A Shared Room Update with Room & Board

One of my goals this summer is to update the girls' room in a few areas, namely their space for drawing & art projects. We bought this P'kolino chalk table & chair set (see below) when Millie was 2, and it has definitely served them well. But when you have two children who are growing like weeds (with knees now touching the table top when they sit down!), well, it's no longer doing the trick.

Enter my search for a desk big enough for two kids, a task that turned out to be much harder than I anticipated. Obviously for our NYC apartment (or anyone living in a "cozy" arrangement), space is at a premium. So, buying two separate desks for a shared bedroom just wasn't an option. I began my search by looking at every home furnishings website I could think of as well as countless Pinterest kids' room boards. Nothing was long enough for two kids, and we're not handy enough to build one ourselves (actually just thinking about that is funny).

Then, finally, I checked out Room & Board. A friend of ours had bought a couch there a while back, but I never realized they had a kids' section. What a fantastic discovery! I love their modern, clean designs that are as functional as they were stylish. After checking out their desk offerings, I discovered their Moda Desk would be perfect for the girls length-wise (48 inches, to be exact) and with a Moda Desk Organizer on top, they'd each have their own space. And while the cost isn't cheap, it's also impeccably well-made (in upstate New York) by local craftsmen, and its classic style is one that will grow with them over the years. In fact, they'll probably be fighting over who gets to take it with them when they head off to college -- but we'll deal with that then!

A few pics of the girls and their new desk & chairs:

Harry Potter fans will appreciate what Millie is working on here

Finally a space to write and create and collaborate together without overwhelming their shared space -- thank you, Room & Board! 

Disclosure: Room & Board provided me with product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions herein are my own.

A Kids' Room Update with FLOR Carpet Tiles

I'm attempting to make a few updates in the girls' room this winter, and the first one has a lot to do with one of my New Years resolutions: de-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter (3 times for emphasis!)... let's hope I follow through with that one. We all, and especially the girls, seem to accumulate a lot of STUFF throughout the year, which obviously doesn't make a whole lot of sense in a small NYC apartment.

But more on that later! Another update needed is flooring for their room. As you can see, I've been using their old play mat and nursery rug together since we moved, and while it has worked fine, I've been on the hunt for one rug to bring the whole room together. Enter FLOR carpet tiles!

The FLOR tiles I selected (they offer rugs as well, but tiles are a great option for kids' areas) have really brightened and brought the girls' room together, and here's why I love them for kids:

First, fun designs. While the packaging tells you in which direction the tile should be placed, you can lay them down any way you like, creating a design that's wholly unique, just like your kiddo. The tiles themselves are durable, washable, but if you can't get a stain out - they're replaceable, too! And if you send the tile back for them to replace, they'll recycle it back into a future tile for someone else. I love that the company is committed to environmentally-friendly practices, too.

While you attach with a sticker to the bottom of each tile, connecting them together, they're easy to take apart, too, if you decide to move it. In fact, it was a fun project to do with the girls -- they really had fun deciding which tile to lay down next!

And so, the finished product... so happy with this clean, modern design. I gravitated away from pink & purple, as I imagine we'll have the rug for a while and they might not always love those colors QUITE as much as they do now. Luckily, FLOR has tons of fun colors and designs to choose from in a variety of sizes.

What a simple way to make a fun new update. Absolutely recommend checking out FLOR!

Next up... bigger table & chairs. Little legs are growing like weeds around here!



Disclosure: Product was provided to me by FLOR for the purposes of this review. All opinions herein are my own.

Decorating the Nursery with Valspar & Lowe's

When I became pregnant the first go around (almost 7 years ago... how is that possible?!), one of my favorite parts of the process was putting the baby's nursery together. Truth be told, the space was more of a large closet than anything else (this is NYC, after all) but we loved every inch of baby's sparing square footage. We painted the walls yellow, as we kept the sex a surprise, and I can remember going to the paint store and painstakingly eye-balling every variation of yellow paint chip available.

Luckily, we were able to find a low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, but I have to admit I really knew nothing about the subject beforehand. According to the EPA, levels of select organic pollutants are found to be 2 to 5 times higher inside the home, and these pollutants (emitted as paint dries) include carbon monoxide and radon and can cause acute symptoms like headaches and dizziness. YIKES. Not what you want flying around when you're pregnant or have a baby - or anytime, for that matter!

Over the years, the paint industry has continued to evolve and become even more environmentally responsible. I got out with a few of my blogger friends the other evening at Bouley Botanical to celebrate Valspar & their first (& most complete) line of high-performing Zero-VOC paints in the industry. Available at Lowe's, Valspar has 4 products in total: Reserve, Signature, Ultra 4000 & Ultra 2000, & offers approachable price points that range from $15 to $45. Most importantly, Valspar has earned GREENGUARD Gold Certification on all 4 of its products, meaning they've met the most rigorous clean air standards which allow consumers to reduce their environmental footprint and lead greener lives. Awesome!

Hosted by the fabulous interior designer, Genevieve Gorder, the evening was a toast to Valspar and Lowe's, and a chance to celebrate a large company taking steps to help its consumers lead greener lives while not compromising quality. Now that is an initiative I can totally get behind.

And now I have the itch to re-paint my living room... 

Disclosure: I was provided with compensation to attend & promote this event. All opinions are my own.

A New (Shared) Bedroom with Raymour & Flanigan

From the moment we mentioned the idea of bunk beds for their new room, the girls were SO excited. Okay, maybe Millie was slightly more excited as with first child status comes top bunk bed rights, but the feeling was overall mutual. Not only would this be a cool new way to sleep, but there are many ways to turn a bunk bed into a pirate ship & hide out. And from a slightly different perspective, mom & dad were psyched to create some extra space & storage. Win, win!

With the help of Raymour & Flanigan, we outfitted the girls new room with the aforementioned bunk beds, a nightstand & dresser. I've been so pleased with the quality of this brand's products, the service in-store & at delivery, and the way the girls have responded to their new furniture. Knowing they have a new room & furniture actually encourages them to take better care of their space. What a novel concept!

Now, I am FAR from being an interior designer, but what I can say is that (along with the girls') we've created a space where they love to play. It's well-loved (note crayon on every surface except for new furniture!), filled with natural light & organized well enough that they know where every toy or book belongs at pick up time. And in a small NYC apartment, that is KEY.

We'll get a new rug eventually, but for now a combination old play mat/small rug is doing the job... 

World map (not quite finished with stickers!) is from Children Inspire Design;
Kallax bookcase from Ikea & storage boxes I found at H&M Home (super cheap but great!)

Little Elliot wall decal from Live in A Story; Curtains from Joss & Main;
precious side table currently storing art supplies, Raymour & Flanigan

Stuffed animal storage suffering under the weight of too many toys, 3 Sprouts;
Classic white dresser, Raymour & Flanigan

Let me get back to storage for a moment. With this particular bunk bed, you can either pull out the bottom & use as a trundle bed (a twin mattress fits perfectly) or use as extra storage. We went with the latter & it has been such a lifesaver! I'm getting ready to switch out their clothes for the season & everything (& more) fits. Let all the space-starved parents say HURRAH!

Please note: drawer only pulled out halfway as it's already stuffed to the gills!

Flora & Fauna bedding by Dwell Studio, which was exactly what I was looking for - girly, not cutesy.

Loving this light blanket from Fine Foutas! Made in Tunisia from organic cotton,
it's perfect for naps or a picnic outdoors & towel at the beach.
Soft, versatile & by the way, they're having a great sale right now...

Tried my hand at the shoe rack/toy organizer I've seen on Pinterest a million times,
& guess what... it's brilliant!

I'm so happy my girls have a new room they love!




Disclosure: Thanks to Raymour & Flanigan for sponsoring this post. I received product to facilitate this review but all thoughts & opinions are my own.