The Family Groove | Space Savers | Lifestyle Expert Colleen Mullaney's High Design on a Low Budget!

SPACE SAVERS
LIFESTYLE EXPERT COLLEEN MULLANEY’S HIGH DESIGN ON A LOW BUDGET

FROM NURSERY TO BIG-KID’S ROOM

Space Savers

So your baby is, well, not so much a baby anymore and you
need to update her space pronto—and on the cheap. Here
are eight easy ways to give her a room to grow with that’s
budget-friendly but still style-high.

1. Fix the Flooring
When it comes to floors, my choice is always area rug over wall-to-wall. If you have a spill that can’t be cleaned, you can turn the carpet around, hiding the stain under the bed. The carpet should be soft and comfortable to walk and play on, so be prepared to add padding. Remember, the floor is a central part of your little one’s play.
Good Floor Décor: www.landofnod.com

2. Overhaul the Walls
A new paint job (always low VOC!) is the easiest and most cost-effective way to update a room. Colors have the power to energize, inspire, comfort and calm. Choose a palette that works well with your décor. Get creative with stencils or go for the bold with wide tone-on-tone stripes. Blocks of color along the wall make a perfect backdrop for your child’s artwork. Speaking of which, pick up a variety of solid-colored frames and use them to showcase your little one’s inner Picasso.
The Frame Game: www.michaelscrafts.com

3. A Place for Everything
Storage, storage, storage! It’s essential, but it can still be fun. Baskets, bins or canvas hold-alls do the trick. Bookcases or wood cubbies are perfect for housing all kinds of kiddie gear and serve to maintain order in the room. Look for sturdy hardwood units or paint an unfinished piece.
Storage Stores: www.homegoods.com and www.target.com

4. Keep It in the Closet
Closet space is key. There are local and national stores/services that will work with you to optimize your closet space with an easy-to-install design. Be sure to outfit the closet with plenty of spaces for your child to help himself (grab his robe, store his slippers). He’ll love being able to do things himself. Decorative hooks on the side walls allow for robes and light sweaters to be hung neatly and within reach.
Closet Encounters: www.containerstore.com

5. Better Off Bed
If you’re post-crib but pre–big-kid bed, simply stack a twin mattress and box spring against a wall to create a low (read: safe) daybed look. When Junior is ready, add a headboard and frame. You could go with a smaller toddler bed, but toddlers grow quickly, and eventually you’ll have to buy a regular bed. Two big purchases in just a couple of years is not the easiest on your wallet. You’re better off getting a twin from the get-go and adapting it to your child’s needs.
Twin Win: www.potterybarn.com

6. Oh, Sheets!
Beware: A theme is only good if it’s got legs. Make sure to pick something that will grow with your children—because bedding is expensive! Little girls love flowers and butterflies, princesses and fairies. Sports, trains, trucks and boats are perfect for little boys. Stay away from the overbearing character-based themes that they will easily tire of. And for the final touch, add throw pillows. They’re not only great for reading and play, they add color and personality.
Sheet Treat: www.olivekids.com

7. Have a Seat
Seating is an important design element. Soft chairs, cubes or oversized pillows in bright colors provide a happy, soft place to land, learn, lay and play.
Chair There: www.thecompanystore.com

8. Window Wonderland
Window treatments do wonders for making a room look finished. Pick a fabric with a pattern that can not only tie the décor together, but will last your child through many stages.

Colleen Mullaney has enjoyed a long and dynamic career devoted to style and entertaining.

Whether it be through her many published works or with her friends and family, Colleen has made it her passion to bring style to the world through floral design, home decorating and crafting.

Colleen is a former editor in chief of Family Circle Homecrafts, FTD In Bloom and Jo-Ann magazines. Most recently, she partnered with Chris Madden on the launch of her magazine At Home with Chris Madden.

Her books include Shells, Faux Fabulous Florals (Sixth&Spring) and her popular Punch (in its third printing with Chronicle Books; more than 30,000 copies have been sold in such outlets as Williams-Sonoma and Anthropologie). Colleen will celebrate her take on bridal with One-of-a-Kind Weddings (Creative Publishing) as well as the global entertaining landscape with It’s 5 o'clock Somewhere (Sixth&Spring).

Colleen has created interiors for residential and commercial spaces, and she’s designed cottage gardens and floral arrangements for clients up and down the East Coast.

You can also see her work in full color on HGTV’s Insider’s Garden and soon on the web with a yet-to-be-announced project.

Colleen lives in Westchester, N.Y., with her husband and three children, where she is constantly hosting playdates and dinner parties, toiling in the garden, and working on future projects.

For more from Colleen, go to www.colleenmullaney.com.