Week Six | November 20 | Before & After
For the Fall 2020 One Room Challenge, I am giving my son’s bedroom a hygge-infused makeover. As a not-so-little boy but not-quite tween, this room needs to be adaptable, functional, and a great place for play. I’ll let you in on the inspiration board as well as plans for this multipurpose room where organization and storage are critical and coziness is the word of the day — everyday. Be sure to check in on all of the other ORC projects on the ORC blog here.
It’s done. The Hygge Child’s Bedroom is done. The design plan changed quite a bit over time. Some of that was natural, but some of it was deeply personal. Redoing our child’s room during a time of social and familial upheaval was harder on Bambino than I expected. He was excited at the outset about the possibility, but as his room changed and was filled with tools and a mess, his excitement flagged. At one point he came to me and said, sobbing, “Why do I have to say ‘goodbye’ to so many things I love — things that have been with me my whole life?”
Heart broken for him, I stopped. I put several projects on hold and cancelled others. He wasn’t talking about toys. He was talking about rugs and bookcases and trunks and shelves — familiar, comfortable parts of his room that I had planned to paint, reupholster, or replace.
I made a new plan.
I didn’t repaint the small shelves. I didn’t reupholster the bench. I had started the project with several photographs from our travels as inspirations for the color scheme. I had been leaning into the mossy green branch — layers of greens and wood. In the end the room is less woodsy green and more colorful meadow as a result.
And it absolutely reflects the wholeness of Bambino, too.
Before & After
We have lived in this house a little more than three years, and Bambino’s room was a jumble of furniture and toys. The layout didn’t work well. He had outgrown a lot of the furniture and many of the toys in his room. And we had never been very deliberate about decorating this room — always leaving it to the proverbial someday.
Someday has come at last!
The Cleat Wall was the starting point for the entire room.
Hygge: a Danish and Norwegian word meaning “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).”
I wanted to imbue this room with hygge while also staying true to Bambino’s personality and passions.
I started with the cleat wall when designing the room. I wanted storage for books as well as display space for significant toys and mementos. I also wanted the cleat wall to be something which could adapt and change as Bambino grows up.
The valances are a simply DIY upholstery project and are inexpensive, too. Check out the full tutorial here.
Bambino requested a cozy spot to read and to hide during hide and seek. My husband designed and built the bed complete with both storage and the Book Nook.
Let’s be honest: the curtains on the closet are almost never closed!
The storage under the bed replaces one of the bookcases we had in the room freeing up more floorspace for play.
A giant Viking ship print over a rainbow bookcase — very Scandi and very hygge.
The rug I ordered is much more vibrant than it appeared, but with a rainbow bookcase and vivid valances, it works. And more importantly: Bambino loves it. I added a faux fur rug at the side of the bed for little feet on cold mornings.
Doing the One Room Challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic was more challenging than I even expected. From the outset, I committed to being safe during this process which meant: no outside help, no professional photographer, and no trips to the store — curbside pick-up or delivery only. I sourced a few items from the FBMP from sellers who agreed to contactless pickup. And my husband made one in-person trip to get lumber. But other than that, we were able to do everything safely.
Given that, however, it was also the most stressful One Room Challenge to date. That’s probably because we are all home all the time. My progress was particularly slow, because I never have time alone. I couldn’t work uninterrupted while Bambino was at school because he is going to school in the Art Room! So I have some catch up to do now that the room is done. Tutorials for many of our projects will be forthcoming in due time.
A Hygge Bed & Bedding
I turned an old sweater into two new throw pillows for the bed, too.
A cozy bed is central to any hygge bedroom. I chose a flannel duvet cover and sheets for the bed with the cutest animals wearing sweaters! The subtle touches of red, turquoise, green, and gold work with the other colors in the room. Bambino loves all creatures great and small, so this is the perfect winter bedding. In warmer months, his old linens with turtles and frogs will still work in this room, too.
We sleep Scandinavian-style — the coziest way to sleep! This means that we don’t use top sheets and sleep with duvets and duvet covers. And every sleeper gets their own duvet. My husband sleeps hot, so his duvet is much lighter weight than mine, for example. This makes our beds particularly cozy, and we all sleep better!
My husband, Romano, designed and built Bambino’s bed. One side features cubbies for toy storage. We already had the blue and green bins which I bought before Bambino was born. Romano built the cubbies to fit the bins.
These bins have been in near constant use for the better part of 10 years, and they are still in great shape.
The other long side is a gorgeous piece of birch plywood — the primary material in the entire room. The bed is high enough that Bambino needs a step stool to get up onto the bed, but that only makes it all more fun!
We designed a simple bedside table just big enough for a book. The inexpensive lamps are built into the table design which mimics the Cleat Wall and is built from the same birch plywood.
The most important feature of the bed, however, is the Book Nook. Bambino requested a cozy place to read and to hide during hide and seek. Romano designed the nook to accommodate a twin-size mattress from Ikea. Both Bambino and Ole, our dog, love to hang out inside. At some point we will add some LED fairy lights for a little light, but for now a book light is perfect.
The Book Nook is super fun for kids and dogs alike!
When Bambino no longer finds hiding under the bed quite as fun, this area can be used for long-term storage. But I struggle to see when that may happen — probably never!
The Cleat Wall
As I said before, the room’s design started with the Cleat Wall. This wall jogs in about 10 inches, and I wanted to fill that space with something special and functional. I started with the idea of boxes on the wall — specifically designed and built for toys and mementos that are both beautiful and meaningful. I had two items in mind: the vintage fire truck which had belonged to my father as a child and R2D2, a memento from Galaxy’s Edge.
But the wall couldn’t just be decorative. This isn’t a huge room, so it had to be functional as well. Bambino has a collection of PlayMobil sets but found playing with them frustrating. He didn’t have a good place to play without having to clean up every time he changed course. And on the floor, our dog often stole little pieces — sometimes chewing them up. Additionally, we needed shelves for Bambino’s growing collection of chapter books which don’t fit well on the Ikea cube book cases.
The Cleat Wall meets all of those needs, and it is completely adaptable as Bambino grows and changes.
To learn more about French cleats — which we use all over the house — check out this tutorial from my first ORC room!
The French cleats are mounted on birch plywood which is mounted to furring strips on the wall. All of the boxes and shelves — even the table top — rest on the cleats and can be moved and repositioned at any time. The table top can be raised as Bambino gets taller and could even be a standing desk at some point.
Every wizard needs a custom wand holder and a place for their Golden Snitch, too.
We chose items to display, and then Romano created customized boxes for each item.
This fire truck belonged to my father as a child. It is a treasure and was one of the inspirations for the Cleat Wall. The photo is of Bambino and my dad doing one of their favorite things: swimming!
I chose photographs that paired with the items we displayed on the Cleat Wall. It isn’t just about stuff; it’s about memories and connections.
I have had the vintage school chairs for several years. They bring a little Mid Century style to this room.
The Closet
When we moved into this house three years ago, we outfitted several closets with Ikea’s Algot closet organizing system. This is the second house where we have used it, and we love it. One of my favorite things: it is really easy to change things around. Three years is a long time in a child’s life. Bambino is taller. His clothes are bigger. And his interests have somewhat changed.
So, I spent some time working in the closet. I pulled everything out, rearranged some of the shelves and drawers, and put it all back in a more cohesive way. I added a few shelves, removed a few others, and switched some things around to make the closet even more functional.
One of the best parts about a closet system is that it is changeable and adaptable. An afternoon of work took this closet from little boy to bigger kid.
When we moved in, we took off the sliding closet doors. They were terrible and wouldn’t stay on their tracks. We replaced them with dark green curtains which tuck back into the corners as needed. Honestly, they are rarely closed which is fine, but the closet needs to be neat and tidy as a result.
Storage Solutions
I work really hard not to buy more and more storage containers. That’s one of the biggest lessons I learned from using the KonMari Method in our home. When I did the Workroom Makeover, I only ended up buying four containers for my entire workroom — and two of them were just to match things I already had. For this room, I did buy a few more — largely because I wanted them to be attractive as well as useful.
When I was a little girl, I loved the rainbow wall of Amac boxes at the Container Store. I longed for a wall of my own — colorful and yet precise. Here I am with a child whose second favorite color is rainbow and for whom tiny things spark joy, so the answer was obvious. The Container Store offers curbside delivery, so I ordered a rainbow of Amac boxes in various sizes. Bambino and I spent time together sorting and organizing his collections of tiny things — marbles, medals, buttons, and rocks as well as all of the little pieces that go with his PlayMobil sets. Now he has dedicated boxes and his small items that spark joy are sorted by type.
These Amac boxes make storing the little pieces and parts so much easier — and more colorful, too.
As I noted before, the bed has built in storage. To preserve floorspace in this room — and because the closet system keeps clothes neat and tidy — Bambino does not have a dresser. These cubbies are great for toy storage now, but they will work for clothes or other items as he grows up.
This may look like a beanbag chair, but it isn’t just any beanbag chair: it is stuffed with stuffed animals! This is my favorite storage solution ever!
The stuffed animals are all tucked away when they aren’t being played with, and the beanbag chair is fun for reading and lounging. Our dog LOVES sleeping on it, too. I love anything that does double-duty and looks cute. You could use any beanbag chair cover — just fill it with stuffies! The covers come in different sizes depending on how many animals you need to conceal.
A beanbag chair stuffed with stuffed animals!
I am fussy about books. I write them, and I find the trend of turning the spines inward — using books as props — to be morally abhorrent. However, I absolutely love a good rainbow bookcase! This has been a gamechanger for us, actually. Bambino has a good visual memory, and he has learned quickly where to find his favorite books by their spine color. This was particularly fabulous before he was reading, but it is still great even now! I highly recommend organizing kids books this way — plus they looks so cheerful and tidy.
Lighting: Vintage & New
The lighting in this room before left a LOT to be desired. We had a collection of lamps which were somewhat inadequate and a ceiling fan which didn’t offer good light either. In the winter here in Colorado, the sun sets by about 4:30, so this room needs good light for playing and reading as well as bedtime activities. Layering with a good overhead fixture as well as lamps and task lighting is the answer, and I’m pleased with the cozy scheme that resulted. And to tie so many light fixtures together I chose two simple elements: white and wood.
My father’s lamp; the Frog Prince lamp; a vintage Viking ship lamp
I mixed a combination of vintage and new fixtures in this room. My dad made the wooden lamp in middle school shop class in the 1960s. I added a new lampshade — the art is by Claire Desjardins and is from Anthropologie. The frog lamp was an ugly duckling from the FBMP. I spray painted it white, replaced the shade, and added a gold crown.
The Viking ship nightlight is a vintage TV lamp from the 1950s. I found it on Etsy, and my husband was sure I had lost my mind. But I rewired it and put it on a timer in the closet — it makes a wonderful nightlight.
Hot tip: put a lamp on a timer in your child’s room, and they will never be afraid of going into the room in the dark again! This has changed our lives — particularly during these days when it gets dark so early. I have lamps on timers all over the house.
I was also fortunate to have a lighting sponsor for this project. ColorCord is a Denver-based company that sells customizable light fixtures and lamp parts. You can use their products as is — or use them as the basis for great DIY projects.
I replaced the old ceiling fan with ColorCord’s 2 Inch Post Shade-Ready Pendant (in white) to which I added the Fabric Tapered Shade in White/Lime Green. But I wanted to customize the light a bit. We cut a disk of the same birch plywood, sanded it, and applied linseed oil. This DIY ceiling medallion brings just a bit of the wood up to the ceiling. Then I used my Cricut to cut out trees, squirrels, owls, and rabbits from birch veneer. I glued them to the inside of the shade. When the light is on, the shapes appear as shadows on the shade. It is so fun!
Customizing ColorCord’s fixture was easy and fun!
I also needed good task lighting at the Cleat Wall, and again ColorCord came to the rescue. I used ColorCord’s customizer tool to create the perfect pendant lights. Since they are made to order, I could specify the cord lengths, cord grips, sockets — even the type of plug! And ColorCord has an amazing selection of LED bulbs in all the cool shapes and sizes.
For the shades, I drilled holes through the bottoms of some tin cans painted white for a crisp, clean look. This also directs the light down to the play surface making it very good task lighting.
Finally, we designed the bedside tables around some Scandinavian-esque lamps. They plug in and are just the minimal look I wanted with wood accents.
Art & Photographs
Feeling as isolated as we do right now during the pandemic, I wanted to surround Bambino with reminders of the people who love him and who he loves. Here another sponsor, Simple Prints, jumped in to help. They provided me with a series of their Vibrant Metal Prints for this room, and I absolutely love them!
The two large prints we hung at the end of the Cleat Wall area together. The colors are beautiful, and I am really impressed with the print quality. Frankly, these would be perfect in a bathroom where moisture can be a problem with paper prints.
I also hung smaller metal prints from the Cleat Wall. This is a great alternative to framing, and as time passes, I can just order more prints using the Simple Prints app on my phone. So easy!
Bambino loves art and loves to draw, so I included two pieces by PD Murray. Murray is a modern expressionist — and is also my cousin. His work spans serious to silly and everything in between. “More Cowbell” is a numbered handmade linocut print available in his Etsy shop. “Frogs are Artists Too” is an original commissioned piece — mixed media on paper.
Original art does not have to be terribly expensive or precious. And children should be surrounded by good art — examples of what can be done. Supporting artists right now is particularly important, too.
Of course, sometimes we need a little kitsch as well. The Viking ship print is a vintage piece from the 1960s that I bought a few years ago. The original frame was warped and peeling, so my husband built a new frame for it. Now she sails majestically above the frog tank.
The orange shelves are actually four drawers I found by the side of the road years ago. I screwed them together, and they have served in several rooms in our homes over the years. This was one of the pieces I wanted to repaint, but, at least for now, Bambino needed it to stay the same. So I just refreshed the photos and mementos on display.
So is it hygge?
I am going to break all of the rules here. Here are a few photos taken at dusk with all of the lights on. Shocking, I know! But this room is snug and cozy, and when the snow flies, it will be one of the sweetest spots in the house. If that isn’t hygge, I don’t know what is! And I think in the end we know that yes, rainbows are hygge, too.
In the coming weeks, I will create tutorials for several of our projects from this room including the light fixture and the cleat wall. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter so those arrive in your mailbox!
Thank You Notes
First and foremost, thank you to my husband, Romano. When I said, “I want to do this wall full of boxes and display space and a table…” he said, “Yes, and let’s build a custom bed, too!” And when it was all over he declared it all to have been fun! He’s the best carpenter/architect I could ask for! And thank you to Bambino, our sweet guy. Having construction happen in your bedroom during a pandemic is not fun, but we both hope you will love the results for years to come. And you helped so much with this project, too!
Thank you to ColorCord and Simple Prints, the sponsors for this project!
Thanks to Linda of The One Room Challenge for organizing the One Room Challenge! Thanks also to Better Homes and Gardens, the ORC media sponsor. On Instagram, check out #oneroomchallenge and #bhgorc to see all of the amazing room reveals, or visit the One Room Challenge Blog where you’ll find the link-up to all of the participating blogs. There are rooms of every kind, aesthetic, and design. It is an amazing thing to explore and get inspiration!
You can follow me on Instagram or like Mid Modern Mama on Facebook to keep in touch, too! Thanks for your support and enthusiasm for the One Room Challenge. This has been a wild round, but it has been fun nonetheless.
Ciao!
Also: The Nice List
Of course, in the midst of all of this, I launched the 2020 editions of The Nice List, my Christmas planner and organizer. It’s available in my shop in three versions — digital, printable PDF, and paper. Be sure to stop by and check it out! Also coming soon: The 2020 Nice List Thoughtful Giving Guide.
So no, there’s nothing else going on right now… ha!
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