The Evolution of your Child's Bedroom

The Evolution of your Child’s Bedroom

As your kids grow, it’s important to let their room grow with them. Here we outline the five phases of your child’s bedroom with more articles to come that highlight helpful tips at each stage, current trends for your kid’s room, and ideas for how to make the space reflect your little bundle of joy as they get older and, when the nest empties, how the space can reflect you!

Nursery
Whether it’s your first child or fifth, there are essential design ideas for nurseries that will suit your newborn baby as well as you as parents. Are you a new grandparent? A new baby in the family can cause changes to be made in your home as well. Watch for more on how to create a space for baby. 




Kid’s Room
There is a lot more to updating a kid’s room from a nursery than taking out the crib and adding a big kid bed. With a talking, walking, running, jumping child, the room has to accommodate active play and, of course, more toys! Colors can change and the room can shift its design to reflect a child’s developing interests and activities. 




Teenage Bedroom
As your kid matures, you’ll want to let the things of childhood filter out as they develop new interests. Creating a space for your teen to hangout, do homework, and reflect their personalities is an important part of the evolution of the bedroom.




College Years
When your young adult leaves for college, the room takes on a different feel. Find ways to use the vacant space, and still make sure it welcomes your academic back home for breaks.

Empty Nest
When your little baby leaves for the next phase of life, don’t let the room sit empty. Turn it into a guest room for when they come to visit or use the space for new hobbies and interests of your own. Convert the space to suit the needs of you!

Make memories for your child by designing a room that suits them and changes when they do, so they’ll always think of your house as home.

Check back as we post helpful hints and design ideas for each stage!

 

 

Home Projects for the HOLIDAYS

Make the most of holiday celebrations this season by focusing on what changes will make the house more welcoming for guests and family. David Juarez of D.J.’s Painting and Remodeling says, “Inside is where you will spend most of your time this winter and with the holiday parties on the way, there are small changes that can be made to your house to create the perfect atmosphere for making those holiday memories with both family and guests.” There are numerous options for a small project that can be completed in a short amount of time. Choose what suits the needs of the home.

Paint. Painting only one room of a house has a dramatic impact and a major benefit of choosing to paint for the holidays is that the homeowner can choose the size of the project to accommodate the season’s hectic schedule. Paint one room, paint two rooms, or add an accent wall. Focus on the rooms which will receive the most holiday traffic and act accordingly. David Juarez asserts, “Look at the entryway, the living room, and the kitchen. A fresh coat of paint or a new color can make a great difference and enhance the spaces that will be used for gatherings.”

Organize. Escape from the clutter of the rest of the year by installing shelving and storage that is specifically suited to the type of clutter that needs to elude the sight of guests this season. Enhance storage options by having a custom organizer designed for the closet or have built-in bookshelves installed to hold keepsakes for guests to admire. Add a medicine cabinet in the bathroom to store toiletries or extra shelving in the kitchen pantry to accommodate and organize the extra ingredients for cooking and baking. Organizing can help keep a home tidy for when guests begin to arrive.

Remodel. Now is not the time to start a major remodel, but little remodel projects make a big difference in a home. Traffic through the kitchen increases significantly during this time and new cabinets, a new sink, a better appliance, or an updated counter top can enhance the aesthetics and also the efficiency of the room. If the family has plans to gather around the tree on Christmas morning, replace the carpet or refinish the hardwood floors in the living room to give the presents and the people a welcoming place to reside.

Detail. Trim out more than the tree this year. Pay attention to details throughout the home and guests will notice. Small features such as new knobs and pulls for a cabinet or new trim around the edge of a room insert an updated look. Other, more conspicuous trimmings like window treatments and new upholstery for the furniture make a noticeable difference in a room. If the goal is to draw attention to the features in the room that are already present, consider a change in lighting. Updating the light fixtures or installing additional lighting will illuminate the attributes of the space.

Plan. The holidays are the perfect time to pay attention to the issues that arise during the celebration. Note the flow of traffic and use of space in the gathering rooms, the efficiency of the kitchen, and the possible need to make a little more room in your home with an additional bath or guest room. According to David Juarez of D.J.’s Painting and Remodeling, “Now is the time to complete smaller projects for the holidays, but if you are looking to get started on a full remodel, starting the process now with an estimate can prepare you for making a big change in the New Year.” Focus on small projects now or start the New Year by initiating the home project that could make a long term difference to enhance the holiday experience for both family and friends for years to come.

Making your Fireplace COZY!

With the holidays and Bloomington -Normal IL winter in full swing, where better to relax after a long day than by a nice, warm crackling fire? You can snuggle up with your pet, a good book, a glass of wine, perhaps a few friends or family.

Of course, this is tough to do if you haven’t organized a seating arrangement to your desires. The trick is to engage your fireplace: don’t think of it as an accessory that blends into the wall, but a focal point to incorporate into the layout! Even if your fireplace is in a seemingly awkward spot, you still want to incorporate some type of seating to maximize its inclusion to your home. Here are some suggestions to maximize your “coziness”.

• Arrange seating around your fireplace so that everyone who sits in the room is able to enjoy it. Think of the fireplace as another seat in the layout: It should be able to engage with all those who surround it.

• Sneakily add in more seating in a less than obvious fashion by replacing a typical coffee table with an oversized ottoman. It will still carry the same effect as a coffee table — ground the center of the layout — and doubles as extra fireside seating when you have guests.

• Place your dining table near the fire so that your family or dinner guests are warm and toasty during their meal.

• If you have the luxury of a chaise lounge amongst your furnishings, pull it up close to the fireplace. You’ll never regret its placement after a long day. Place a few accent pillows and a blanket on the side to encourage some cozy times.

Wherever your fireplace is located, try to incorporate seating nearby. Whether it’s a extra chair or an ottoman, it promotes engaging family time..... and what is better than a night sharing stories with your family during the holidays?!

D.J.'s Painting and Remodeling, Inc wishes you happy snuggling over the holidays :)

The Perfect Palette

When looking to paint the interior of your home, create a color scheme that reflects your style perfectly.  There are a few easy ways to start designing the perfect palette and many sources of inspiration are available. Consider the following tips:

 

Copy-Cat:  Maybe you admire a friend’s style or how they have designed the color in their home. Maybe a picture on a blog or website caught your eye. D.J.’s Painting and Remodeling suggests keeping a binder of pictures found in magazines and printed from websites. If you see something that you like, keep it. That way, when you are ready to get started, you’ll already have inspiration on hand.

Start Small, Dream Big: Your favorite color can serve as a base for a full spectrum of color in your home. Start with a color you love and then find the perfect complements. If you aren’t sure what your favorite color is, D.J.’s Painting and Remodeling suggests thinking of a favorite shirt. You may not even realize what your favorite shade is until you take a look at what you’ve been purchasing for your closet.

Thematic Elements: If your house has a feel about it or a distinctive style that you would like to keep, websites are now designed to cater to that. Websites like Design Seeds can give you ideas for themes in your color combinations. Whether it is travel, vintage, nature, or seasonal that is the focus of your style, search palettes to find what will suit the mood in your home.

A Few of Your Favorite Things: A painting from your grandmother, a vase from the flea market, a picture frame from the store, or even a throw pillow are all objects that can serve as inspiration for the start of a color palette. Draw out the different colors that are a part of a single item and you may find a palette before your eyes.

Consult the Experts: You may attempt the suggestions above and still feel that your palette is a little too plain or not what you were hoping to achieve. We at D.J.’s Painting and Remodeling can generate fresh ideas that you may not have considered on your own or serve as a sounding board to get your palette where you want it to be.

The right color scheme will suit your personal style and cause others to marvel at the atmosphere you have created. A fresh look can be inspired by many things and it is possible to find the perfect palette!