Design a dreamy guest room for visiting children
Teepees and tents, lofts and ladders, playhouses and pirate ships. My inner child is in overdrive as I imagine what I would want in a bedroom if I were a kid again.
See, just three years ago, I was a divorced mom with two unmarried daughters in college, living alone. I didn’t even have a pet fish. Today I’m married with two dogs, and three step kids, who’ve made four more kids.
Before I let myself get too overcome by the fact that my life was zipping along like a driverless car, I did what I always do in moments of personal crisis and panic: I began decorating.
I’ve designed kids’ rooms for individual children, and I’ve designed guest rooms for adults, but a guest room for an assortment of kiddos called for something else.
“We’re seeing a lot more of exactly the scenario you describe,” Atlanta-based interior designer Suzanne Kasler said. “Our clients have children coming back home with their children and they want to create a room for all the young ones.”
So I asked Kasler what to consider when creating a dreamy kids’ getaway:
THE BABY STAGE >> Because all grandkids start as babies, Kasler likes to temporarily convert a walkin closet or a little pocket in the parents’ guest room into a crib room.
A PLACE TO CRASH >> When kids are ready for a room of their own, it’s all about the beds. This is the place for bunks, trundles and twins. “Everyone loves a bunk room except the mom who has to make the bunk,” Kasler said. If you don’t have the ceiling height for bunk beds, do twin beds with a trundle. A PLACE TO LAND >> Bunks, twins and trundles allow for more floor space. Whether the kids’ room has wall-to-wall carpet or wood floors with a rug, the floor should offer a soft place to land, play and sprawl.
A GENDER-NEUTRAL PALETTE >> If kids of both genders will visit, choose gender-neutral colors, and avoid pink and purple. “A room done in tans, blues and white can bridge genders.” Red, white and blue is also a fun color scheme. A PERSONAL TOUCH >> To make each child feel special, personalize his or her bed with a favorite toy or stuffed animal, and a pillow monogrammed with his or her name.
A PLACE TO CHILL >> A kidlevel television, and some age-appropriate books can provide kids a chance for quiet time when they’re tired, but not sleepy.
A PLACE TO HIDE >> Kids love an adult-free zone. If the architecture allows, work in a magical space such as a loft, hammock, clubhouse, fort, teepee, tent, pirate ship, or a curtained bed. MINIMAL FURNITURE >> Unlike a guest room for adults, kids’ guest rooms need little furniture. “Kids usually bring duffels full of stuff, and these fill up a room very fast,” she said. For seating, toss in a couple beanbag chairs; they’re youthful and indestructible. EASY-CARE FABRICS >> “I like readymade bedding that is easy to launder and change out,” Kasler said. Go for sheets that you can bleach, rugs you can clean and not-fancy fabrics that are easy to maintain.
HIGH LIGHTS >> To maximize floor space and minimize accidents, forego floor and table lamps and light the room with wall sconces and ceiling fixtures.
ROOM TO GROW >> Even after they’re in college, kids like coming back to the same bed from their childhood, Kasler said. If you’ve created a classic neutral backdrop that has timeless appeal, you can refresh the paint color and change accessories for an easy evolution as kids grow.
I think I want to come back as my grandkid.