Kara+Ian's Secret Garden Bedroom

Kara and Ian are longtime clients of mine, and I had the opportunity to work with them again recently, this time on their daughter Kennedy’s first big kid bedroom. After doing Mason’s airplane bedroom a few years ago, it was so fun to come back and create another space for this family, especially one for a little girl. For this room, we wanted something soft and whimsical and a little bit magical: a secret garden bedroom that felt rosy and girly.

Here’s the room before:

And after!

The whole room has this sweet, tucked-away feeling now, like you've stepped into a wild, overgrown garden. I love the way the flowers in the rug are bursting out of their borders, like they can't be contained. It contrasts perfectly with the more restrained florals in the wallpaper.

Flowers are featured all over the room; in the florals on the bookshelf, in the pillows on the floor, in the bedding that will grow with her into her next big kid bed. One of my favorite details is the flowers in the art above the crib, where the visible root system reminds us that gardens are about pretty blossoms, but also getting your fingers into the dirt. They're about helping things grow.

The contrasting wallpaper in the closet creates such a beautiful moment, where we've created just enough storage for her. A pair of wall sconces flank the windows beautifully, and serve as a helpful light for story time.

One of my favorite things about this space is that it feels delicate without feeling precious. There are florals and soft colors and sweet little details, but the room still has enough warmth and grounding to grow with her. It is not a room that only works for one tiny moment in childhood. It has that first-big-kid-bedroom magic now, but the bones are soft and timeless enough to evolve as she does.

The secret garden theme gave us so much room to play: a little floral, a little leafy, a little wild. In the end, we have a storybook space where she can hide away and grow, just like her little garden.