Francesca’s Room: Now & Later
My mom is working on my baby sister Francesca’s room, and she’d like to finish it up inexpensively for now. She already has a painted table and chair set (from when I was a kid!), a toddler bed that she just bought for $13.50, a pink toy bin, and a glass lamp with a pink shade. She also has a purple shag rug, and multicolored curtains. All the room needs now is bedding, a dresser and a bookshelf.
I’d go with an IKEA dresser and add pink glass knobs to customize it a bit. IKEA’s expedit is ubiquitous these days, but with good reason: it’s an extremely useful piece of furniture that doesn’t cost very much. Add in some pink bedding, and the room will last Francesca for a couple of years.
When the time comes to trade up to a bigger bed, my mom would like to get a nice twin sized bed with a trundle. I think she’d like something like this daybed from Pottery Barn Kids. The lavender walls and rug will remain, as would the dresser, lamp, toy bin, and bookshelf. To make the room feel more pulled together and more grown up (because Francesca will be oh so sophisticated), I’d go with an ornate mirror, silk curtains, and bedding that can take her into her teenage years. OK, and then I had to add the pink kid’s chair because it is just too cute.
Making it Lovely's main RSS feed
twitter
facebook
formspring
flickr
Oh Nicole – this is simply lovely! I’m so excited to begin the process – and I can’t wait for the chair! Thank you.
Wow, I didn’t realize you had siblings so much younger than you! How amazing – your little one’s aunt and uncle will be so close in age. That seems like so much fun. :)
(I also just realized YOU are be a whole bunch younger than ME. Sigh.)
Um, make that “you are a…”, not “you are be…”. Der.
Yep. I’m 28 and my sister Ashley is 22. Then we have our half-siblings: Ross is 5 and Francesca is 2.
Oh I love this! Now I just need to wait for you to do a little boys room! I just got a new house and I’m wracking my brain on how to best decorate his room and playroom. I already decided on that bookcase though – just too perfect for the cost!
I’m pretty sure that your little sister is going to have super fond memories of her childhood bedroom :-)
Also, I think you and Anna from D16 should have a love child, and that child will grow (quickly) and come decorate my house. It’d be the perfect combination for me. LOL!
Oh, how adorable! It almost makes me want to try for a girl. Almost.
I want to put in a plug for the Ikea Hemnes Daybed, which has a trundle-ish platform AND storage drawers, all in one bed:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30080316
It’s not as girly as the PBK bed, but it’s served us well as a guest room bed, and I’ll probably make it my son’s “big boy” bed when the time comes.
We actually painted our daughter’s (3 y/o) room that plum last year and have the very same dresser. We added art from etsy- http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22182420 -framed in white Ikea frames (Ribba). Then threw on a white fluffy duvet, white small book case, and white Vivan drapes. We threw pink accents around the room and we’re still working on lighting.
Love, love, love it!
I would never love white furniture for my own room — but our baby’s room is definitely full of while furniture and I think when she graduates to big girl furniture I may stick with white :)
I agree with the Emily above… the Ikea Hemnes Daybed is fabulous (works great in our guestroom) and would work for kids or grown-ups. Though the lines on the Madeline Daybed are pretty sweet.
The chairs you can find at Target these days are super charming and impressive.
She’s going to have a pretty dreamy bedroom!
I am working on my daughter’s “big girl” room right now (she turns two this month!), and that Target chair would be perfect! I’m going with a pink/black/white glam style! I LOVE THAT CHAIR and I’m going to go check it out right now! Thanks for the great ideas!
yea for lil sisters! I was 17 and the baby when my parents oops got preggo with twins! They are 7 now. I LOVE being able to do cutsie girly stuff since I only have a lil boy!
I want the big girl room for myself! So pretty. Good choices Nicole.
Viv xx
http://www.ishandchi.com
http://www.ishandchi.etsy.com – Artwork made with love
Pretty! I have been eyeing that Target chair for my daughter. It’s cool (though astonishing!) that you have a sibling around the same age as your own child. Built-in playmates!
yeah nichole..im with julia…you should reeeally do a cute little boys room..my son is 5…so he is in the big boy stages…yeeeah for boys! lol
but i stiiill love pink for MYSELF!
I cannot sing the praises of that Ikea Hemnes dresser enough. Talk about ubiquitous, I see it everywhere, but I love it. My dad is custom-making us one for our kiddo (a bit shorter than the Hemnes but same everything else) and I think we’re going with crystal knobs as well. Glad to see I’m not completely off the wall with my design choices!
Francesca has the same dresser as I do! How old is she now?
ps. ignore me, i didn’t read all the comments at first. I see she’s 2.
I got the same Floral Kids Chair from target for my little girls room. And although I loved it, the size was just too small. I am sure she would’ve grown out of it by the time she turned 3. My son is 21/2 and the chair seemed too small even for him. If it would’ve been any bigger I would’ve kept it :(. Now I am sans chair, waiting to find the perfect one.
Wow, little siblings! They have adorable names. I’m waiting to find out what you will name your baby.
My poor kids have completely undecorated rooms, their rooms look like an orphanage, I’d better get on that!
i can’t wait to see more! i don’t know how you do it. are you a robot cause you make it look so effortless?
kilee
http://www.happyhourbride.com
So adorable! I want this for MY grown-up room!
Francesca has no idea how lucky she is to have you for her big sister. This room will be a dream! I remember i learned about the Expedit from you a few years ago and i still love it. I even have your old pink office in my inspiration journal.
I’m loving these inspiration boards- I am in the process of house hunting and it looks like my youngest two may have to continue to share a room- one loves purple, one loves pink- these ideas are PERFECT!
Interesting to see your room when I am searching namesakes!
Well done anyway (I’m a non-pink lover)
Gareth Balch
what a gorgeous combination! I love the later room. I bought the exact same book shelf for my boys’ room and it is great! I highly recommend it. My plan is to get that shelf for my studio later…..
Wow, sounds like your family is as spread out as mine it! I’m 25 and my little sisters are 5. There’s tons of kids in between (8 of us all together).
I love the chair from Target! I want one for myself!
oh my… i just found your blog and i love it! i hope you keep blogging after the baby so you can inspire us mommies to stay on top of design, etc. with little ones in tow! congrats!
I love how everything will match and be able to be used throughout Francesca’s life in the room. It’s a great idea! I love the bed in the “later” one.
I in fact am one and it’s cool having a brother thats 10 years older than me.
i have the same dresser from IKEA! its so wonderful. great post, i really enjoy reading your blog!!
I just love both the now and later versions.
I am a huge fan of that chair from Target and would love it for my little girls room, if we just had Target here…. might need a trip south of the border!
Love it! This makes me want a baby girl!
Hi Nicole.
I love the pink chair you picked out, but i need a bigger version or something similar? I am fifteen years old, do you have any reccomendations?
I love the pink chair, but seeing as I am a teenager the chair is too small! do you know of anything similar or any other reccomendations?
Kristi, maybe this chair?
hi nicole… if you don’t mind sharing, how do you create the paint blobs on your mockups? they look so nice. i’m working on a design project for my house and thought it’d be cool if i could incorporate rather than use a boring old paint chip sample.
thanks!