Making a space that's playful and colorful for boys can sometimes feel like a challenge. A lot of what's packaged for boys these days is video game-themed or sports-themed, and that just never felt a good fit for our home. I've long been obsessed with Wes Anderson, the filmmaker behind movies like Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel — especially his colorful aesthetic. Inspired by his movies, the color palette from a Pendleton blanket and using a photo I took in Switzerland as an anchoring point, I designed the room using thrifted finds and bright, bold colors.
The result is a little bit old man’s hunting lodge with the brightness turned up. I love the yellow from the IKEA Minnen beds (though they’ve since been replaced by wooden bunk beds, which you can see on the last page) and the bold red from the Swiss flag — a nod to the mountain photo that I printed as an engineer print. The bold green may or may not be inspired by the children's book Goodnight Moon, which we read often. It’s a room that accommodates many Legos and stuffed animals and has grown with them well over the years.
If you want secondhand finds for your home, the best tip for antique stores and thrift stores? Go a lot! The best way to find the best thrifted finds is just to show up frequently. You can't find the goods if you don't go!