Annette Tatum’s New Little House Collection– Bohemian Inspired

Today I am thrilled to announce a new Simplified Bee sponsor, Annette Tatum’s Little House. Over fifteen years ago, Annette introduced her first collection of bedding with the goal of helping people create outstanding interiors inspired by their own personal layers. Little House was developed with the same philosophy of layering styles, but for baby and children’s rooms. The collection makes it easy create a one of a kind room by mixing and matching your favorite colors and patterns.

Annette also has some great advice for selecting bedding for a nursery or child's room:

“When choosing bedding for your nursery or child I always advise to stay with themes and colors that will grow with your child. Heavily themed rooms tend to be dated more quickly and end up having to be re-done instead of added to. Think down the road and leave room for your child's room to grow, and match your child's personality and creative spirit. Purchase your furniture in neutral colors that fit any age. Add color in textiles that you can change easily as your child's ideas and tastes change. Nothing too fussy. A well-lived in room is a sign of a happy child is my motto.”

For more of Annette’s ideas for blending fashion, lifestyle and personality into your home décor take a look at her book, The Well-Dressed Home.

Little House recently released a beautiful, new line that I am excited to debut today. I asked Annette what she finds most exciting about the new collection,

“I am a bohemian at heart, so this collection was so fun designing. Lots of color and almost anything goes. I love that a more adult theme is now available for the nursery. Ikats. Suzanis are a welcome addition to the traditional ensembles we see for children. The great part is that the colors are even more vibrant because they are for the child and therefore more playful and adventurous.”

INTRODUCING THE NEW LITTLE HOUSE COLLECTION BY ANNETTE TATUM. 

BOHEMIAN INSPIRATION.

 

Available Now at ANNETTETATUM.COM

Like a boisterous caravan of color this new collection of prints from little house by Annette Tatum dishes up a colorful plate of possibilities for your child's room or nursery.

{Inspiration Photography by Karyn Millet and Product Photography by Bret Gum}

Mix and match for baby and child to create a sensory sensation of sunny jewel tones and bohemian motifs. Ikat patterns dance with chevron stripes.  Mosaic tile like prints combine with suzani ensembles for a distinctive gypsy feel.  Travel through exotic color and bring the boho spirit into your child's world.

NEW LITTLE HOUSE CRIB SETS:

SUZANI ORANGE Three-Piece Crib Set

IKAT PINK Three-Piece Crib Set

IKAT LAVENDER Three-Piece Crib Set

IKAT TEAL Crib Set & CLOVER TEAL Crib Sheets

SUZANI TEAL Three-Piece Crib Set

LITTLE HOUSE BOHEMIAN-INSPIRED CHILD BEDDING (in all the same fabulous patterns) COMING SOON!

In addition to her Child & Nursery collections, Annette Tatum also offers a home decor collection. * AnnetteTatum.com

Outer Space Boys Rooms and Oopsy Daisy Art Winner…

Any guesses on where this image was taken? Let’s just say we spent more time chasing down princesses than riding rockets. However, the swirling planets and rockets got me thinking about how fun it would be to design a boy’s bedroom with space exploration in mind.

Here are just a few items from Rosenberry Rooms that would be darling in a boy’s “outer space” bedroom. The digital clock is the best!

Also, I wanted to thank Rosenberry Rooms for sponsoring the Oopsy Daisy art giveaway. Selected at random, Alisha {lucky comment #46} has won this playful & colorful Favorite Things Alphabet - Girl Canvas Reproduction by Oopsy Daisy.

Congratulations Alisha! Can’t wait to hear {or see} where this beautiful artwork will be hung.


Have you guessed where I was last week? Perhaps this giant teacup will give it away … and let's just say it may be been the "busiest place on earth."

Tips on Decorating a Child’s Bedroom & Polka Dot Peacock

{image via Massucco Warner Miller}

Will you be redesigning or decorating a child’s bedroom soon? The designing process can get a little overwhelming, but having a plan will save you time and money. More importantly the end result will be a space you and your child will love.

Today I am sharing tips on how to decorate a child’s bedroom at Polka Dot Peacock. It covers the process step by step including advice on color, lighting, furniture selection and of course storage. Here is tip number one:

Ask Your Child

When designing a bedroom for your child, it’s important to get his/her opinion first. Here are a few questions parents should ask their child before starting the decorating:

1. Describe your dream bedroom.
2. What do you like about your current bedroom?
3. would you change about your current bedroom?
4. What are you favorite colors? 

Of course, not all of their ideas may be practical or fit in the budget, but this exercise helps make the child feel involved in the process. From their answers you will be able to pick up on colors and themes (i.e. trucks, butterflies, dinosaurs} that will help inspire the room’s look and feel.

For all the tips and the full article, go here.

Polka Dot Peacock is a premier online baby and children's store that offers just about everything you need to beautifully furnish & decorate your baby's nursery or child's room. It has been a great resource for me and I am proud to have them as a sponsor of Simplified Bee.

With fresh and stylish brands like Serena & Lily {bedding in image above}, DwellStudio, Oilo, Annette Tatum and Rikshaw Design, Polka Dot Peacock should be your first stop when shopping for your children's room! Check out just some of the fantastic items in the store currently:

{Small Lighting Sample at Polka Dot Peacock}

{Little House by Annette Tatum - Pinwheel Blue Crib Bedding Set}

{Petit Collage Poster My Favorite Things- Boy}

{Serena & Lily Rug}

{DwellStudio Storage Bins - Owls}

{Oopsy Daisy Sweet Yellow Whale Wall Art}

{Bratt Decor Antique White Iron Crib}

{Oopsy Daisy Personalized Princess Wall Art}

What fun, don't you think? It almost makes me want to have another baby.

Do you have a great tip for decorating a baby's nursery or child's room? Please share with us!

Winner & Budget Friendly, Yet Stylish Bedroom For a Big Boy

It was a nice surprise to draw the winner of the Simple Fit Custom shade by Redi-Shade: Comment #1, Janell from the blog Isabella & Max Rooms! I've been a huge fan of her blog for over a year. 

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting up with Janell in NYC to see the Nate Show.  And if you haven’t heard, she taped a segment with Nate and showcased her darling DIY chalkboard table lamp tutorial… view it here. 

Here are the original and now famous chalkboard table lamps and shades. They were purchased at TJ Maxx.

It all started with a bedroom makeover Janell did for her young son, Max. Working with a tight budget of $500, Janell transformed the room from the one pictured above to the one pictured below.

 

Like any good interior designer, Janell first interviewed Max on his likes, dislikes and expectations for the new room. The interview is priceless and here. The new “big boys room” is full of so many fun elements. One is the dramatic and bold black stripe around the room in chalkboard paint from Benjamin Moore. See how Janell did it here. The world map painted above the strip was hand done and my favorite design element in the room. It all look great with the wall color which is Sherwin Williams - 6142 Macademia. It 's a lovely contrast to the dark bedding purchased at Ikea.

More chalkboard paint was added to a simple light pendant also from Ikea {Large Melodi Pendant Light}. A darling compass is painted for a bit of whimsy and to add the the map theme.

At the foot of each bed, Janell places vintage chairs she recovered in a mustard yellow fabric from JoAnn’s Fabrics. See how she did it here.

Janell places a desk from Ikea {Leksvik Desk} between the two beds. It looks great with the white Ikea Nordmyra Chair. The geometric rug, Alvine Ruta Kilim is also from Ikea and pulls together the whole color palette.

Isn't’ it darling? Congrats Janell on a beautiful room, your segment on the Nate Show and now a winner of the Redi-Shade giveaway on Simplified Bee! You are on a roll.

What is your favorite design element in Janell’s little boy’s room?

*images courtesy of Isabella & Max Rooms

Darling Boys' Nautical Bedroom Design

With summer in full swing, I have seaside inspired interiors on my mind.

Designed by Toronto-based Anne Hepfer, this red, white and blue nautical boys’ bedroom was featured in House & Home July 2009 issue. With crisp white walls as a backdrop, the colorful elements in the room pop. The caned headboards by Robert Lighton are timeless and add wonderful texture. For bedding Hepfer mixes a variety of red and blue stripes. The red quilts and blue striped bedding are from The Land of Nod. The bed is layered further with  zigzag pillows by Madeline Weinrib and rope pillows by Williams Sonoma Home. The navy rug also by Madeline Weinrib introduces yet another pattern that coordinates beautifully in the room.  A tripod, sailboat bookends and nautical flags add to the coastal style. It also reminds me so much of Ralph Lauren. I just love this look... do you?

Still in a beachy mood? Drop by House and Home to see more seaside inspired interiors.

 

* photography by Michael Graydon and via House and Home

Red, White and Blue Color Palettes for July 4th Decorating

On July Fourth Americans will be celebrating Independence Day with favorite customs like fireworks, parades and backyard barbecues. To show our patriotism we decorate by waving American flags, hanging stars and stripes banners and draping red, white and blue garland proudly. 

As I started to look around at incorporating a little red,white and blue in my own celebration, I noticed the varied palettes that are available. Here are a few examples.

The bunk room above by Arkansas' Bear & Hill Interiors {love the red accent ceiling and fan} and the cupcake toppers by The Tomkat Studio pulls together a classic patriot look.

Turquoise is the Pantone 2010 color of the year and not typically what you associate with "red, white and blue." But I love the fresh, airy feel it provides. This charming little girl's room in "Tiffany Blue" and watermelon accents  by San Francisco interior design firm, Massucco Warner Miller is one of my favorites. Amy Atlas' ribbon candy and Etsy's Sparkle Power's La La Love You poster also use this soft, retro color scheme.

Benjamin Moore's Ryan Red, Cloud White and Watertown offer a more subdue July 4th color palette. Here Thibaut's Lighthouse wallpaper from their Boat House Collection is paired Martha Stewart's Fourth of July clip-art streamer - here's the how to.

All paint samples displayed above are from Benjamin Moore via Color Check.

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable July 4th!

Decorating Ideas for a Little Boy's Bedroom

Last year I wrote several posts on bedroom designs for little girls. Today, I turn the focus to those Lego building, truck pushing and football throwing little boys. Here's some inspiration and ideas for decorating a boy's bedroom.

Southern California's Elizabeth Dinkel Design Associates created this classic and timeless boys' room. My favorite elements include the beige textured wallpaper, upholstered chair and ottoman {Quadrille Fabrics - Cap Ferrat - Navy, Blue, Red on White} and striped X benches at the foot of each bed. The custom floor to ceiling window treatments frame the large windows and coordinate beautifully with the bedding. Hits of vibrant red accents are picked up in a delightful chandelier, simple round mirror and hexagon side table.

Canadian House & Home showcased this nautical themed boys' bedroom. It is easy to go overboard with themes, but this room has the right balance. The colorful sailing ships, matching vintage bedding, wall mounted sconces above each bed are my favorite design elements.

Designer, Ken Fulk creates a colorful boy's room using neutral white, warm orange and cool blue. Mixing orange and blue, opposites on the color wheel, results in a direct complementary color scheme. The neutral crisp white bedding is Frette's Hotel Collection and compliments the modern pendant light. Fulk has the ceiling painted a fun shade of blue - Robin's Egg by Philip's Perfect Colors. He has the beautiful wainscoting {swoon} covered in Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White.

Here's another well done nautical theme for a boy's room. The bedding, Serena & Lily's George Collection mixes and matches seersucker, chambray and mosaic-print to create a traditional look. Stacking books for a bedside table is a fun, inexpensive look, but not recommended for a little boy's room - sure to be knocked down in seconds. The simple paper boats hang from the ceiling, however is a great idea and very inexpensive. Here's the how-to.

In this wild west themed bedroom courtesy of Posh Tots, the teepee bed canopy takes center stage. The dark wooden bed and dresser have a masculine feel and provide a wonderful contrast to the red southwestern bedding. The comforter's warm horizontal pattern is repeated subtly in the wall paint and is beautifully paired with a plaid bed skirt. A fun turquoise accent pillow on the bed pick ups the same hue in the vintage cowboy wall poster.

Portland, Oregon-based designer, Jessica Helgerson created this darling bedroom using a green and white color scheme. The walls are painted in a soft shade of chartreuse - perhaps Benjamin Moore's Hibiscus? The fun airplane wall mural is painted in kelly and hunter greens.

New York designer, Evelyn Benatar created a wonderful red, white and blue boy's room using traditional and modern elements. The Greek key headboard in white is delightful and contrasts beautifully with the solid blue bedding. Matching lamps {lucite bases maybe?} and red two-drawer bedside chests flank the bed. Textured blue wallpaper coordinates nicely with the modern geometric carpet.

Now, how do you keep a boy's room looking this neat? Here are some tips for storing kid's toys and decluttering.

*images courtesy of NY Interior Design, Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, Posh Tots, Serena & Lily, House Beautiful, Canadian House & Home, Elizabeth Dinkel Design