Two-and-a-half-year-old Grace got her “Big Girl Room” this summer. Her mom hopes it will “last at least 10 years” until the inevitable invasion of heartthrob posters and dried Homecoming corsages and other signs of the tremulous teens.
For here and now, interior designers Maura Kemm and Adrienne Sams have helped the Kish family brighten a niche in their home in the Moss Farm area of Lake Highlands. The Kish family and the designers shared their ideas, working with existing room parameters, built-ins and family collectibles. Mom wanted to avoid pale pastels, opting for warmer tones such as the soft “peaceful” green that was finally selected as the wall color.
Built-in cupboards were updated using mismatched, discontinued rolls of Laura Ashley wallpaper in complementary colors and patterns inset in each door panel. Shelves hold Mom’s miniature teacups, which GrandMom had wisely tucked away.
Another remnant, this time from Dad’s childhood, was stripped of its Star Wars decals and refinished to serve as a little girl’s dresser. An unfinished twin sleigh bed was stained with a light blue wash and piled with colorful bedding, including a monogrammed antique pillowcase. The doll’s cradle also has been passed down from mother to daughter.
Most of the decoratives were found at flea markets or purchased at Forest Meadows Junior High’s annual Market in the Meadow. The rug was the only “splurge,” a pattern called New Parliament Stanton.
