When Hines Collective revamped the Greenwich Village apartment of a Manhattan family, adaptability was part of the design brief. In the daughter’s room, a Design Life Kids Woodlands wallpaper forms a storybook backdrop for vintage nightstands topped with sage-green lamps, a Pottery Barn bed and a pink Carol Egan Robusto chair from Maison Gerard.
”What’s reflected here is a mix of investment pieces and more accessible layers that can evolve alongside a child’s interests,” Devin Hines says. “That balance creates a sense of longevity while encouraging both an appreciation for thoughtful design and a feeling of ownership over a space that feels uniquely their own.” Photo by Ashok Sinha
Built for a New York City family with a passion for skiing and hosting, this Berkshires getaway was designed by Workshop/APD to welcome a rotating cast of friends and relatives. One gable-ceilinged guest room features an epic three-tier bunk made from white oak. Thibaut’s Teramo wallpaper introduces a diamond pattern, echoed by the Kelly Wearstler for Visual Comfort pendant above, while Ben-Tovim Design sconces provide personal lighting next to each bed.
“Kids respond to rooms that give them a little independence: a bunk, a nook, a hidden corner, a secret door, a place that feels like theirs,” says principal Andrew Kline. “Those moments can be really simple, but they’re the things kids remember.” Photo by Shannon Dupre/DD Reps
Perched on a hillside above downtown Aspen, an eclectic family home boasts a decor mingling global finds from the owners’ travels, vintage textiles and artisanal furnishings. Colorado-based Joe McGuire carried the sense of levity into the daughter’s bedroom, where a vintage white iron bed and pale walls are punctuated by red and blue accents, from the Marimekko shams to the Verner Panton Living Tower against the walls.
“We wanted this bedroom to be a fun space where our client’s daughter could relax and hang out,” McGuire says. “She loves to read, and the sculptural ‘tower’ provides cozy perches for curling up with a favorite book.” Photo by Gibeon Photography
For a young family’s six-bedroom “forever home” located in a 1907 Beaux-Arts building by Delano & Aldrich, GACHOT balanced classic Park Avenue grandeur with a more contemporary sensibility. That equilibrium extends to the daughter’s room, where rose-patterned wallpaper, pink-striped Soane Britain shades, a Povl Kjær Rocking Sheep and a dollhouse perched on the windowsill offset the monumentality of the built-in cabinetry with brass pulls and Samuel & Sons tassels.
“What makes for a truly successful kids’ room is creating a curated aesthetic that reflects the child’s personality,” coprincipal Christine Gachot says. “It’s like designing their own little world, a personal space that sparks curiosity while allowing room for growth and change.” Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson
In a Miami Beach family home, Andre Mellone took a restrained but whimsical tack for the child’s room. A world-map mural hand-painted by DSI Studios covers one wall, while Schumacher-upholstered seating and a Nordic Knots rug form a perfect setting for everything from daydreaming to sprawling play sessions.
“The design creates a soft, exploratory environment,” Mellone says, “almost like a child’s first introduction to adventure and discovery.” Photo by Billal Taright
Around the bend from Austin’s Barton Springs natural pool, SLIC Design reimagined a mid-century bungalow for a young family who wanted to preserve the home’s original ambience. In the kids’ room, principal designer Sara Cukerbaum leaned into organic colors and motifs.
Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke coats the walls, Kelly Ventura’s Farm Weeds wallpaper spreads across the ceiling, a green lacquer table sidles up to turmeric linens, and a hand-knotted rug introduces crimson hues below. “These kiddos spend a lot of time in their rooms, so I wanted to create a fun space that also allowed time for rest,” Cukerbaum says. “The key to a kid’s room is to balance colors, patterns and textures with some minimalism so the space does not overwhelm their little brains!” Photo by Casey Dunn
In AREA Interior Design founder Janine Carendi MacMurray’s own house, in Locust Valley, New York, her daughter’s room combines objects reflecting family heritage with one-of-a-kind finds. A pink Gucci Heron wallpaper shares the space with paintings by MacMurray’s great-uncle Kurt Carendi, a Gustavian secretaire and stool, a Regency side chair, a Carl Malmsten lounger, Lee Jofa window treatments and a Louis XVI–style bed clad in Ikat fabric.
“My daughter fell in love with the wallpaper, and since she was a little girl at the time, I loved the idea of juxtaposing the playfulness with a canopy bed and layered antiques,” MacMurray recalls. “I think children should truly live among beautiful things.” Photos by Ethan Herrington
In a renovated 1920s brick townhouse in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights, Lindsay Gerber Northart gave the nursery the same high-craft sensibility found throughout the home. Venetian-plaster walls envelop the compact room in a pale blue, while pieces like a vintage Povl Kjær Rocking Sheep, a John Dickinson tripod stool and a plush velvet sofa give it a luxurious feel.
“For nurseries, my main goal is to create spaces that are peaceful and comforting — for baby and mama,” Northart says. “This specific nursery design will always be dear to my heart because I surprised the clients by adding three lilies to the de Gournay Anemones in Light panels to honor their daughter, Lily.” Photo by Christopher Stark
For the renovation of Marie Trohman’s 1929 Spanish Colonial house, in Los Angeles, Proem Studio, the firm she cofounded, conceived everything from a new guest house and swimming pool to updates across the three-story main residence. The daughter’s room is a pint-size retreat, with a custom bunk bed in muted mauve, antique Malayer rug, chair upholstered with Schumacher fabric, Jason Koharik sconces and vintage lighting from Nickey Kehoe.
“We wanted to create a space that felt imaginative and playful without leaning too heavily into anything overly themed or temporary,” says Ashley Drost, Proem’s other cofounder. “A child’s version of a well-traveled guest room.” Photo by Dan Arnold
Within a streamlined house in Old Westbury, New York, Monica Fried struck a gentler note in the daughter’s bedroom. “For this little girl, we paired a lovely floral wall covering by Gucci with a custom bouclé bed upholstered in the prettiest shade of rose,” Fried says. “So pretty at age 5 or 55. What girl doesn’t love a little Gucci in her life?” Photo by Nicole Franzen
“This kids’ room was designed for the grandchildren of an especially glamorous, globetrotting, art-collecting client who never shied away from a bold gesture,” says Kelly Behun. The Kinder Modern rug and Cones wallpaper by Studio Printworks set a bold tone in the space, which also includes a bright sunburst mirror by Misha Kahn from Friedman Benda. Photo by Richard Powers
“We wanted to create a playful and whimsical room for a teenage girl,” Sara Story says of her design for this Aspen chalet. “The wallpaper provides a fun pop of color and pattern, while the textures in the upholstery, pillows and rugs are very welcoming and tactile. The contemporary art adds another layer of interest. I absolutely love this room!” The wallpaper is by Porter Teleo, the ceiling light is by Iacoli & McAllister and the bedside tables are by Tommi Parzinger. A Damien Hirst painting hangs above the bed. Photo by David Marlow
“This room is about youthfulness at all stages — infant to teen,” Jaime Walters says of her vignette for this year’s Holiday House in New York City. “The greatest byproduct of a happy childhood is creativity and that is visually expressed in my room.” The space features a cloud rocker by Maison Deux and a Double Wing Chicken desk by Guillamit, both from Kinder Modern, as well as eclectic lighting by Roll and Hill. Photo by Kalen Hollomon
Natasha Baradaran designed a custom bed with a demilune canopy in this girl’s room, which also includes a Kartell pendant light and a silver Moroccan pouf. Photo by Roger Davies
“I tend toward cheerful but sophisticated children’s rooms,” says designer Nick Olsen. “This particular bedroom sits at tree line on a beautiful block in Brooklyn Heights, so I incorporated that into the room with a Sandberg wallpaper, as well as the boys’ interests, which include sailing and basketball. The Campaign-style desk and leather armchair were purchased at auction, and the desk chair by Soane is a charming take on a 1940s design.” Photo by Pieter Estersohn
“The idea was to build a functional play space that didn’t feel inherently like a kids’ room,” says Consort, who designed this Los Angeles home. “We took it to this cool, high-contrast place to keep it flowing with the rest of the home, but still vibrant and fun.” In the center of the room are a trio of tables by B&B Italia. Photo by Daniel Collopy
“The inspiration behind the room is the obvious black-and-white graphic play, but I also didn’t want a typical boys’ room,” Timothy Godbold says of this Bridgehampton, New York, bedroom, noting that the kids “are six and nine, but I can see them living in this room until they’re teenagers.” Cross blankets by Pia Wallén are folded over the beds, which are topped with white pillows with black stripes from Lawson-Fenning. Photo by Alec Hemer
“This room was designed around the wolf print from the Animal Workshop,” says Frances Merrill of Reath Design. The space, which is meant for siblings, includes vintage cushions, rugs and a hanging chair. Photo by Laure Joliet
Alexandra Loew created a whimsical children’s room in this Long Island, New York, country home. “The fireplace mantle was salvaged from the client’s grandmother’s home and holds great sentimental value,” she says. Artist Eric Beare painted the mural over chalkboard paint. “His mural is fixed, but the children can draw and erase over and around it. The mountain range depicted in the mural echoes the Salzburg motif on the Pierre Frey wallcovering on all the other walls in the room.” Photo by William Waldron
“Vibrant and exotic rug from Madeline Weinrib mixed with dreamy side tables from Mecox Gardens set against the Lily Sage wallpaper in pale blue from Lee Jofa make this a perfect ageless, timeless fantasy child’s room,” Fawn Galli says of her design for a Newport, Rhode Island, home. “Children’s rooms should be full of dream and character but not juvenile.” Photo by Costas Picadas
Shawn Henderson designed the bunk beds in this Greenwich Village townhouse‘s children’s room, which also features a table surrounded by Arne Jacobsen Series 7 chairs. Henderson says he aimed to “create a fun space for the kids to sleep and hang out in.” He adds: “I wanted the custom bunks to feel like a picket fence.” Photo by Steven Freihon
Studio Hus created an arts and crafts corner in this Los Angeles home. The space includes a Serge Mouille light fixture, and the firm framed the girls’ artwork. “The black-and-white chest is a custom design I did to hold all the kids’ art supplies,” says Tatum Kendrick of Studio Hus. “We kitted it out with a removable box [on the table] that can hold markers, pens, glitter and paper.” Photo by Shade Degges
Polka-dotted wallpaper and a zebra portrait set a playful tone in this Manhattan children’s room by Ashe + Leandro. Photo by Malcolm Brown
“Nested within a five-floor, stylish Chelsea townhouse, this vibrant playroom was designed for a young family with modern tastes,” according to DHD Architecture & Interior Design. “DHD aimed to create a functional space that did not lose sight of the home’s sharp, curated aesthetic.” The Cactus Cowboy wallpaper is by Hibou Home. Photo by Emily Andrews
Untitled (Balloons) by Kimberly Genevieve, offered by ArtStar, hangs on the spotted walls of this Santa Barbara, California, children’s room by SFA Design. The space also includes a Jonathan Adler ceiling light and throw pillow and a Missoni rug. Photo by Meghan Beierle-O’Brien, courtesy of SFA Design
Alyssa Kapito Interiors designed this children’s bedroom on the west side of Manhattan, where two Ellsworth Kelly prints — Orange/Green, 1970, and Green Curve, 1999, available from Susan Sheehan Gallery — hang over a pair of twin beds, providing the color scheme for the space. Photo by Nick Johnson
Untitled, 1980, by Raymond Parker, hangs between the windows of this whimsical New York children’s room by Sandra Nunnerley. The space includes a woven chair and ottoman by Cheick Diallo and a Cloud table by Jacques Jarrige, all from Valerie Goodman Gallery. Photo by Pieter Estersohn
A bird-shaped table sets a whimsical tone in this blush-hued bedroom that Suduca & Mérillou designed for a 1920s apartment in Toulouse, France. Photo by Manolo Yllera
