apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Could you put the armoire in the far corner on a slant? If you did that, and added a lounge area/reading nook in the other corner, maybe with a round table, I think it would reduce the sharp corners and make the room seem cozier. Floor length curtains would also make the room "softer." I agree that the green from the curtains--particularly the lighter green--would make a nice paint color.

Thank you for becoming foster parents. You're awesome!

I think the beds are great... they look like they've got nice "bones". Since you sew, maybe you can soften them up with colorful slip covers for the headboard and footboard?

I agree that painting the walls the light green from the curtains is a great idea. Is your carpet wall-to-wall or a rug? If it's a rug, you might want to go with more color and/or easy-care, like flor tiles. Also, if you have hardwood floors, you could leave a border of floor showing around the edges to coordinate with the wood in the furniture. You might also consider painting some of the wood furniture white. Finally, you might want some kind of bedside table/nightstand, maybe a bookshelf (the cube organizers at Target would make a small one if space is really tight), even if you only have room for one between the beds. Good luck to you, and as prior posts said, thanks for becoming foster parents!

I love the idea of slipcovering the headboard and footboard. As they are, they remind me of the type of furniture we had in a children's shelter I worked in. I think a slipcovers would make them look more home-y.

I'd also second the idea of a reading nook. Anything that allows the children to feel cozy - cushions, curtains, etc.

Chalkboard paint might be nice underneath the window. It would give the kids a place to express themselves. It could also be covered up by the full length curtains if you went that route. Good luck.

I think the beds are fine - they really need some paint, though. I'd go with white (semi-gloss so you can clean them!) and put them over a really big rug. That would add color, texture, and coziness. Visit flikr for kids rooms (there's a really good group) inspiration. A lot of that stuff is done on a budget and looks amazing. You have to put up an after shot!

p.s. I think the beds are not bad, and you won't be able to go too much smaller anyway (the most you could lose would be the footboard), so I would keep them.

Stuffed animals galore! Boys and girls that age range will be into them and will probably latch onto one or two as "theirs" right away.
I would also get a couple small banks or lockers with combination locks that they could paint their names on or cover with stickers. Something to personalize and be only theirs, but also showing you respect that they will need to be protective of some things they bring with them from their "old" life. Toddlers, of course, will just like to play with them, putting things in and out, but older kids will want to keep their personal or private things there.
Finally, how about a big white board or chalk board on the wall? It would be a great way to allow them to "decorate" their new room immediately, but also not commit you to anything. A big bulletin board for hanging posters would work, too. My family was a foster family when I was young and I shared my room with several children throughout the years. My mom's rule was that it was "our" room equally and that the "new kid" could hang stuff up or do whatever was needed to make it feel homey. That's especially important for the school age kids.

Hmm... The idea of slip covers could work, and could also make the beds a bit different from one another (different shades of fabric) while still maintaining a similar shape. I like it!! Painting/stripping the beds might also be a good option.

Also, the carpeting is wall-to-wall at the moment. We'd love to put in cork through the whole house, but it's not in the budget this year. An area rug may be in order though - thanks for the idea!

We'll definately want some kind of bookshelf and night stands, so keep the suggestions coming! I've already got some great ideas for the space after reading these comments.

And we will definately post a follow up as the room comes together.

Thank You, Ohdeedoh!!
Alex & Sarah

The beds are great, I agree with painting them. Do you have another play area? If not I would move the bed closest to the door under the window on the far wall. That will open up floor space for playing. My 8-year old son's opinion is that the armoire is a bit scary; can it be painted as well?

I think the beds are fine. I also like the idea of individual toy chests or cases with locks. I think it would be helpful for the kids to have "safe space" for their things.

Congratulations, and thank-you so much for taking the initiative to be certified! My mom has been a foster parent for just over 5 years now. Children who come to your home will probably not come with much, so anything that you can put in there to make it cozy/homey right away would be great: books on bookshelves, wide-age toys like puzzles, and stuffed animals are a great place to start. I also loved avimom's suggestion of having some sort of locking chest for each child to put their special things in - maybe a footlocker at the end of each bed, or something that could double as nightstands.

I love the two shades of green in the curtains. You could paint the beds in those shades (1 bed each, or paint the outer frame one shade and the inner flat part the other shade). The armoire is kindof overwhelming - could you strip it and paint it a lighter color? As for bed linens, go with something soft and neutral to start - as the children get settled in, let them pick something out themselves that will be their own.

Please do not paint the beds. They look like Cargo brand furniture and the wood just needs to be conditioned. Cargo is wonderful furniture that will last you through your foster time. You can dress up the beds with the linens. I've always felt that pillows also help make a room homey.

Ditto on the lockers and stuff animal ideas. Providing something that can be "their" will really help with the settling in.

What about a small activity table? Perhaps move the small dresser to the foot of a bed and put a table/bookshelf/play mat under the window?

Or you could move the beds under the window and put the small dresser in between as an end table to share.

If you end up with older kids who need privacy, you could do what my roommate and i did in college. We hung a regular curtain from the ceiling by the head of our beds. It gave the person in bed the illusion of privacy without making if feel like a hospital.

BTW I have one of those weird long windows too and cannot figure out how to dress it. I'd love to see what you come up with. Please post the after results!

i vote for an accent wall of color (a muted version, but still punchy, of the greens or yellows in the curtain fabric?). also, some shelves on the wall (i like the thick floating shelves from ikea) with books and things always helps...even if you don't paint, a large canvas with colors from the curtains would be nice. some nice simple but bold bedding (duvets/duvet covers to me seem to give more volume to a bed) and some decorative and function storage under the bed could be nice. another thing that can make a huge impact--lighting! a nice decorative fixture and some nightstands w/ lamps really would help with a cozy feeling. i think the beds are fine unpainted--if you did paint them, i'd go for like lime green--something modern and clean. in the interest of neutrality, though, perhaps leaving them is best--putting art above the headboards can really help give them some verticality. you can always shop for more specific accents after you know the kids better--it might help them feel at home. lastly, a long dresser or bench with decorative cushions would look nice under the window

I'm I the only one that thinks the fabric is a little girly?

If it was me I would do just plain colors.

I wouldn't paint the beds, just get fun new bedding. I would however paint the other furniture and hang lot of shelves. Maybe re-position the furniture. Once you find out what gender you can add accent colors to make the room more personal.

What a wonderful question. Great ideas all around. If you anticipate having children from various ethnicities/backgrounds you might want to add multicultural touches to the room. You can do this pretty cheaply with posters, dolls, and books. :)

Good for you for becoming a foster parent!

I would paint or slip-cover the beds. They look too dorm room/institutional to me. In addition to curtains, I'd hang beads or prisms from the windows to catch and reflect the light (this is can be really fascinating for school-age kids). I suggest buying the book rack where the books face out: having a few "age and personal interest appropriate books" on the shelf is more attractive and useful than 100 books they'll never touch. Two other easy tricks borrowed from my after school group days: you and your foster kids can cut and laminate art for the walls. Its affordable and meaningful for them to decorate their own space (and more structured that blackboard paint). Also, buy comfy chairs; they're not the nicest but bean bag chairs work great. It promotes relaxation, and works for story time and chats; you can't be uptight sitting in a bean bag chair!

The best piece of childcare advice I ever got was: if you don't want to spend time there, the kids won't either. Things don't have to be fancy, but if its falling apart or totally disorganized, it will never feel like home.

I am not usually a fan of painting wood, but I think it would help with cohesion in this case -- it seems important to make the room not seem like a place where some random furniture ended up, but rather something created especially for the kids - so, I would say paint the beds (they really scream "these had to be indestructible" right now) and the dresser and maybe the little chair to match or complement each other (perhaps all colors from the curtains, except not the pink in case you have boys).

The armoire seems too big for the space - if it is for some reason necessary (like there is no closet in that room) then maybe paint it to match the walls so it doesn't loom so much.

I think it would be great to have a desk / table for each kid, a place to color, build with legos, or whatever - maybe they could have drawers that would serve as the private stuff space.

Let us see how it all comes out!

I would re-paint the beds in white. They look dorm room/institutional, and right now they convey the exact opposite of "this is your room" - instead, it screams "this is our leftover furniture", especially with the armoire and dresser. If the beds were white, and the walls were a very light lime green, I think it would look far more personal than it does now. And yes, the armoire is a little overwhelming.