“Oh, darlin’, don’t you ever grow up. Don’t you ever grow up. Just stay this little.” —Taylor Swift
Designing a picture-perfect bedroom for a little girl is one thing. But crafting a space as graceful as it is grounded in real childhood—that’s its own kind of magic.
Interior decorator Zoë Gowen brought that magic to life for the Weil family, dreaming up a space for 8-year-old Sloane that’s as enchanting as a storybook and every bit as inviting. It’s a room where pink feels soft, not sugary, and where thoughtful design meets the rhythms of real life.
From the start, Zoë’s mission was for the room to embrace the energy of childhood. “I wanted it to feel instantly cheerful and intentionally layered,” she says. “No stuffed animal should be left behind.” That includes Caitlin the Corgi, Chloe 1, Chloe 2, and “Beary,” Sloane’s mother’s beloved childhood stuffie.
The color palette began with Sloane’s favorite, of course: pink. Petal-soft, sun-soaked hues. “We went with a putty pink on the walls and matched it to the headboard,” Zoë says.
“We wanted to create a space that could grow with Sloane over the years,” adds her mother, Lauren. “It turned into this beautiful pink-and-green little girl’s paradise, with lots of comfy fabrics and fun places where Sloane could play and put out all her toys. It feels exactly right—it’s playful, it’s personal, and she loves it now just as much today as the day it was done.”
Once that foundation was in place, the room found its playful focal point abroad. “The strawberry lamps by Stray Dog Designs were the next decision,” Zoë says. “I had just come back from visiting my friends in Mexico who own the company. Luckily, Lauren, Sloane (and brother Campbell) are all big strawberry people. And in this case, more is more, so we really piled it on with the pink shades.”
A blush-hued headboard mirrors the walls, while cheerful drapery fabrics from Leah O’Connell Textiles and floral shams from Sister Parish Designs strike a balance that feels equal parts heirloom and lighthearted. Beneath it all lies a wide-striped cotton dhurrie rug from English Village Lane—durable, cheerful, and made for days that start with tea parties and end with puppy cuddles. “We love the rug from English Village Lane,” Lauren says. “It’s been amazing. Such a great piece in the room.”
Oversized nightstands moonlight as art desks and doll stages. “They’re one of my favorite elements,” Zoë says. “They work well as nightstands, but they’re also a spot for drawing, playing make-believe—whatever the day calls for.”
Stuffed animals spill out of baskets. A mirror catches sunlight and little flashes of independence. The family’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Sunny and Buster, are always close by, often climbing into the middle of whatever’s unfolding on the rug. The quilt on Sloane’s bed, handmade by Lauren’s great-great aunt, brings a quiet thread of heritage into the joyful swirl of everyday life.
Sloane spends hours in her room, drawing, playing, imagining. “I really like my bedroom…the color of my walls and my strawberry lamps,” Sloane says, smiling. “I could play in there all day.”
For Drew and Lauren, it’s exactly what they hoped to give their daughter. “We’re so thankful to Zoë for her thoughtful and creative eye,” Lauren says. “She gave us a room Sloane will enjoy for many years to come.”
This kind of space stays with you.“Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room,” Taylor Swift reminds us in her song Never Grow Up. Because someday, long after the dolls are packed away and the walls are repainted, the memories made here—the forts, the books, the dogs curled up beside her—will always belong to Sloane.