Speaking from experience, it’s great to be the youngest in a pack of three kids. Despite what my siblings might tell you, as the baby of the family, I was not spoiled, and I did not get away with everything. As our family’s caboose, I was pulled along in the whirlwind of excitement that always seemed to follow my big sister and brother. Even today, they are the ones who help me discover the coolest new things, and who make me laugh so hard, my side aches.
Maybe it’s our shared birth order, but I feel a connection to Georgia Cook. I was crazy about her room back when she was 3, and we featured it in my book Style at Home (in the photo above). That bed, those linens – love! So sweet, with their rosebud patterns, but still, so sophisticated.
The rosebud carpet that inspired mom Lisa to design this little girl’s paradise is still in place. But boy have Georgia and her room changed since then. Today, Georgia is 14 and a freshman in high school who is into sports and drawing. She’s a social butterfly with a lust for life, and she needed a room that could keep pace.
The first order of business for this room redo was to rethink the walls. Wallpaper featuring a clean but interesting geometric pattern went up above the chair rail, and the palest of pink paints, below. Georgia still loves pink, so they brought in hints of pink in a variety of shades throughout the room. Lisa wanted to make sure the room had no traces of baby girl left, so she picked a powerful striped fabric for the window panels. They add a jolt of energy and excitement.
After a long day at school, Georgia needs a place to crash. This chair is just the thing. Once again, showing her keen ability to rethink how she uses the furnishings throughout her home, Lisa repurposed this chair from her guest room. Lisa admits that this gold and white woven geometric pattern was out of her comfort zone, but she’s glad she plunged ahead because the fresh treatment gave the chair new life. Check out the insanely fun lamp shade on the floor lamp next to the chair. It scores a 10 on the personality scale and is just right for this room.
Georgia’s fabulous antique French bed was a keeper and stayed put when the room transformed. But you would hardly know it was the same bed that Georgia used when she was 3, thanks to the bright new bedding. The plucky Chiang Mai pattern is the star of the show, but it has a strong support cast. Lisa swirled together a marvelous mix of fabrics to tell a whimsical story on this bed. Zoom in on the bolster pillow: The velvet log shows Lisa’s keen sense of humor.
Lisa picked up this fun secretary from Nell Hill’s to hold some of Georgia’s treasures. She liked how the gray wood balanced all the fun pattern and color in the space. A tufted stool serves as a desk chair and added seating when friends come over. As she did in the other room renos, Lisa swapped out the room’s outdated accent lamps for fun new ones, featuring chunky, colored bases and contemporary shades.
Next Week … One of our favorite furniture makers, Lee Industries, teamed up with designer Mark D. Sikes and Costal Living Magazine on an “idea house” in Newport, Rhode Island.
