Zara Home launched its US ecommerce site this week, and along with it comes Zara Home Kids, a cute collection of children's bedding, tableware, bath items, and more. We're loving the adorable, affordable line, which has an eclectic, indie feel that any creative kid would love. From whimsical pillows to the cutest clog slippers, check out our 14 favorite finds from the new online retailer.
Encourage your child's budding reading skills by creating a reading nook that turns a boring corner into something really special. Cozying up in a corner next to a cool bookshelf with a good read is one way for lil ones to explore the wonders of reading on their own, and a reading nook can be designed to fit with any room's decor. If you're not ready to get out the hammer and nails, we've got a few simple suggestions that are easier to pull off than you think.
Five active kids, five bedrooms, almost 5,000 square feet, and unlimited creativity (and we're guessing an equally large budget). That was the starting point for this amazing New York City loft and Incorporated Architecture and Design, the company charged with turning the cavernous space into a kid-friendly, colorful, fun space. Mom in residence Kelly grew up in Santa Cruz, CA, and while she loves raising her kids in Battery Park, she wanted to re-create the front and backyard of her childhood — indoors. An urban treehouse, which cleverly incorporates Cole & Son's Woods wallpaper, a life-sized cartoon tree in a girls' room, and areas dedicated to climbing, playing, dancing, homework, piano, and more accomplish her dream in outrageous style. Keep clicking; you have to see this house to believe it!
Source: Annie Schlechter for Incorporated
Stylist and designer Estee Stanley has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, styling red-carpet looks for Jessica Biel, Lea Michele, Ashley Olsen, and Penélope Cruz, designing homes for Amanda Peet and Rashida Jones, and launching awesome site HomeMint with Justin Timberlake. So what does a woman known for her sophisticated, subtle, and always stylish designs create for her own children's rooms? "Being a designer, I've always found that everything for nurseries was so childlike . . . princesses and weird animal wallpaper," Estee says. "That's not my aesthetic. You can have a cute child's room without it looking like you're in Disneyland!" Kid-friendly but mature, the spaces Estee designed for her son, Teddy, 4, and daughter, Flora, 1, feature her design hallmarks of muted tones, artistic details, and high-end pieces mixed with vintage finds. Keep clicking to check out the details . . . including Flora's Hermès playmat! Now that's Hollywood!
Source: Estee Stanley
Add some French flair to your little one's space with these fun, playful prints. From an illustrated language chart to animal-themed numbers to a sweet, vintage-inspired Parisian print, these picks perfectly capture that famous French charm while teaching a few new words. Looking for some new decor for your child's room? See our 10 favorite kid-friendly French prints!
Interior designer Melodie Rubin of San Francisco-based House of Ruby has a way with fabric, color, and pattern, so it's no surprise that she's created some extraordinary kids' rooms. Using a combination of trade sources (including that amazing aqua-and-red Zimmer-Rohde fabric), wallpaper from Jane Churchill and Nina Campbell, and finds from Anthropologie, Jonathan Adler, and Serena & Lily, Melodie has created a sophisticated room (and whimsical bathroom) that equally appeals to little ones and their style-loving moms. Keep clicking to check it out, and get ready to feel a bit envious.
Source: House of Ruby
Nursery design and a sophisticated style don't often go hand in hand, but Kate, one of five women who make up the blog Collect 5, proves that it can be beautifully achieved. The space she created for her son Claude, who was born earlier this year, was initially inspired by amazing kids' creations from high-end designers Jennifer Delonge and Kelly Wearstler, but Kate managed to re-create the luxe look using a combination of high-end and extremely budget-friendly pieces. While she splurged on a few items (including that amazing Thomas Paul for Duralee curtain fabric), she also scored deals on a big-box crib, a steal of a chandelier, and her husband's childhood bed, all of which make this room look deceptively expensive. Keep clicking to check out all the high and low details.
Source: Collect 5
Bedding is one of my favorite things to buy, and it becomes even more fun when it involves bright colors, cool graphics, and sweet extras — in short, when it's designed for kids! Just in time for Fall, some of our favorite kid decor companies, including Dwell Studio, Land of Nod, and Serena & Lily, have debuted some adorable new bedding designs for babies and kids. Check them all out, and get inspired to create a cozier, cuter bed for your little ones, just in time for cooler weather.
Since the latest Restoration Hardware Baby & Child catalog landed on my desk (and at 307 pages, it landed with quite a thud), I haven't stopped thumbing through it and jotting notes in the margins. Every page is packed with exquisite pieces and decorating ideas that have the creative side of my brain spinning with excitement. Though I would love to be able to click and buy an entire room as pictured, it is certainly out of my budget, and sometimes doing it yourself just isn't fun. So instead, I'm eying some key pieces and borrowing some decor ideas to help replicate the look on my own. Keep reading for seven ideas everyone can steal from the Fall catalog!
California-based wedding photographer Raya Carlisle has a house that's big on style, but supersmall on space. "About seven years ago, we bought a 1951 two-bedroom cottage that is not big (about 1,300 square feet, including the garage) but has an open floor plan and nice south-facing light," she says.
Fast-forward to present day, and Carlisle now shares the Ventura, CA, home with her husband, Forest; their 4-year-old son, Baker; their 1-year-old daughter, Genevieve; and a dog. Bet they're looking to move? Think again. With a little creative decorating, including turning a seldom-used formal dining room into a playroom and keeping the kids' room gender-neutral with distinctive, individual spaces, Carlisle has created a home that feels eclectic and warm, kid-friendly but grown-up, cozy, and not cramped. And that's no small task. Keep clicking for all the beautiful details.
Source: Raya Carlisle
