar to the one we own that will go in the room.

8. A Mattress: After lots of hemming and hawing (and picking of other people’s brains…) we decided to go the route of “mattress on the floor.” Given our son’s age at homecoming, and the fact that he’s been sleeping on a mat on the floor in Korea, we decided this was the best solution. At least for the transition period. If it doesn’t work, then we will pull an audible after he’s here and figure out what will work. We like the idea of a full-size mattress since it offers up a more comfortable co-sleeping solution, and this one from Ikea seems pretty affordable.

9. Expedit Bookshelf: I’m sure many of you recognize this Ikea workhorse. We have several of them already in rotation in our house, and plan to add one or two more to the mix, this time in high gloss gray. (I think… maybe high gloss white for that “sailing vessel” feel.) They will hold books, stuffed animals, mementos and the strapping storage cubes. I love how the neutral color will make the bins pop.

10. Land of Nod’s “Simon the Whale”: I think a cute little stuffed animal is a must in any child’s room. A friendly face waiting for you on the bed will do wonders for the willingness to go to bed… right?!

11. Fun sheets: I’m a big fan of fun, graphic sheets…and the decision to go with a full-sized mattress instead of a crib or toddler bed means we need to look at real sheet sets. I adore all the options at Land of Nod, but these two jumped out at me. (I also love these Lobster sheets at Pottery Barn Kids)

12. Hemnes Dresser: I love this IKEA dresser. We had been going back and forth on espresso colored furniture versus white furniture… unable to land on anything… and then we saw this. Problem solved! I fell in love instantly with the looks, and was really impressed with how durable it seems. I guess only time will tell on this one!

13. Visual Interest: I think it adds a bit of whimsy to kid’s rooms to have something dimensional hanging up. Lanterns, poofs, buntings… all of it is good! I’m kind of swooning over this bunting from The Spotted Barn… but have yet to decide if it will feel masculine enough.

14. Land of Nod Throw Pillows: I love throw pillows on the bed. I feel that it finishes it off (Just ask poor Mr. Paintbrush about this). I want one or two fun ones for our second son, and these may just fit the bill! Fun, but will definitely grow with him.

And there you have it. I certainly do have my work cut out for me… but I think that it will be a good distraction from the loooong wait to travel! Now, shall we all place bets on how many times I change my mind on things?!