how to move from little kid to big kid bedrooms (with tips from sabrina soto & target giveaway)

For a while now we have talked about making the change from little kid bedrooms to big kid bedrooms, and we finally did it.

With tips from Target Style expert home decorator, Sabrina Soto, we planned, prepped, painted, and prettied Maddy, Owen, and Cora’s bedrooms.   Now each room is perfect for a 9, 7, and 6 year old.

Good-bye, baby rooms.  (Boo-hoo.)

But wooo-hoooo! because thanks to Target, one lucky teachmama.com reader will have the chance to win a $250 Target gift card to assist with his or her own child’s room re-do! Fabulous, right?

The last time we made color changes to the kids’ bedrooms was when we moved into this house, close to eight years ago. Sure, we switched out cribs for toddler beds and then bigger beds once the tiny ones became too small, but really, each room was well overdue for a new coat of paint, updated decorations, and special touches unique to each child’s style.

I was surprised and excited about the options available for kids as far as room décor goes, and I’m thrilled to share what we did so that others can make simple changes that pack a big punch.

It’s a big transition from baby room to bigger kid room, so let’s make it as fun as possible.

Here’s the skinny. . .

• How to Move From Little Kid to Big Kid Bedrooms (With Tips from Sabrina Soto):  We did three rooms simultaneously, which is a bit more labor intensive, but was an easier way for us.

The paint crystals added a little extra ‘wow!’ to one wall in Maddy’s room. . .

. . . which was great because we didn’t want to spend a fortune on room re-do’s.

We wanted our rooms all done at about the same time.

We started by talking about color.  We asked the kids what color they wanted their rooms, and we gave them a few choices from that point. We narrowed their paint choices down for them because otherwise, taking young children into a paint store is more than overwhelming.  It’s overwhelming for adults.

Paint is a great, low-cost way of re-doing rooms, so we thought we’d begin there.

 

It takes a LOT of work to paint, but we had help (thanks, Aunt Mary!). . .

. . . and who knew that our Sunny Patch spray bottle would come in handy?

(Mix of vinegar, water, and small bit of dishwashing soap to pull off these tough baby room borders!)

Maddy wanted a teal color, Owen wanted blue, and Cora wanted purple.  After colors were chosen, we focused on the paint job.

In each room, we painted two accent walls and two white walls to keep it visually appealing and to give the rooms more of an ‘open’ feel.

 

Half nutty after two days of painting rooms. . .

 

. . . and boy does the blue painter’s tape help!

Like I said, we added Valcor sparkle to Maddy’s teal, adding the entire pack of sparkle into her one quart of teal paint.  It. Looked. Awesome. 

But there are tons of other glitter paint options for walls, too: Martha Stewart has a line of glitter paint for walls, as does Vesalux.

We had some extra paint and decided to do some stripes on one of her walls.  Adding stripes is a cool way of bringing together walls of different colors and upping the cool factor of any ‘big kid’ room!

 

 

After paint we made some furniture and decorating choices, using Sabrina Soto’s recommendations.  I wrote a quick note to her about each child and I sent along pictures of their rooms as ‘little kid’ bedrooms.

 

My note to Sabrina:

Maddy, age 9, needs a room that will take her through her “tween” years. She has aqua sparkle paint on one wall, and white and purple on other. Her favorite colors are green and blue. She has cousins and friends over for sleepovers so she enjoys her bunk beds. She’s also athletic and does gymnastics and swim team.

Sabrina’s tips:

The tween years are about growing up and finding oneself. Choose pieces that show personality, yet can evolve with the child. It’s about making the room feel like their own private “grown-up” space and still infusing a fun and youthful vibe.

• Table Lamp – incorporate modern shapes for a more “grown-up” look. Themes tend to look a bit childlike
• Memo Board – memo boards are especially essential in the tween years with keeping track of activities, notes, etc. Group in 2 or 4 for larger coverage.
• Funky Décor – a chic new nightstand is a perfect addition to transition this space

Here’s what we did:

• New bedding: Tried zebra print but returned it and settled on the adorable Boho Bright bed in a bag for top and bottom bunk with pillows to match the print.
• Funked it out with super funky décor:  We went with Bird on a Wire metal wall hangings, similar to these birds for your wall
• Table lamp & alarm clock: Funky black and white table lamp and color changing alarm clock,
• Fun accessories: Memo board to match Boho Bright collection
• Floating Shelf for trophies
• Wall Cubicles: We went with the 6-cube cubicles –similar to these–and they were so inexpensive and perfect for trophies!

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My note to Sabrina:

Owen, age 7, is also making a transition from a “babyish” room. He loves soccer and almost any sport. He takes a lot of pride in his trophies! His favorite teams are University of Maryland (team colors are red, white, black and yellow) and the Washington Redskins (team colors are maroon and gold).

Sabrina’s tips:

Incorporate a punch of color through accessories! A red rug or fun yellow throw pillows make his passion for the Redskins really stand out!

Tips for Owen’s Room:

• Chalkboard Bank – a great way to get a little creative while teaching your kids about spending.  Also consider a chalkboard wall, it’s fun for all ages and design schemes!
• Floating Shelves – perfect for displaying memorabilia while keeping clutter off floors!
• Themed Wall Décor – themes can be both whimsical and fun. Shows off personality and interests!
• Keep it fun and personal!

Here’s what we did:

• New bedding: Owen didn’t need new comforters or sheets, but we added a little zing with a new Skylanders throw blanket
• Picked sports-themed canvases:  Both baseball-related (though we have a soccer boy on hand!) one baseball stadium canvas but with our local team–Washington Nationals–and the other with baseballs from the entire Major League.
• Fun accessories: We updated his shadow boxes by taking out his monogrammed bibs (they were so cute!) and replaced with his swimming awards and ribbons.
• Wall Cubicles: We went with the 6-cube cubicles –similar to these–and they were so inexpensive and perfect for trophies!

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My note to Sabrina:

Cora, age 5, is making the transition from a “babyish” room to a “big girl room”. She is a girlie girl who loves pink, flowers, butterflies, and everything pretty. She also loves dancing and singing, keeping her room super-neat and seeking a place for everything.

Sabrina’s tips:

Tips for Cora’s Room:  Use pieces that are “transitional” and can be used in multiple styles and ways. Girls especially change their minds about everything so it’s important to choose staple pieces that fit into multiple design schemes.

• Pink Window Panels – the ruffled accents are a perfect touch of girliness, simple and clean lines are great for those “transition” years, simple yet chic!
• Storage – girls love their accessories and trinkets! Keep everything neat and tidy in a comfy storage bench, upholstered in pink and white, perfect as extra seating for friends!
• Wall Decals – a great way to add a little surprise to the walls! Super easy to apply and remove (helpful if she grows tired of butterflies after a while)!
• Big Girl Chair – perfect little “adult” accent on a smaller scale!

Here’s what we did:

• New bedding: Chose a comforter from the Buds and Blossoms set
• Rocked some Wall Decals:  Love, love, love these.  We chose the  [x] decals from the same set, and they are absolutely adorable.
• Table lamp: green table lamp for her night stand
• Fun accessories: color changing alarm clock, small oval rug, similar to the dyed rug
• Wall Cubicles: We went with the 6-cube cubicles –similar to these–and they were so inexpensive and perfect for trophies!
• New photos: Gone are her babyish pictures; we flipped the print around and glued in some fancy paper–that’s it!–from her butterfly birthday bash!

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It was an incredible experience, from start to finish, especially because Maddy, Owen, and Cora were a part of every decision along the way.

For everyone, it was an absolute blast–and it certainly made this rite of passage, the move from little kid to bigger kid room, a whole lot more fun.

Let’s get to how YOU can bring all of this fun home to your kiddos!

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GIVEAWAY: $250 gift card to Target

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By entering this super-fab giveaway, you are demonstrating your understanding of and compliance with the Official Sweepstakes Rules.

This giveaway ends Friday, April 26, 2013 at midnight ET. Winner will be chosen by ‘Rafflecopter’ and will be notified on or around 4/26/13.  Winner must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.  All Official Sweepstakes Rules apply.

 

 

fyi: I wrote this post as part of the Target Inner Circle program.  As always, my opinions are all my own, influenced only by my experience as a parent and educator–and, of course, my three little room-re-decorators.

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