11 Cheerful Kid-Friendly Home Tours That Will Leave You Inspired for the New Year

Decorating spaces for kids comes with its high points (Color! Fun patterns! Adorable, tiny kitchens!), as well as its challenges. There are stain-resistant fabrics and kid-safe furnishings to consider, not to mention incorporating your little ones’ tastes into the style of the home. 

Sometimes, a little inspiration can make all the difference. Here are 11 house tours we’ve published on Apartment Therapy through the years with creative kids’ rooms, playrooms, and generally child-friendly living spaces. 

Ashley Wilson’s Hollywood, Florida, home, which she shares with husband, Preston, and son, Don, bursts with pastels, but the saturation got turned up in Don’s dino-themed bedroom. Ashley said decorating started with the dinosaur wallpaper and went from there to include rainbow shelving; curtains with colorful detailing; and thrifted, painted nightstands that Don helped pick out. 

Vanessa Béland and Félix described themselves as homebodies who love a good DIY project, some of which are shown off in their daughter’s nursery. The couple painted an IKEA dresser that doubles as a changing station, for instance, and made the curtains themselves. Vanessa also designed the wallpaper. 

Caroline and Jason Rodrigues had built up a collection of vintage mid-century modern furniture over the years. So when it came to furnishing daughter Milo’s room, they opted for vintage finds and pieces with similar lines and neutral tones. 

Adrianna Gardini and Craig Youngren may have renovated their New York City home, but their favorite element was there all along: “The archaeological wallpaper find in the kids’ room.” They left the unexpected treasure exposed behind wooden bunk beds. 

Emily Ley said her decoration inspiration comes from finding ways to blend her classic, coastal style with her husband’s masculine taste and her kids’ whimsical wants. One example in this tour: a trio of linen-covered cork boards in brass-colored bamboo frames decorated with her kids’ artwork and achievements. “The boards themselves are very classic, neutral, and symmetrical, while our kids’ wild artwork brings some fun and personality to our breakfast nook,” she told Apartment Therapy.

Amanda and Mike’s Los Angeles home tour boasts both sophisticated style and fun elements for their son, Declan, like a mountain mural that Amanda painted in his bedroom. But Amanda’s proudest DIY in the space? “The playroom,” she told AT. “From the seating to the paint job to the hacked IKEA kitchen, it was a labor of love.” 

In Mel and Ryan Tonkin’s Western Australia tour, you won’t spot a ton of interior space for playing — but you will find lots of bright and happy colors. And the home sits on five acres with plenty to take advantage of, from a sandpit to a slide and swings, not to mention a playhouse.

Emily Kurzweil and Grady Jurrens have self-described eclectic taste, and decorated their home with playful artwork, varying textures, and lots of color. “We knew that we wanted to live in rich color and patterns that create a playful mood to combat Portland’s notorious rain,” the couple previously explained to AT. This comes through in the kids’ spaces, including an orange wall in the nursery offset by a green checkered rug and their older daughter’s purple bedroom. 

Marcus, Alicia, and little Phoenix’s Brooklyn home was entirely furnished for less than $4,000. The couple was able to achieve this by shopping at places like thrift stores, eBay, and Craigslist, as well as getting creative — including turning an old mobile into a mini clothing rack for Phoenix. 

Lj described the style of the place she shares with her partner, Nick, and her daughter as “a happy ‘Medium’ style — a realm between minimalism and maximalism with a dash of color.” That’s clear in the photos of her daughter’s room, in which simple wooden furniture meets lively painted details and gallery walls. 

For Marita, this exuberant Greater Seattle home is all about rediscovering her inner child, and a lot of the inspiration came from her daughter, Farah. “I consult her a lot on the design decisions. She picked pink for the bathroom, the yellow for the bedroom, and the wallpaper for the living room,” Marita told AT. “I also display all of her art in the art gallery leading up to the playroom.” 

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: 11 of the Best Kid-Friendly House Tours We’ve Ever Seen with Cute Children’s Bedrooms, Cheery Playrooms, and More