apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Growing up in the 1970s, sisters Victoria and Charlotte relied on toad stool nightlights to keep their fear of the dark at bay. And they have recreated those whimsical sleeping companions of their childhood for a new generation of kids...

Yet another darling tented bed, this gauzy canopy is given a fairy-tale touch by stringing it with LED lights. The bedding is from Les Petites Emplettes, who make a small selection of home accessories for the whole family with a retro charm, including 100% cotton "anti-monster" bedsheets, linen pillows stamped with every day of the week and felt wool storage cubes for toys...

This hilarious rocking chair from Danish designer Povl Kjer is one of a family of fluffy Rocking Sheep for the little ones that the designer says can be turned into foot stools for adults. Check out this sheep's rather more demure white and black cousins after the jump...

Not sure about the non-human model pictured here, but do find the idea of a dishtowel-sized checkered tablecloth as bib from Les Petites Emplettes a lovely and simple idea...

Everyone is talking about how to do more with less in these dark economic times. Elle Décoration has a feature on a family home where just about everything is second-hand or DIY -- from this home-built loft bed with its paint-splattered ladder to modest vintage accessories made from flea market finds, like a DIY mobile made from old toys...

Lizzie Allen's London-themed hand-screen printed wallpapers feature a witty and whimsical vision of symbols like changing of the guards in front of Buckingham Palace, the red London telephone box and umbrella and newspaper-toting London Gents...

Marie Claire has a feature on kids rooms designed by adults that include this romantic canopy bed made by suspending a lightweight sheet from the ceiling. A satin duvet cover and wall sconces give it a clichéd but romantic "lit de princesse" (princess bed) feel that creates a soothing semi-cocoon for a little girl's sweet dreams...

Domestic's line of panoramic wallpaper by artists from all over this crazy planet can look a little insane through an adult's jaded eyes. But this magical "Forest" wallpaper designed by Mark Verhaagen looks like fuel for a kid's imagination. Who needs video games when your kids can stare at these walls? More designs from the New Domestic Landscapes collection after the jump...

So your little one wants a cat and you're allergic? Why not compromise with this glow-in-the-dark set of cat's whiskers, which add a bit of mischief to a dark hallway? More virtual pet stickers and other kid-friendly vinyl wall sticker designs from French company Les Invasions Ephemeres after the jump...

Featured in Living Etc. magazine, this colorful boys room has Cath Kidston wallpaper, an Eames rocker and a timeless striped rug. In this design-conscious, comfortable North London family home, even the kids' rooms don't skimp on style...

Not sure why this handsome, clever convertible mattress costs as much as a couch, but if money is no object, here's a nice solution that allows your kids to have a reading chair in their rooms that can be transformed into a lounger and then into single bed for overnight guests...

French design company Domestic's Measuring Souvenir stickers are a clever and graphically striking way to measure your kids' growth, using iconic buildings from both sides of the pond...

Iconic Finnish 1960s industrial plastic design pioneer Eero Aarnio designed the Ball Chair and the Bubble Chair -- as well as this Tipi stool from 2002, a designer-priced whimsical creation for children of all ages in the spirit of the famous Pony seat he designed in the 1970s...

Weather too grim to head for the playground? Just whip out this indoor slide designed by Hamburg-based German designer Michael Koenig...