apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Ali tells us, "Simon just got a little update on his room the last few weeks as we get ready for a new baby next month. One of the things I wanted to accomplish before she arrives was to re-organize his toys, books, etc., (saving some classic things for the baby and donating others to Goodwill) so that what he had available were things he was really excited about and actually plays with."

"In the process of going through and cleaning out we encountered some forgotten toys that he has been playing with consistently since we rediscovered them. It's definitely an added benefit of a deep reorganization."

We love how the bright room combines Simon's love for Star Wars and his collections while still leaving it filled warmth and coziness. There are certainly many toy options for Simon to play with, but there is no feeling of clutter. Ali used her shelving wisely. The shelves, Ali tells us, were both second hand store finds with the long white shelves being used for display in the store.

"I like to mix up old and new, like things found at second hand stores (such as the yellow shelf to the right of the bed, the green table with the white top holding the Millennium Falcon) with other pieces from Target. I also rely quite a bit on container organization so you see a bunch of baskets/bins for holding his toys (grouped by theme usually). Simon is also the kind of kid that likes to play where ever my husband and I are in our house so it is easy for him to grab a basket and bring it to where we are (and clean up seems to go easier as well)."

Simon is a kid who couldn't probably care less how his room was organized/decorated as long as he has access to his toys. He is really into Star Wars now (for a while it was outer space in general --- we have had the old Pottery Barn Kids space mobile for a few years) so a lot of the re-organization was making room for that stuff and passing on other things he has outgrown."

Some of the specific items in the room include the Playmobile pirate ship; the numbers print by Green Chair press; the elephant art by Emily Falconbridge; the train work was created by Ryo Mastrogiovanni; and the small canvas that says "Be You" was designed by Ali.

Finally, we asked Ali for some advice on how to approach the decorating process…

"Don't feel like everything has to be done all at once. Add and subtract things as you go based on necessity, etc., and work in bits and pieces. Also, don't feel like you have to acquire all new things --- go 'shopping' in your own house or even in your child's room and simply move things around and repurpose items that bring a fresh look and feel to the space. Move art around. Change up the bedding. Simple things can make a pretty big impact visually and also impact how you feel in the room."

Thank you Ali and Simon for sharing your great room!