In my pre-motherhood days, my aesthetic leaned toward muted tones, but the arrival of my son, Philou, catapulted me into a design identity crisis like no other. Perhaps it was Philou’s unstoppable energy, which he made abundantly clear by kicking me as early as 17 weeks into pregnancy and still does when he pounces on our bed at 6 a.m. Suddenly my previous creations felt lackluster and devoid of vibrant hues. 

Although Philou may not be able to articulate his decor preferences just yet (he’s 20 months old), I attempted to decipher his energy to create a space that truly resonates with his vivacious personality. Our rental home in Brighton, England, with its stripped-back white finishes, became the canvas for a transformation that involved infusing his room with a kaleidoscope of colors, patterns, and shapes. But there was a catch—I aimed to achieve this without making major modifications to the space, ensuring a seamless departure when the time to move eventually arrives. 

Bring Things Down to Their Level

To set the tone, I drew inspiration from the art I accrued during Philou’s first year of life. A framed Matisse print from the local junk market, cards received at his birth, and exhibition leaflets from my pregnant adventures set the stage. But the true star of our son’s budding collection? Two IKEA-framed tea towels by Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori. Hung low just over his play couch, they invite Philou to engage with his room, celebrating his cultural heritage while adding color to the walls.

Pattern doesn’t just belong behind the confines of a frame. To balance out the organic shapes in Philou’s art, I incorporated geometric fabrics, which I used to cover an IKEA Ivar unit using Mod Podge. I also swapped out the doors for curtains to satisfy his obsession with opening and closing things. The miniature closet choice was meant to foster his independence in choosing outfits, although it’s still a work in progress. So far, he prefers to throw his shirts and pants on the floor to create a hideout when he’s not in the mood for nursery in the morning.

Keep Them Busy With Versatile Furniture

Philou’s most cherished (and most versatile) piece of furniture is undoubtedly his Possum Play couch. Its charm lies in its ability to transform from being a cozy nursing chair and a fortress for imaginative adventures to a climbing structure and a comforting nighttime haven for my husband or me when Philou’s under the weather. Our Charles-Antoine Chappuis–inspired papier-mâché lamp, crafted from a Styrofoam ball and two yogurt cups, transforms this wondrous couch into a comfortable reading nook before bedtime.

Design Solutions That Are Safe But Not Boring

Originally an office space, Philou’s room posed a few safety challenges. With the Wi-Fi router and floor plugs posing tripping hazards, and a radiator becoming an impromptu climbing prop near the window, changes were in order. To babyproof in one fell swoop, we bought custom-size MDF panels online and built a ledge that allowed us to conceal the tech and the heater. Using a hole-saw attachment, we drilled openings into the sheet to allow for access and airflow to the radiator, and then painted the whole thing green to add even more color to the walls.

Elevate Their Bed With Basic Reno Materials

When it comes to cribs, I have found many to be lacking in imagination and/or attached with a hefty price tag. I opted for IKEA’s solid beech Sniglar crib, priced at a wallet-friendly $120. In an effort to elevate the simple wood piece, I added a lick of paint (the color is Garden by Little Greene) and—succumbing to my fondness for squiggles and spheres—attached doorknobs from Pretty Pegs to the four corners. (Psst: Amazon sells similar ones.) All this gave a playful nod to a four-poster bed. Finally, I painted eaves fillers from the hardware store, typically used for corrugated roofs, and glued them to the bottom ledge of the bed frame.

From greeting the figures in his art to playfully hiding behind curtains, Philou owns this lively space. Witnessing the sheer delight in his eyes upon returning to his cherished belongings after some time away is comical. But the real win for me? This little adventurer, who detests confinement, now happily spends extended periods playing in his room. Anyone familiar with life alongside a spirited toddler will understand that this achievement is nothing short of a triumph.

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This story was part of Sofa Week, our seven-day stretch of, you guessed it, sofas. After years spent styling, sitting on, and searching for the best of the best—from bespoke designs to rare under-$500 gems—we’re compiling our couch knowledge in one comfy spot.

If you grew up in the early aughts, you likely have vivid memories of hanging out on a cartoon-covered blob. We’re happy to report that the best couches for kids nowadays are no longer limited to those garishly hued numbers. In fact, today’s kid-friendly furniture could easily be mistaken for miniature love seats, and they’re durable, too. While we know of a few designer hacks to make adult-size furniture childproof (hello, FiberSeal), isn’t there something special about providing a designated spot for toddlers and tweens, whether for snacking, reading, or keying up a good old-fashioned puppet show? Besides, while our list of the best couches for kids varies greatly in shape (we’re talking beanbag sofas and modular foam that looks more like building blocks), none should cramp your interior style. 

Our Favorites

• Best for playtime: Brentwood Home Play Couch
• Best for movie nights: West Elm Kids Flip Floor Sleeper
• Best for a reading nook: Crate & Kids Rattan Kids Twin Daybed
• Best for game rooms: Urban Outfitters Roma Sofa
• Best for sleepovers: Made Haru Sofa
• Best for all ages: Article Gabriola Ivory Bouclé Love Seat

Best for Playtime: Brentwood Home Play Couch 

Play Couch, Brentwood Home ($315, was $349)

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Material: Recycled polyester and nylon | Dimensions: Varies | Fill: High-density foam 

Why we chose it: A modular sofa with configurations limited only by your child’s imagination. 

While Jill Singer of Sight Unseen enlisted the help of Keren and Thomas Richter of White Arrow to custom-make child-size foam building blocks (think: oversize rectangles, triangles, and cylinders) to outfit her family’s Hamptons basement, you can enjoy a similar setup right off the shelf with Brentwood Home’s Play Couch. Offering two more pieces than the cult-favorite Nugget, this set of six can come together in the shape of a classic couch, with back cushions and sheltered arms, or be configured into pretty much anything your child puts their mind to, though reviewers most often revere its seemingly endless fort possibilities.  

Best for Movie Nights: West Elm Kids Flip Floor Sleeper

Flip Floor Sleeper, West Elm ($550 and up)

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Material: Varies | Dimensions: 71-by-33-by-21.5 inches | Fill: Polyurethane foam 

 Why we chose it: The slouchy silhouette of a beanbaglike floor pillow embodies that notion of cool and comfortable that will transition with your child. 

Keep a floor sofa in the kids-only zone (like designer Hollie Velten-Lattrell did) as a crash pad for Disney marathons. While Velten-Lattrell’s original buy from Urban Outfitters is no longer available, this West Elm alternative is a pretty close second. Plan to plop it in front of a TV or projector screen for Saturday-morning cartoons or weekend movie nights (and if buttery popcorn happens to be the snack of choice, you can choose from a swath of performance fabrics, including distressed velvet, tweed, and washed canvas). 

Best for a Reading Nook: Crate & Kids Rattan Kids Twin Daybed 

Rattan Kids Twin Daybed, Crate&Barrel ($1,000)

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Material: Rattan | Dimensions: 85-by-42-by-36 inches | Fill: N/A 

Why we chose it: It’ll fit a twin mattress or two couch cushions, so it’s easy to switch up the color or pattern of whatever sheets or duvet cover you swaddle it with. 

Technically this is a daybed, but if you place enough pillows (to do double duty as back- and armrests), it’s worthy of our list of the best couches for kids. Keep a fully stacked library within reach and it’ll become an irresistible spot to snuggle up with their latest Scholastic find. And no harm is done if they doze off (it just so happens to be Heather Taylor’s children’s sleeping spot in their Laurel Canyon home). Plus the sturdy iron-base frame and legs won’t buckle if your child doesn’t exactly happen to have the best track record with the “no jumping on the bed” rule. 

Best for Game Rooms: Urban Outfitters Roma Sofa 

Roma Sofa, Urban Outfitters ($1,299)

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Material: Polyester, rubberwood, and plywood | Dimensions: 74.8-by-33.5-by-30 inches | Fill: Rayon foam 

Why we chose it: An unexpected design that can hold its own in the same space as a table tennis tournament. 

We may have only caught a glimpse of the Roma Sofa hanging out in the ultra-cool game room of a recent Studio DB–designed New Jersey beach house, but we can’t unsee it as a perfect hangout spot. The playful wavy wood frame adds a touch of whimsy, but the full two-seater offers deep, 26-inch cushions roomy enough for siblings, friends, and visitors alike. It’s an unexpected, kid-friendly find, but likely ideal for an older crowd.  

Best for Sleepovers: Made Haru Sofa 

Haru Sofa, Made ($383)

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Material: Polyester | Dimensions: 16-by-47-by-20 inches | Fill: Polyethylene

Why we chose it: This compact cutie unfolds from lounger to sofa bed in seconds.   

This sofa might just be impossible to grow out of, as it’s a small space saver that’ll earn the approval of guests of any age. We first spotted the model in this attic–turned–kids’ room on England’s Kent coast, where it’s an essential part of the seat setup. Its first form is incredibly compact, taking up barely any square footage thanks to a 20-inch depth that’s still long enough to fit two kids, before extending out a full 71 inches, aka longer than a twin. Though we’d keep the back part up for a quasi-tufted headboard.  

Best for All Ages: Article Gabriola Ivory Bouclé Love Seat

Gabriola Ivory Bouclé Love Seat, Article ($699)

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Material: Bouclé, solid wood | Dimensions: 31-by-64-by-34 inches | Fill: Foam

Why we chose it: For a style that’ll grow with your kiddos (and that you can enjoy right along with them). 

You don’t have to be 10 or younger to enjoy Article’s Gabriola love seat, and that’s exactly why it’s now one of our favorite kid couches. This is the kind of child-friendly sofa that has staying power—it’s large enough for parents or babysitters to enjoy throughout the younger years, and the compact silhouette is suitable for small spaces and little legs. It’s one of the very first pieces of furniture you’ll see when entering designer Erin Fetherston’s L.A. home; her front door opens up next to her kids’ playroom. Fetherston removed the slatted legs, which gives the Gabriola a superlow profile and makes it even easier for her three children to climb up and down from. (A smart tip: The legs can always go back on when the gang is older.)

On Our Radar

P’Kolino Litte Reader Sofa

P’Kolino Little Reader Sofa, Maisonette ($170)

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This sofa would be the perfect addition to any reading nook, and we’re not just saying that because the side arms feature a built-in pocket to keep your kiddo’s favorite books within close reach. The cushy foam base is wrapped up in stain-resistant fabrics and offers an angular silhouette perfect for sitting up on. And bonus: The middle can fold out into a sleeper for impromptu naps or playtime.

Pottery Barn Teen x West Elm Carmen Sofa

Carmen Sofa, West Elm ($599)

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This floor sofa can be wrapped up in either a velvety performance fabric, nubby bouclé, or neutral twill that will easily transition from the toddler to tween years. 

Gray Malin x Cloth Company Settee

Settee, Gray Malin x Cloth Company ($1,350)

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For a touch of whimsy and heirloom-level quality—we’re talking 100% cotton upholstery and solid wood legs—Maisonette’s made-to-order settee offers a storybook-like illustration pattern that feels fantastical but not too childish. Seriously, we can see your kids passing this one down to their children (and so on and so forth). 

Milliard Modular Kids Sofa

Modular Kids Sofa, Milliard ($160)

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At a quick glance, you’d never guess this small sofa could be dismantled into a bed, lightweight poufs, ottomans, and even a puppet theater. Other review-backed perks: The velour cover is removable and machine washable, and the whole thing arrives in one vacuum-sealed package. Did we mention it’s less than $200? 

Our Shopping Checklist

Size

As they’re designed with little humans in mind, the best couches for kids are compact and low-profile, even sitting directly on the ground. Smaller dimensions make it easier for toddlers to crawl on and off safely, especially since playtime inevitably dissolves into roughhousing. 

Easy-to-Clean Materials

Spills and stains are bound to happen anytime kids are involved, which is why designers often pick out tight-patterned, textured, or dark fabrics for sofas, as they’re better at hiding the marks that refuse to come out after you’ve tried blotting them up with soap, water, and vinegar without success. Psst: Leather and velvet are actually more durable than parents think, and the real deal will develop a lovely patina over time.   

Durability

As we’ve confirmed: Kids are messy. They somehow always seem to have their hands in something, and no matter if you watched them diligently wash their hands, their fingers are still sticky from that peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich at lunch. That’s why we recommend going with performance fabrics. In fact, sofas aside, many designers will opt for tough textiles when upholstering a window-seat cushion or banquette (for example, Kate Hayes of Little Hayes Studio chose an indoor-outdoor–approved fabric from Schumacher for a preteen room). They’re less likely to get threadbare or tear. High-density foam filling is also important to note, as regular foam will more easily misshape with age (though if you don’t plan to keep them for longer than your kid outgrows them, this isn’t a detail to get too hung up on).   

The Last Word

The best couches for kids are designed to be the go-to seat for your children from the toddler to tween years. This is the place they’ll (hopefully) go to read, eat a snack, or (let’s face it) binge-watch Peppa Pig on their tablet, so it needs to be as comfy as it is durable. 

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We simply can’t quit pink. Ever since 2017, the millennial variety has had a hold on everything from our makeup packaging to our bed linens. Then the star-studded Barbie movie catapulted bolder shades of flamingo, fuchsia, and magenta back into the spotlight and our shopping carts. Every hue is on the table, which is all the more reason to set up a pink nursery for your new addition to the family. And it’s very possible to dip a toe into the trend and still keep your baby’s room timeless. Read on for seven pink nurseries that employ lots of layers—and an unexpected accent color or two—to achieve just that.

The Pink Nursery That’s an Ode to a Doên Dress

Doên cofounder Margaret Kleveland had a few tricks up her floral sleeves when she created her daughter’s nostalgic wonderland. First, she skipped a standard dresser for a timeworn English pine dining hutch that tones down the modern lines of the crib. Next, she draped the latter in a blush pink canopy that turns all the other accents—from the chevron rug and ruffled throw pillows to the Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball walls—into one big happy family.

The Floor-to-Ceiling Pink Nursery

Dealing with tight quarters? Follow designer Allison Crawford’s lead and use the same hue everywhere. We’re talking walls, molding, ceiling, and even the floating shelves to ensure the room feels as expansive as possible. Crawford went with Clare’s bright coral Pop in this little client’s nursery, which reads cool rather than cliché.

The good kind of baby blues.
Check out our blue nursery ideas →

The Pink Nursery That Masters the Mix

The leafy amber Soane Britain wallpaper overhead, twin scalloped canopies, and coconut shell pendant lamp in this Diablo, California, nursery by designer Marea Clark put the dusty rose walls in a supporting role. And with its subtle gray undertone, the paint color easily swings neutral.

The Fairy-Tale Pink Nursery

Activewear designer Jasmine Tookes’s starting point for turning a guest room into her daughter Mia Victoria’s nursery? “Vintage fairy-tale storybooks,” she told People. Working with Crate & Kids, she made real-life magic with James Alexander’s limewash Rosa Pink and a swath of hunter green wildflower wallpaper, all watched over by a trio of sweet felt animals.

Feeling sage?
We’ve got sage green nursery ideas →

The One-Hit-Wonder Pink Nursery

Gucci’s Heron wallpaper, the hero of this nursery by designer Tara Magel, is undoubtedly a splurge, but it’s the only one you’ll need to make. With everyone’s eyes on the oversize print, the rest of the details, from the daybed to the dresser, can be supersimple.

The Pink Nursery With Arch Support

A salmon pink built-in archway does it all in this nursery by Paris design studio Space Factory. For now, it creates a designated nook for the bassinet, provides enough depth for proper wardrobes on either side, and squeezes in additional storage up top. When the child is older, the open shelving will take on a new role as the bedside “table” for a twin mattress.

The Just Enough Pink Nursery

Can you spot the subtle optical illusion in this nursery by design firm Chango & Co.? At first glance, it seems like every wall is painted white. But look closer, and it becomes clear that the stretch behind the crib is a pastel woodland wallpaper. Thanks to the small-scale motif and pale colorway, it reads more texture than pattern—ideal if you’re not ready for all-pink everything.

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When you picture a blue nursery, you probably think, well, baby. As in baby blue, the color of early-morning skies and many a newborn onesie. We have nothing bad to say about the color—it’s inarguably soothing and pale enough that it can act as a neutral—but we consider it our job to introduce you to a handful of equally sweet shades in the family. As these seven spaces make clear, cornflower, robin’s-egg, and denim blue are just as worthy of your nursery walls (or moldings or floor).

The Robin’s-Egg Blue Nursery

“Sometimes I see nurseries that are very curated in terms of palette, and you feel like you can’t bring anything in that doesn’t coordinate,” explains designer Katherine Thewlis. So for her children’s space, she went floor to ceiling with a toned-down hue, Views by Clare, that was sure to complement everything from a strawberry red lamp to magenta artwork.

The Electric Blue Nursery

Just because a blue is bright doesn’t mean it’s not comforting. For Piera Gelardia, Farrow & Ball’s St. Gile’s Blue was the perfect reflection of her daughter Viva’s personality: energetic but peaceful. “We realized that we wanted her room to be a sanctuary for her to imagine and dream,” she says. 

Feeling sage?
We’ve got sage green nursery ideas →

The Powder Blue Nursery

While this space in Dee Eke’s Long Island City apartment serves as both office and nursery, both zones share a Clare paint color and a cushion of Flor tiles. The multicolored mix underfoot gives the pastel walls a modern edge—but that wasn’t always the plan. Eke had to get creative when the single colorway she started with was discontinued.

The Denim Blue Nursery

Blue is technically the accent hue in this nursery by designer Nicole Hirsch, but in standout finishes, it has just as much impact as the graphic wallpaper. Peep the glossy moldings, painted Old Glory by Benjamin Moore, and one of the coolest gliders we’ve seen, upholstered in a textured denimlike-patchwork print.

The Limewashed Blue Nursery

Forward Interiors’s secret to a blue nursery that’s nowhere near saccharine? Introducing hits of black—you’ll spot it here on the trim, art frame, and custom stained-wood dresser—to contrast with the softness of the Bauwerk Colour walls.

The Botanical Blue Nursery

A no-fail way to choose a paint color is to pull it from another feature you’ve already decided on. In designer Laura Kern Hennessey’s case, that was the magical meadow mural she hand-painted in her son’s nursery. The slate blue on the lower half of the walls is an exact match for the leafy stems above it.

The Goodnight Moon Blue Nursery

Artist Raven Roxanne’s 1875 Charleston, South Carolina, home is awash in understated shades inspired by British brands like DeVol, with one exception: her son’s nursery. The walls are a deep cornflower, while the trim is Kermit-esque green—both from Fine Paints of Europe (E14-33 and E11-29, specifically). It’s a lot of color, but the 13-foot-tall room can handle it. “One of my friends came in and said, ‘Oh, my gosh, it looks like Goodnight Moon,’” Roxanne remembers. “I had never thought about it, but it does.” 

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If there’s one universal concern that consumes new parents, it’s sleep—both your little one’s and your own. In an effort to help everyone catch one or two more z’s upon baby’s arrival, consider a sage green nursery. Color psychologist Tash Bradley once told us that green is a top choice for creating a relaxing environment because “biophilic shades mentally bring us closer to nature and harmony.” So when the nesting stage hits, determine whether you want a splash or top-to-bottom color with the help of these calming sage nurseries. (Psst: We’ve got kids’ room inspiration, too.) Then cross your fingers and toes for some semi-solid shut-eye.

The Sage Green Nursery Celebrating Mother Nature

A nature-inspired paint color (Final Furlong by Little Greene Paint & Paper) was just the beginning when Sophie Ashby of Studio Ashby designed her daughter Gaia’s London nursery. She also brought in more literal takes on flora and fauna in the form of bold botanical upholstery, a painting of the South African mountains by local artist Anna van der Ploeg, and a blooming blown-glass chandelier.

The Sage Green Nursery With Just Enough Contrast

For the perfect complement to her son’s sage nursery, painted in Mossa by Dulux, Australian designer Alessandra Smith simply looked across the color wheel. She landed on terracotta, which made its way onto the crib sheet, floor lamp, and play mat. Muddying up the red and green is what keeps the combo from shouting “Christmas.”

The Texture-on-Texture Sage Green Nursery

For photographer Shannon Oleksak, paneling has been a crucial character builder in her family’s Charleston, South Carolina, new build—you’ll spot it everywhere from the kitchen island to the primary bathroom. The latest place for it to make an appearance is in her son’s nursery, where it gives the feature wall, coated in Sherwin-Williams’s Evergreen Fog, some added dimension. A woven bassinet, shades, and animal artwork help, too.

The Sage Green Nursery That Tricks the Eye

A more sophisticated take on the primary hues that dominate the children’s decor market? Sky blue, marigold, and pops of scarlet red, all against a Sagebrush by Benjamin Moore backdrop. Designer Katie Davis stuck to this softer palette for practical reasons as much as aesthetics; the Houston nursery is on the smaller side, so anything too intense would be overkill.

The Statement-Making Sage Green Nursery

In chunky stripe form, sage can be for maximalists, too. Rather than attempt to hang wallpaper to achieve her “quirky without being babyish” nursery vision (too time-consuming!), British mom Kitty Patterson went the paint route—Verdigris by Edward Bulmer to be exact—pairing the soft color with the palest of blues.

The Sage Green Nursery That’s Not About the Walls

Joanna Landais, founder of Eklektik Studio, worked with the off-center window in this London nursery instead of against it, framing it in arched bookcases (one on the left, two on the right) and built-in closed storage for the inevitable explosion of toys. Although Green 14 by Lick only shows up on the doors and drawers, it steals the show thanks to ribbed fronts and oversize hardware.

The Sage Green Nursery That Divided and Conquered

Not only is a colorblocked half-wall a stellar option for color commitment–phobes, it can help create visual hierarchy. In this English nursery, designed by Born & Bred Studio, the crib and freestanding cabinet (not pictured) are both similar hues to the custom paint shade, encouraging them to fade somewhat into the background. Instead your eye is naturally drawn to the carved black fireplace and industrial floor-to-ceiling windows.

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As sage green continues to sweep across our feeds as the go-to shade for creating soothing kitchens, serene reading nooks, lush living areas, and more, we’ve been seeing the hue pop up in a new space: Yep, sage green kids’ rooms are a thing. The low-key tone is more versatile than adding a little calm and bringing the outside in—it can become a backdrop to play up punchier palettes, graphic shapes, and sustainable materials. It’s a whole mood (as evidenced by the zen little boy’s room, above). Here are some of our favorite decorating ideas to incorporate the color in every corner.

Let the Little Ones Choose 

In the Los Angeles home of photographer Nicki Sebastian; her husband, Roni; and their two daughters, Cami and Cece, the scene is full of florals. But when the girls got to choose the mood for their rooms, Cece, the eldest, went with “dinosaur green.” The choice reflects exactly who she is right now, but that’s not to say she didn’t get a little guidance from Mom. “I gave them the Farrow & Ball palette to choose from,” Nicki says, laughing. 

Farrow & Ball, Lichen

Farrow & Ball, Lichen

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Bring the Outdoors In 

Lindsey and Brad Robinson live 10 minutes outside Grand Rapids in Ada, Michigan, on a six-acre plot surrounded by trees. “With five kids, we try to spend as much time outside as possible,” says Lindsey, but even the inside evokes forest feelings thanks to the mossy colored walls in the boys’ room.  

Benjamin Moore, Carolina Gull

Benjamin Moore, Carolina Gull

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Go Green in Every Sense

Sustainability is often at the forefront of a parent’s mind when designing a nursery. For this project, Hope Clark of Oak + Olive chose vintage decor and steered clear of products and fabrics made using harmful chemicals. To channel the natural look further, she reached for Farrow & Ball’s Card Room.

Moon Glass, Behr ($40)

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Elevate Your Playroom Display

Storing toys is a challenge in any house. These sage-hued shelves showcase prettier items and pair well with soft peach and white. Painting the panels and molding creates a streamlined effect—especially when the surplus of stuff can be tucked inside storage compartments under a daybed. 

Privilege Green, Sherwin-Williams ($65)

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Work All the Angles

Don’t let the color’s organic qualities fool you; a deeper tint of sage can be as bold as anything. In the hands of Sarah Sherman Samuel, striking lines—both on the DIY striped ceiling and in the bunk bed’s cool cutout arch—look extra-clean and crisp in her kids’ bedroom. 

Oakmoss, Sherwin-Williams ($75)

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Set the Scene for Smaller Details

Soothing shouldn’t mean boring; keep the green theme going with a whimsical wallpaper (enter the dinosaurs!) extended up to the ceiling. Dark wood, leather, and brass add to the earthy vibe of this modern nursery. 

Magnetic Dino Wallpaper, Sian Zeng

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Bring It Over the Top

A family hangout spot gets the full cocooning treatment with colorful cozy rugs, loungy floor pillows, a hanging rattan chair, and a splash of deep sage paint up to the ceiling.

Treron, Farrow & Ball ($110)

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Look to the Elements

For this teen room, layering a green oasis with flora and fauna—both in botanical-inspired fabrics and a mini gallery wall of vintage art prints—is a natural fit. 

Raleigh Green, Benjamin Moore ($80)

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Create a Reading Rainbow

Sage doesn’t immediately come to mind for a punchy accent wall, but designer and mom Chiara de Rege used her starry green wallpaper as a background to display her daughter Phoenix’s colorful book collection. Suddenly the red, pink, and yellow covers really shine (almost as much as her dress-up outfits). 

Topanga, Maison C

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Carve Out a Pretty Perspective

Name a better view (or sleep HQ) for an infant than a “window” onto a sweet leafy landscape—surrounded by a wash of more calming pale green. A wall of storage cabinets keeps all the baby essentials out of sight (but still accessible) so your little one can dream in peace.

Headspace, Clare ($54)

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Most people who buy a mid-century house with a sloped roof and 1970s interiors would resign themselves to a Brady Bunch–esque existence. Not Johanna Leung. Since January 2022, the interior designer and mom of two has chronicled the hands-on updates she’s made to her family’s Montreal digs on Instagram. Today the home has what she calls a “maximalist, modern English cottage” vibe. 

That includes the 140-square-foot space her daughters (“Irish twins, 10.5 months apart”) have shared since the youngest was 6 months old. Leung embarked on a grown-up reimagination of the bedroom for Olivia (now 5) and Amelia (6), and spent as much time increasing storage and function as she did adding whimsical, old-world touches. There are not one but two IKEA hacks, gorgeous hand-painted details, and a bed nook most adults would envy. Here’s how the designer DIYed the whole thing in four months.

Find Your Niche

After years of use, Leung knew the closet’s quirks all too well. “Deep, but not deep enough to be a walk-in,” she recalls, it was a waste of precious square footage. It did have one perk, though: It happened to be the same size of a twin mattress. Enter the sweetest bed nook—for Amelia—we’ve ever seen. The designer kept the existing structure of the closet but removed the drywall around the doors. She then constructed a built-in bed frame from 2-by-4s, leaving room for pull-out IKEA toy boxes beneath, upholstered in fabric. “At the end of the bed, we still had about 10 inches, so I built shelves for Amelia’s books,” Leung adds. The accordion-door recess above the original closet stayed, too, as a home for extra toys and stuffed animals.

There’s Always Room for an IKEA Hack

The addition of Amelia’s bed nook meant sacrificing hanging clothes storage—but only temporarily. Leung built a platform along the wall opposite her daughters’ beds and secured two IKEA Pax wardrobes to the base. Decorative molding and DIY doors with fabric-adorned cutouts make the budget buy feel entirely custom. Her creativity didn’t stop there; she fashioned curtain panels from Zara Home bedsheets (that glow in the dark!).

Set Up for Shared Room Success

By placing the beds in opposite corners of the 10-by-14-foot room, Leung managed to give Olivia and Amelia each some personal space, while the floor between them is a communal place to play. It stays relatively clutter-free thanks to that stretch of built-in wardrobes.

Pile on the Patterns

Large- and small-scale patterns mingle throughout the room, and Leung didn’t restrict herself to using the materials in traditional ways. A prime example: The “wallpaper” inside the bed nook is yet another bedsheet. (The designer simply applied liquid starch to the clean wall and hung the fabric.) The other walls feature real floral wallpaper by Sandberg but paired with a strip of azulejo tile you’d typically find on Portuguese exteriors. “It was definitely very, very challenging to mix anything with the azulejos!” Leung confesses. “But Olivia picked this wallpaper, and surprisingly, I thought it was a good match.” 

Trick Out Builder-Grade Windows

To give the basic windows a more traditional look, Leung installed hinged shutters on the lower halves to block out the light. Above, she crafted cornices from plywood, 2-by-4s, and batting. Stapling peacock-print upholstery fabric to the structure was the finishing touch.

It’s the Little Things

Much of the room’s magic is rooted in layers of decorative details, like the Bloomsbury Group–inspired, hand-painted trim on Olivia’s antique bed—a Facebook Marketplace find—and the wall’s tile trim. But the accent that impressed the kids most was the black-and-white–striped awning with scalloped edges hanging over Amelia’s closet bed. “I wanted to make it feel French because my daughters love the movie Ratatouille,” says Leung. True to form, Mom knows best: “They say it’s like living in the movie!”

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Just as Emma Gurner finished up refreshing a family’s downstairs living spaces in their Hertfordshire, England, home, they decided to reassign bedrooms. Suddenly, their 7-year-old son had a new spot—a former office with gray carpeting and plain walls—that required some serious love. With the majority of the budget already spent, the U.K.-based designer and founder of Folds Inside had to use every trick in her playbook to create an imaginative space that wouldn’t cost a fortune—or feel like an afterthought. 

Or as mom Chenta Patel puts it, “A design that was fun for a younger child, but one that he wouldn’t outgrow too soon.” Gurner made sure she got her wish. With the help of peppy paint, ample storage solutions, and a genius headboard, the bedroom captures the essence and magic of childhood’s various stages. “There’s space to include a small desk for a study area when he’s older,” Patel adds. The result is best summed up by the pint-size client’s two-word review: “Very cool.” High praise from the under-10 set.

Designate Zones With Paint

When you’re on a budget, paint is your best friend. Gurner quickly put it to work to carve out a distinct zone for sleeping. “We painted the wall behind the bed, the ceiling above the bed, and the bespoke floor-to-ceiling headboard a burnt orange, giving it a dramatic, tentlike feel,” says Gurner. Minus the headboard, all it took to make the alcove was taping off a few rectangles and painting inside the lines. 

Centering the color-blocked feature in the middle of the wall had the added benefit of creating a cozy corner reading nook on the left-hand side. Above it, opposite the bed’s “window,”  the designer even added a peachy pink circle, which casts a glow that looks like a sunset. 

Find Your Inner Circle

Both kid and designer agree: The highlight of the room is the headboard, fabricated and installed by a carpenter. “There’s a rock-climbing wall on one side,” Gurner reveals, leading you to the round cutout. Unsurprisingly, this addition was an instant hit. “I love watching him climb and jump through the circle into bed,” Patel says. 

Don’t Take Color Too Seriously

If you’re going to get experimental with color, your kid’s room is a low-stakes place to start. For Gurner, this project’s palette—olive and orange with a peppering of sky blue, pale pink, and mustard—evolved with the design plan. “The fireplace is original with teal tile, which Chetna wanted to keep,” the designer explains. Rather than go matchy-matchy with the surround, Gurner played around with different combos until she landed on the olive shade. Still in the green family, “it’s a nice complement,” she notes.

Supersize Shapes

Prints-wise, Gurner decided to keep it minimal. “Adding too many fussy patterns would take away from the simplicity of the design, which I like a lot,” she argues. By incorporating large-format motifs like oversize checks and a series of simple shapes—circular rugs, a round pendant lamp, half-moon wardrobe handles—she was able to keep the snug space from reading too busy.

Don’t Sleep on Washi Tape

To display Patel’s son’s latest Lego creation or favorite new book series, Gurner turned a few simple IKEA boxes into a feature wall, punching them up with—what else?—paint. “I also used black-and-white–striped washi tape around the edges of some of them,” she adds. So far it’s a hit. “He sits reading and playing in his ‘den’ every morning when he first wakes,” Patel says. We’re all about a design feature that gives grown-ups a few extra winks.

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Flying pigs and an indoor swing don’t sound like the usual design elements for a pair of septuagenarians, but when interior designer Melinda Trembly’s clients reached out to her about converting an attic in their Southern California home into a sleeping and play space for their eight grandkids and two great-grandchildren, they were ready to have some fun. The couple, who consider themselves design enthusiasts, were willing to take some risks to create something magical.

Trembly’s first task was to make the space livable, as it had previously been used for storage. After having it finished and drywalled, she set about turning the blank box into a treehouse-inspired room where the two youngest generations could play, watch TV, and spend the night. Here’s how Trembly created an entire world in what once was the place where luggage and old paperwork gathered dust.

Get Creative With Awkward Spaces

To get the floor plan right, Trembly and her team at Rincon Road Design Studio took advantage of space that often goes unused by tucking two sleeping bunks under the eaves, which left more floor open for play. The area beneath a dormer window was not quite big enough for any kind of useful furniture arrangement, so Trembly built in a plus-size window seat that pinch-hits as an extra sleeping spot on slumber party nights. To give each nook privacy, Trembly had her workshop sew curtains from basic drop cloths.

Cover the Practicalities

Even a just-for-fun playroom needs strategic storage—and the clients still had a few things they needed to stash away in the attic. So Trembly carved out deep storage for them in one corner, then built out shelving on one of the end walls and closed cabinets under the eaves. To dress up the cabinet doors, she designed a simple motif of circle cutouts.

When You Want Charm, Think Wallpaper

Trembly knew that wallpaper would go a long way toward setting the tone for the space, and she found her touchstone in whimsical wall coverings from Sian Zeng. The designer was drawn to the toile pattern, interactive magnets, and dry-erase bubbles, but also to the sophisticated palette of olive green, Prussian blue, and pink, which influenced the color scheme for the room. 

Double Down on Pattern

Trembly didn’t stop with one print: When she came across Rebel Walls Cloud wallpaper, she decided to add it to the ceiling. To keep it from overwhelming the room, Trembly worked with the brand to customize the design so the clouds would gather at the ceiling’s peak and fade out to white at the base. (This conveniently left some breathing room to include a few of Zeng’s flying pig wall stickers.)

Go Tonal

In order to highlight the hues in the wallpaper, Trembly settled on Sherwin-Williams’s Moscow Midnight paint for the cabinetry, while the interiors of the sleeping berths and the dormer got a lighter shade of blue, Blustery Sky. The subtle shift between the two creates visual depth without looking choppy. 

Bring the Outdoors In

While walking on the beach one day after a storm, Trembly came upon some large pieces of driftwood. After consulting with her carpenter, they arranged to have the driftwood kiln-dried and pieced together as a guardrail for the pull-down stairwell. He used additional small pieces throughout the space to give the illusion that tree branches are poking in. Running with the woodland theme, Trembly gave the existing structural columns a faux bois paint finish that reads like a happy wink beside the pieces of natural wood.

Get Surreal

Trembly still felt the design could use another layer, so she came up with the idea of installing wood shingles on the wall behind the built-in bench. Another unexpected way Trembly made the room feel outdoors-like? She had her contractor hang a Serena & Lily swing from the rafters. And because this project was part of the clients’ home, not a child’s personal room that would naturally fill up over time, she added faux birds, birdhouses, and woodland animal art on the walls. 

When the grandkids pulled down the ladder stairs to the attic for the first time, they were very surprised by what lay on the other side. “The ladder drops down and you’re just transported into this different world,” says Trembly.

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