Smaller Cooler 2009: S's Special Nook for Everything

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Name/Age: S, 2 years old
Location: Albany, California
Family: S, mom Lena and her partner
Room Size: 90 square feet
Division: Baby

Tip for Living Small with Kids: Buy only what you need and find a special nook for everything. Shoes always go in a certain place in her closet, the thermometer is in a little basket on her dresser, toys are arranged by material and stored in separate containers.

Also S's abode is tiny, so we use half of her closet as an extension of her room and half for storage.

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What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in putting together this room? We rent and are not allowed to paint the walls. It's challenging to decorate a very white room, so I thought that bringing in color in other ways was important. The lamp, the bedding, the rug, the paintings and pictures, all came out of this idea. The best resource for specific ideas, like the felt raindrops around the light fixture, or the laminated rainbow placemat under the changing table, and the clothespin picture hangings came from various design blogs and browsing around etsy.

Give S's family a THUMBS UP if you think this room belongs in the finals!
Thumbs Up Voting is only activated for 48 Hours — so don't delay!

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Comments (15)

I love the paint swatches you used to add color. Such a great way to use free stuff!

posted by wednesdayaddams on May 26th 2009 at 10:45am
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is "s" really her name or a nickname? I'm looking for an interesting name and "s" seems cute.

posted by zigzag on May 26th 2009 at 5:21pm
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sorry. cute room, too! :-)

posted by zigzag on May 26th 2009 at 5:22pm
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very very cute!!! :)

posted by alekspolo on May 26th 2009 at 7:45pm
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Nice dude

posted by kaccie14 on May 27th 2009 at 11:45am
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Where did you get that rug? I love it!

posted by rfalcon on May 27th 2009 at 12:00pm
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Thanks everyone!

Ever since I saw the idea on Decor8 and Apartment Therapy I love the idea of using paint swatches. The stuff under the changing table is also paint swatches that we "borrowed" from a local hardware supply store. I think I collected something like a couple hundred swatches that day.

Haha, yeah, now I kind of wish her name was S. It's actually a pretty popular name that starts with an S.

About the rug: I got it at Marshall's (we live in Northern California). It doesn't have a tag or anything else that identifies it further.

posted by Somethingpi on May 27th 2009 at 1:21pm
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I love rain drops

posted by olgagranik on May 27th 2009 at 1:53pm
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Very cute room! I love the crib, too (and I'm in the market for one...) -- can you tell me where it's from?

posted by babysingsing on May 27th 2009 at 2:09pm
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The crib is the Gulliver from Ikea:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00116005

I can't recommend it highly enough! We bought a drop-sided one and it injured S, so we spent the extra hundred dollars on the Gulliver and it's wonderful. I don't know why we wasted money in the first place

posted by Somethingpi on May 27th 2009 at 3:50pm
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Love Nevalyashka, I used to have an orange one when I was little :). This room has very bright and airy feeling. And I love the idea of the paint swatches for a placemat, I am-getting-me-one :) (or 4)

posted by zarazame on May 27th 2009 at 4:27pm
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Very nice Kisa. Osya

posted by ostap on May 27th 2009 at 11:44pm
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I don't see my portrait in the room... Where did you put it? I think S. should go on strike fighting for her rights ....
Good job otherwise, i love it.

posted by bordelloguy on May 27th 2009 at 11:50pm
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that's one cute bunny!

posted by justaguy on May 28th 2009 at 2:02am
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Thanks! I sewed it by hand.

posted by Somethingpi on May 28th 2009 at 3:03pm
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