Room Study III: How to Create a Sophisticated Child's Space

In the past couple of weeks we've studied six amazing children's spaces that strike the right balance between sophistication and fun. Today all three spaces are for little boys. These moms got it right:

Jennifer Chused of Dwell Studio's nursery featured on A Cup of Jo:

Color Palette - The light blue walls set off the chocolate brown fabrics and add color to a very neutral space. The touches of orange-y red throughout the room in the toys and chair add some excitement to this very soothing space.

Whimsical Touches - Toys, polka dots, vintage airplane illustrations, and a bright orange rocker make this space comfortable for a kid.

Statement Piece - Jennifer went big - filling an entire wall with art. If she had only hung three or four pieces the room would have been nice, but her choice to create an installation takes the space to a whole new level.


And speaking of A Cup of Jo, here's Joanna Goddard's son Toby's nursery, which she collaborated on with Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook:

Color Palette - The overall palette is extremely neutral, but the pops of bright blue keep the space fun for a child and add visual interest.

Whimsical Touches - The polka dot sheets, airplane mobile and hand-painted cloud shade help to balance the very neutral walls and curtains.

Statement Piece - This room goes to show that you don't need to spend a lot of money to make a statement. The shade was a basic white roller shade that was hand-painted by Joanna's designer, Jenny Komenda. Simple and inexpensive, but it really makes the room.


Last on the list is a striped boys' room from Cookie Magazine via Ohdeedoh:

1. Color Palette - Horizontal stripes can be at home in an adult's or child's space, but in this case the light blue color lends itself well to this little boy's room. Splashes of bright red throughout the space add some much needed drama.

2. Whimsical touches - The bedding and toys let us know that a child lives in this space, and if your space still isn't feeling quite right for your little one, add a mobile. They're a kids' room classic.

3. Statement Piece - The rug is definitely a statement with its bold, graphic pattern, but the piece that really screams 'little boy' here is the cowboy print on the wall. Because what little boy doesn't pretend to ride off into the sunset with his trusty steed?

I think it's interesting that if you look at each of the elements in this space, nothing is child specific (except for the toys of course). Any of these elements alone could be in an adult space, but combined they make a great kid's room.

What are your thoughts on these spaces? Do they strike the right balance between sophistication and fun?