A Beverly Hills Playroom with Chic Storage and a Bold Wall Mural
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As founder of Orange County, California-based Little Crown Interiors, designer Naomi Coe knows nurseries. In fact, she wrote the book on them: “Your Perfect Nursery” came out in April 2021. But I think Coe’s next book should be “Your Perfect Playroom” … if her adorable recent project for the then-1 and 3-year old kids of a Beverly Hills client is any indication.
“This client really loved bold, modern design,” Coe says of this space, which was a totally blank slate when she got her design hands onto it. “Her home was mostly white with some pops of color in the artwork, and she wanted to bring more of that into the playroom.”
The most show-stopping element is unquestionably the graphic mural, in its candy-bright hues. “I love using bold, bright colors for a playroom since it inspires creativity and helps children learn color names and associations,” Coe says. “Since the colorful wall in this playroom is only on one wall, it doesn’t overwhelm the space.” To get the look yourself, Coe recommends doing a lot of legwork before you ever pick up a paint brush. “The key for any graphic wall is plenty of design prep and good taping! Tape the entire design out first to make sure that it’s what you want, and even draw it up first using software if you have those skills.”
Because Coe’s client wanted to make sure this play space would grow along with her children, they didn’t overload it with furniture and objects. “There was a separate area upstairs for most of their other toys and books, so this room functioned more as a creative space where they could do artistic activities or just use the space on the floor,” she says.
Cozy Cubino chairs from Monte offer a prime perch for story time, with books plucked from Acrylic Book Shelves by Little Crown. A streamlined Parsons Tower bookcase from West Elm allows plenty of room for toy display, including artful activities like Areaware’s Blockitecture Garden City and Balancing Blocks.
Uniting the whole look, and serving up inspiration to boot? The color blocked “Play” letters by J&J Modern Kids that Coe had custom painted to match the mural. “It was important to her that we had a lot of fun elements, color, and really great toys that doubled as design elements,” Coe says. Mission accomplished.