Delightfully Decorated (Editor's Letter)
Little Rock Family Editor Alexis Crowe (left) with her younger sister, Anica.
I distinctly remember getting to help decorate one of my early childhood bedrooms. We had moved to a new house and my younger sister, Anica, and I were getting bunk beds in a cozy little bedroom that looked out over our front yard.
Being the girly girls that we were, pink was a must. The bottom quarter or so of our walls was covered with floral patterned wallpaper and above that was a wallpaper border of kittens playing together in a garden.
We also got to hang up bulletin boards that we carefully labeled with decorated foam letters at the top and then covered with photos, notes and drawings. Our quilts were — surprise, surprise — also pink and floral. And the rug? Also pink.
But the best part of that room was simply that we got to have a role in the decorating. It was so exciting to flip through wallpaper choices, hang pictures on the walls and have a space to call our own.
In this issue, we’re focusing on interior design and creating inviting, kid-friendly rooms. We’re featuring a playroom, two nurseries, and, much to my 7-year-old heart’s delight, a perfectly pink bedroom.
As I was compiling photos and talking with designers about each of the rooms, a comment from Susan Walsh of Bear Hill Interiors caught my attention: “There is the magazine world of nursery layout and then there’s the real world.”
We’re caught in a flurry of Instagram-perfect designs, Pinterest boards of ideas and magazine pages of pretty color schemes, but it’s important to remember that your space doesn’t have to be perfect.
I can promise you that my childhood bedroom would not have won any design or decor awards, but in my mind it was the best bedroom ever. So while I hope these designs inspire you to think outside the box and provide inspiration for your own home, I also encourage you to not get too caught up in the details.
Let your kids play a role in the design, splurge on a statement piece of art and save on a thrifted accent table. Combine practical and pretty to create a space that’s uniquely yours.
And if you do have an adorable space you want to share, we’d love to see it.
Tag @LRFamily in your Instagram posts and we’ll be sure to check it out and maybe even share it on our own page.
Happy decorating!
Creating Inviting Spaces
The Nursery: Elegantly Neutral
The Kid's Bedroom: Perfectly Pink