These Two Siblings’ Rooms are Too Magical for Words

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As a design writer, I’m often jealous. Of picture-perfect Georgian-era architecture. Ornate guest rooms tented in a single, showstopping fabric. And yet I am never, ever jealous of kids’ rooms. Technicolor rooms are perfect for wee ones, but personally, I’d rather ensconce myself in the pristine neutral worlds of a Nancy Meyers movie set … is that too much to ask? But the two brothers who get to bunk in these beautiful bedrooms in Greenwich, Conn., have rendered me chartreuse-green with envy.

Take this 4-year-old’s nautically themed, octagonal bedroom, home to 20-foot ceilings. “It’s a really gorgeous house with heavy detailing and molding,” says Erin Coren, co-owner of Curated Nest. “We didn’t want it to feel too ‘baby’ because it has such amazing architectural details and it’s right on the water in a yacht community.”

And yes, they tricked it out for a wee one. “We put a stool [by the bed] and custom made the bed so it’s really low so he can get in it really easily,” Coren says. In lieu of a normal box spring, they installed a bunky board, “so the mattress is lower, and so as he gets older they can put a normal box spring in there so it raises the height more.” The beauty of this bed is that it’s made to last until the teenage years at least.  

Curated Nest’s other co-owner Lina Galvão’s favorite part of the room is the fan. “Part of the issue with this room is hot air billows up into the giant cathedral ceilings. As designers, we struggle with fans, but this one is really cool because it almost looks like sails on a sailboat. It worked really well with the space and highlighted the ceiling.” When working with themes, sometimes it’s more effective to go with subtle references, rather than literal interpretations. That way, if kiddoes outgrow the theme, the stylish fan can also work in another iteration of the space.

Wipeable leather chairs await for story time, and the wool rug is easy to spot clean. For toy storage, the designers leaned on open shelving and woven baskets with leather handles, calling once again back to the nautical theme. The details really make this space, from the navy blue dresser to iron accents — and even a little ship on the nightstand.

Get the look:

• Bed: custom Newport Cottages
• Dresser: Modern History
• Octopus art: Natural Curiosities
• Fan light: Quorum
• Lamp: Dunes and Duchess
• Sconces: Robert Abbey
• Carpet: Prestige Mills
• Nautical Mirror: Cyan Design
• Trunk / Bench: Blue Sky Environments
• Bookshelf: Universal Furniture
• Nightstand / cabinet: Worlds Away
• Nightstand / stool: Universal Furniture
• Bedding: Serena and Lily
• Drapery trim: Schumacher

Don’t worry … I’m just as jealous of the 2-year-old’s room. “It’s hard being the second child where one sibling gets a very dramatic ceiling and an interesting architectural space, and you go to the other room with a much more standard ceiling,” Galvão says. 

To whip up something equally dreamy, they used the client’s own safari tent bed as a jumping off point for a safari-inspired interior. “We loved the neutral color palette and the antelope spots on the carpet,” she says. 

“To do something cool on the ceiling we did starry night wallpaper — it really makes it feel like we’re outside on safari, and added to [the look] without being too themey.” And yes, the stars shimmer even more after nightfall in the glow of this dreamy ceiling light. “The stars on the wallpaper are actually metallic gold, so it looks really cool in person,” Lena says. When can I move in?

Sprinkled throughout this space — like the nautical room — are details that harken back to the theme without overwhelming the space. A telescope brings in a bit of that adventuring flair, while sweet stuffed animals and plants give some fresh life to the space. We love how the room manages to feel so cozy and expansive at the same time.

Get the look:

• Bed and dresser: Restoration Hardware
• Carpet: Stanton
• Step Stool and dip-dyed stool: Serena and Lily 
• Ottomans: Uttermost 
• Animal wall decor: Fiona Walker England
• Wall Mirror: Cooper Classics
• Light: Currey and Company
• Wallpaper: Cole & Son
• Drapery trim: Schumacher