Using a dress for inspiration, Julia’s room was created  using her favorite colors.

Practically we needed storage, but from Julia’s perspective all that was important was butterflies, an owl and a tree.  Oh, and a bean bag chair!!

From there we added color with pink walls, funky fabric for pillows, a gathered sheer valance and a 9 drawer dresser.  Now she has a place to play, a place to read, lots of storage and a place for her artwork.

Vintage frames were used to create a push-pin board above her dresser.  She can hang her favorite canvas (as she has done with the one on the right) and then photos or her own collage with the one on the left.  Create your own by painting a frame and wrapping foam core with your favorite fabric.  Video tutorials will be coming to explain more about ‘how to’ make some of these great ideas.  Stay tuned!!

Take a look at what I have been cooking up this past week.

While Ella and her family were away, I was installing her pretty new room.  What a great ‘welcome home’ surprise!

For the full album of pictures visit the  ‘Rooms’  tab on the website and click on ‘gals rooms’.   http://www.yourroomyourspace.com

or cut and past the following link  http://bit.ly/ABrzPN

Color and arrangement is what has changed since the March 21st post for the Boyle Street project.  It’s all about how you arrange things on a wall that helps your area to look neat and organized.

When framed pictures and objects of art are all different and things don’t seem to match, it is especially challenging to instill some space for calm.

Grouping similar items helps to solve this problem and creates a design within the area of focus.

This BEFORE shot was not taken at the same angle as the ‘after’ shot, but it shows you how much is going on in the room.  The idea is to condense and showcase in a smaller area using higher and lower display placement, as well as jogging things to make them sit closer together.

There will be more photos to come as this project develops. This post is a follow up to the March 21st one,  marking the beginning of the project.

I never seem to tire of painting trees.  They are always new and different to me even though they start out the same.  Each one is unique when it comes to the fullness, coloring and stature in a room.  Each one is ‘planted’ with the child in mind.

The beauty and presence this tree creates in a room is a great impact, especially when you are barely 2 feet tall!

I found the sweetest old school desk.  It is exactly like the classic Oak Teachers Desk, but it’s not more than 30″ high!

My dilemma:  To paint or not to paint?

Then I came across this picture.  It’s a metal desk so I could understand painting it just to give it a fresh face.  Mine…..? Oak? Jury is still out.

This is the little cutie!  It has a pull out shelf on the right above the drawers and everything is in perfect condition.  There is a funky chair that could go with it (I had to have one made because the original oak chair is missing).  I decided to change up the idea play off the the great dichotomy between materials and design.

One is vintage, solid oak with straight and serious lines, the other an artsy, short metal kids chair (with a leather seat).  Perhaps ‘cow print’ seat and make it a real ‘Albertan’ treasure.

Any thoughts?  You can e-mail your ideas to kathryn@yourroomyourspace.com or follow us on facebook at  http://facebook.com/yourroomyourspace

The hard working staff in the Housing dept at Boyle Street are not inspired by their surroundings.  In my way of thinking people stay more productive and happy if their environment is pleasing. They find it dreary and dull, disconnected and disorganized.

I may be bias, but PAINT is always a happy place to start:)  Staff thinks so too.  Then we can tackle the ‘organize’ part.

I want to put a good word in here for the General Paint location on 111 Ave and 145 St here in Edmonton.  Because this is an Inner City project and funds are tight, I called up the Manager, Alison, and asked how to cut costs on paint for this project.  She color matched all of our 5 chosen colors to a collection they have on sale and expedited our order within a few hours of being called in.  Total cost of our project was well within budget !!

Another obstacle is the reception area for clients that come in to discuss housing options.  It isn’t inviting and certainly not a planned solution.

These are the obstacles facing this project, but stick with us and the unfolding as we go along.  Paint was picked up and the rooms are ‘rolling’ along.   We will keep you informed of our progress and any other information on this valuable program for our community.

Lauren’s room is 9′x10′.  Not extremely small by regular standards, but when a girl is a collector -things can start to seem awfully cramped (not to mention driving the mother crazy).

This solution includes an ‘Stora’ Double Loft bed ($299 at Ikea) some existing ‘Expedit’ shelving units and chairs (also Ikea), a customized ‘desk top’, pin board, bean bag chair and book rack (Your Room Your Space) and Voile’!!  New room with space.   For more details visit ‘Gals Rooms’  on the website or click on the link  http://bit.ly/ABrzPN

A big whoops happened today…. and I could make it a sensational story,  but really in the end, it’s just a simple miracle.

It has to do with trusting your instincts, and letting things happen as they do, and being in the moment, and never giving up.

It is a story about a little girls room, a double loft bed, and my inexhaustible urges to always change things .

Here is the sum of all of the parts…… loft bed was too tall, cut it down, whoops too short, built post feet, made it taller, sturdier than ever!  See how everything always works out for the best?!

I will paint the new ‘feet’ gloss black like the bed and now we don’t have to bolt it to the wall.  Carpenter confesses that he would have much rather been in his workshop building new feet than put together an Ikea bed.  Everyone is happy.  Including the client.

Stay tuned in for the completion of Lauren’s Room,  and all of the wonderful  details as they unfold.

Can you imagine a room filled with  original Art from your favorite Artist, creatively displayed from floor to ceiling? I don’t think I would choose a bedroom, but perhaps a playroom?

To make this art wall, cut and place wood slats in a grid system to fit the space you have chosen. Tack them at intersecting points and then to the wall at the top and bottom.  Each horizontal slat has a clamp that is screwed to the wood (but not to the wall).  You could get a little creative there with colorful clamps and larger  sizes.  For all the art you can display there is very minimal damage to your wall.  For that reason I loved this idea, and I’m sure the artist in the family would also be very proud to have their very own gallery:)

What a cool idea for organizing an entrance area when you have kids and schedules to keep!  Easy to see, easy to maintain.  Super cool for kids rooms too!

Paint the wall in your choice of graphite color, and then have Benjamin Moore mix 3 more colors of  Chalk Board Paint in hues to match.  Tape off the wall in a grid system and paint one color at a time.  Let it dry well in between each new color because of re-taping the new squares.  Hint: a little varathane painted inside the square overlapping the tape line will prevent any paint from leaking when you are painting side by side colors.  Gives you a perfectly clean line.  There is also ‘frog tape’  that apparently prevents leaks as well.  Experiment, play and be happy!!