Our Colorado Home: Kids' Room

Welcome to the first part of my latest home tour! This is the third home we've lived in in four years which has allowed for plenty of practice in arranging rooms that work for our family of four regardless of wall space, floor plans, and square feet! Doing it all as a renter makes things interesting but also frees me up to try things out without the fear and indecisiveness of more permanent changes homeowners might get stuck on. Also, I love white walls so it's a great time to be a renter as far as paint color is concerned.

I'm starting things off with a tour of our childrens' shared room. It's smaller than their last two and has a large built-in that we had to work around but I've been able to create a vintage-inspired space with similar elements in both girl and boy versions and stuck to a color palette that not only feels appropriate to their ages but can also grow with them. It took me a few weeks to figure all of this out and even longer to get that last embroidery hung and the boxes of legos under the bed organized but I think my favorite rooms have always evolved over time before they reach their happy place.


Most things in their room are vintage and have been thrifted, gifted, or DIY'ed. The beds are possibly my favorite pieces apart from the pull down chalkboard map and wooden kitchen. Each piece has it's own character but most have come with their own stories. For instance, I found Ruby's bed frame and the chalkboard map during our move from Missouri to Colorado. We were traveling in our two cars and there was just enough room to angle both huge pieces above the seats in the interior of our Maxima. I was so determined to take both home that I paid for them before measuring to see if they'd even fit!

This room has the luxury of a deep closet and built-ins (see above door). It's Sebastian's favorite hiding spot and holds all of Ruby's dresses, out of season clothing, our collection of vintage Fisher-Price houses, and extra blankets. There may still be a big box hiding in the back corner that I just can't bring myself to unpack. 

The embroidery wall was collected over a period of three years and were all found at local thrifts and fleas except for the last three I found on Etsy to fill out the collection. I almost donated them before we moved but held on to them at the last minute. I chose a bold display for her side of the room to fill up that long wall and love how the full collection takes a bit of preciousness away from the fact that they're floral embroideries.

The basket full of stuffed animals is evidence of her big heart. She lays claim to anything soft and cuddly within her reach. Just because she doesn't name any of her animals doesn't mean she'd not notice if one of them went missing...ahem. I made the garland on the wall above her bed right after she was born as a Christmas decoration for the living room but love it with these colors.

I tried to create some symmetry in their room to help tie everything together but only just noticed that I have arrows on both of their bottom shelves pointing in either direction. Again, the items on their shelves each carry a story or a reminder of someone who loves them.

The arrows were purchased at an Indian trade shop in Missouri during a trip to St. Louis to spend some precious time with Brett during a three-month training period last year. The 'KID' letters were found on one of my last thrifting dates with Elsie and Emma, the handmade lamb plush was a gift to Ruby on her second birthday from Katie, the miniature sewing machine was a gift from Leigh-Ann, the blue feather headdress was a gift from Sarah, and various other decorations were thrifted from favorite flea markets in Springfield.

The afghans, quilts, and bedspreads were all found at various thrifts and fleas. I have had so many people ask how I wash linens and my secret is baking soda or white vinegar if things are smelling bad. It also doesn't hurt to hang them to dry in the sunshine if you've got the space. Just don't forget about them and leave them outside for three or ten days because they'll either mold or fade. I may be speaking from experience.

This bookshelf was gifted by my grandmother and is from an educational company. It's served us well by keeping their favorite reads at eye level with easy access. I like being able to see the tops of the covers when I'm searching for a bedtime story.

I had this shelf custom built by a craigslist carpenter for Sebastian's room when he was two after seeing something similar in a magazine. It's been utilized as a bookshelf in other parts of other homes as well. Versatile pieces of furniture make filling in the new spaces a little easier when you move. The dollhouse is from PLAN toys and the tubs are from Target. I have had good intentions on decorating that dollhouse with vintage wallpaper but Ruby beat me to it with her sidewalk chalk. 

The wooden kitchen below is starting to show a little wear thanks to a budding young cook. We managed to fit it into an overly full car on the way home from a Christmas visit to Brett's family a few years ago. I'd been looking and looking for one for months and then we happened to stop into a new flea market and there she was. I still remember how little I paid for it! 

I'd still love to find a rug that cooperates with the rest of their room to warm things up this winter but I'm really happy with how things have turned out this time around. I'm planning on draping twinkle lights over their built-in and putting little wreaths on their bed frames as we approach Christmas. We're in this space for another year-and-a-half so if any other little Denbows make their way into this family (we wouldn't be opposed to that AT ALL) it'd mean another creative solution to fitting it all in but I do like a good challenge! 

Stay tuned for a dining and living room tour in coming days. See the last two shared rooms here and here.

-Rachel