How to Add Storybook Charm to Your Child’s Room

Tammi Garlick is the owner of “Tammi’s Finders Keepers” in American Fork. She shares ways to add storybook charm to any child’s room through re-purposing.

There are five main ways to add storybook charm, or design detail, into a child’s bedroom space:

1. Color

2. Fabric/Textiles

3. Furniture

4. Lighting

5. Art/Accessories/Details

1. Color

First pick 2 to 3 colors that inspire your child. Make sure the tones of the colors coordinate with the things you are not changing in the room such as carpet, molding, or hardware. Ignoring these things can make an unharmonious room.

2. Fabric/Textiles

Bedding is the easiest thing to start with. It is the main focal point in a bedroom. Unless you are a seamstress, It is the hardest thing to match up later. I always suggest spending a little more on your bedding so that you get what you really like. Everything else will come easier because you have your paint pallet in your bedding.

3. Furniture

Decide which pieces are staying in the room. Also take notice of other pieces throughout your house that can be re purposed. A fresh coat of paint quickly changes the mood of any piece. (Finders Keepers, can do this for you if you don’t want to!)

Painting one piece of furniture a different, but coordinating color is a good way to make your room look truly custom.

Hardware, is an easy quick way to change a look if you don’t want to paint.

Adding removable wood appliqué behind a knob adds easy detail to your furniture.

Painting and recovering a chair is a simple way to tie in your bedding and window treatments.

4. Lighting

Lighting can make a room truly Magical! One thing we frequently do at “Finders Keepers,” is make canopies to hang over the beds with either chandeliers or Christmas lights draped in the middle or throughout the curtain panels. This makes the Story Book Room complete!

*Designer’s Tip: A simple way to make a canopy, is to take a front and side enclosed shelf. Put a spring rod up inside and hang drapes or sheers from it.

You can make any generic, Big Box store lamp, look like it was custom designed for your little one by adding ribbon, fringe, flowers, paint, and or glitter.

5. Art/Accessories/Details

Generic Accessories can be tweaked to look customized. Old metal stars can be painted to match bedding. Frames and matt’s can be painted. Old Paintings and art, that matched the old room can be touched up with coordinating colors to match new decor. Craft acrylic paint works best.

Ribbon and trim can be added to generic bed skirts, window treatments and pillows.

Old doors can be painted and placed somewhere unexpected for a splash of color, that might be too bright or dark for the walls.

Cork Boards can be covered with fabric to match bedding.

Old frames can be painted and used for many displays, such as, encasing letters, child’s name or their own art. You can even frame fabric as art.

A fun thing to do if you have a theme room is to have a picture day, wherever your kids dress up with their family and friends and take lots of pictures for their room.

Examples:

• Princess room: princess attire

• Construction room: hard hats and a job site (make sure to get permission!)

• Garden Room; Lots of fun hats, flowers etc.

Tammi’s Finders Keeper , in American Fork, Specializes in putting Re purposed, designer room groups together for the savvy shopper. We coordinate lots of creative, one of a kind pieces together, So that you can see the room complete, before you even get started. We also offer the service of painting your pieces to match your story book room. As well as lots of FREE advice!
Come visit us!