It’s done! My big kids officially have their own bedrooms and are claiming them as their own! While I still have another one to do, the Heavy Metal Cat Party is going to wait a little bit, while I tackle a different space for the One Room Challenge at my sister’s house (and to be honest so we can reign in a bit of the chaos here). The Dinosaur Garden has turned out exactly how I envisioned! It’s a calm space where our kid can take a break from their siblings and get a moment to focus on their needs. I definitely leaned into the natural vibes in this room with not a small number of plants (most are clever fakes, but the snake plant is real!), incredible floral wallpaper, and a room practically bathed in green. The Color SchemeThe way I chose colors is one of my favorites: I used a split complementary color scheme to give the room a mostly calm energy, but with a jolt of excitement. They asked for a room that was predominantly green and gold, so I used sagey greens starting with the “Oakmoss” paint from Sherwin Williams that I used when originally designing this space as an office. I also bought the curtains years ago, intending to split these between this room and the other basement bedroom, but I’m so thankful I didn’t with how well these bring the green through the back wall with a subtle pattern. The chevron pattern in the curtains is also picked up in the stitching on the bed blanket. The texture really sets it off and carries the green all the way down the room. The Sybil Rug from Revival is a true gem: it’s washable wool, and maybe the softest thing my feet have ever encountered. It’ll be the perfect spot in a winter day. I love the pattern, and honestly wish they used this pistachio color in other products. It’s the perfect springy green! I really love the wool. As I’ve been redoing our house, I’m really looking for more ways to incorporate natural materials especially in the things we interact with the most. This rug hits all the sweet spots. The golds were brought in starting with the “Peonies” wallpaper from Chasing Paper. I truly love this one! The pale background with gold trimmings on the white flowers is the perfect golden garden statement in this room. I color-matched the background to the pale yellow on the desk and shelves with Sherwin Williams “Napery.” The rest of the metallic golds were painted with Rustoleum metallic paint: from the dinosaur fossil 3D prints to the bed itself. The gold treatment fits. And with the wooden desk chair and dresser, there is a little bit to tie everything together. The cranberry color I used sparingly, but it ties together the split compliment with accents throughout. I used some paint to adjust plant pots with Sherwin Williams “Juneberry.” With different base colors, this accents reads differently depending in the item. The complimentary color also gives a jolt of energy to the room, and makes the rainbow accents they already have fit in seamlessly. When I found the Hyrule print, it tied all the colors together. MaterialsI had a few standards for how I wanted to choose materials, and I really tried to start with things I already had on-hand. The bed we’ve had for years in the library with the intention of bringing it into the office -now bedroom- someday… and the time was right to do it now, even if that meant taking a wall down to avoid taking the bed apart. The beds in our inspiration images were mostly brass, so when the kid asked if I could make the bed look like those, I knew I had to try. The desk and shelves were on-hand either at my house or at my mom’s, and I scooped them in when I was able. The dresser and the desk chair were both second hand, and fit what I had in mind perfectly. The kid wanted a short dresser with a mirror, and when this oak one popped up an hour away, I had to get it! But it was missing hardware, so the gorgeous mother-of-pearl knobs were found on Etsy. But my favorite finds might just be the ammonite fossil and 3D printed fossils. The DetailsThis may be the first project where the details were one of my favorite parts of the project. Getting to put the little touches together for my kid was a massive highlight. While the ledge on two walls was already in place from when we added this as an office, I did a few things to spruce it up. First, I made a few adjustments to the panels where needed to make these smoother, and I did a lot of paint touch ups. But what I really loved was adding the painted knobs just under the ledge. While we used the ledge to display pictures as an office, a kid’s bedroom needs some different display options. So, the knobs are in to let them hang what they want to display! I left these out in a few places, but this -along with the ledge- will give them a lot of choices. The plants that I chose were mostly fakes for a couple reasons: this is all for a kid! Plus, running a fake plant under the sink is a lot more manageable for dusting than worrying about carefully wiping each leaf. Though, there is a snake plant for that! And those can handle a lot. I’m really glad I held on to the three dinosaur planters from Target several years ago. The kid has always loved these! And these fit perfectly here. The gold hooks next to the closet actually came from the same trash set up as the closet door! Painting these gold and leaving the little glass tops is reminiscent of the doorknobs in the other basement bedroom and bathroom. I don’t think any single thing has garnered more concerned looks from my partner than when I brought in the fake tree. But the height fits the room and helps the balance the full-length curtains, and the kid loves being able to sleep under it. Painting out the pot in the cranberry color makes it theirs too. It also helps the “boutique hotel vibes” my partner pointed out. The desk is also the perfect set up for a kid with many different needs: I love that it’s a tilt-top! It can act as a music stand for when they are practicing violin or work as a drawing desk, and it can easily lay flat for just about anything. The shelves above fit perfectly, so even in the highest position, the desk slides up underneath. When I started painting it, I had planned to use only Napery, but it had previously been stained in primary colors, so different parts of the desk were accented: I decided to accent the base, the pins (after remaking one that was missing), and the slide in a more forest green, Sherwin Williams “Inland.” It’s the perfect set up for this kid, and I’m really excited to see how they adapt to life in their own room. I’m looking forward to seeing what changes they decide to make along the way. SourcesPaint:
Bed:
3D Dinosaur Fossil Prints: Ammonite Fossil Hyrule Print Progress Pride Flag from Flags for Good Alarm Clock: Pillowfort Sunrise Alarm from Target Dinosaur Planters: from Target, discontinued Fake Plants:
Violin Stand: Amazon Bookends: Amazon Curtains: Pocket Door Tracks
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Katie SwansonI am a parent, creative spirit, and old house lover. My big passions are sustainable design and preservation. Bringing these together is key to moving existing homes into the future. * By subscribing to the monthly newsletter, you consent to receive links this month's blog posts and other relevant blog updates, a round up of things I love, and as a throwback to my DIY days, I may toss in an exclusive knit or crochet pattern of mine. Archives
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