Guest Post: Lisa Orman on Kidtropolis

Oh my, when I saw this arrive in my email as a guest post, I couldn't wait to share it. As someone who loves interior design and wishes she could create the perfect dream room for her daughter, I just love these amazing rooms by Kidtropolis. Enjoy!

If you're one of those parents who not only likes to, but can afford to spoil your kid rotten, then you've got to check out the incredible children’s bedroom décor created by Kidtropolis. This uber-talented group of designers is the favorite of Hollywood stars, corporate CEOs and international royal families because their jaw-dropping themes are literally where dreams not only become reality but stay real while a child grows up.

Trust us when we say that the ultimate dream weaver himself, Walt Disney, would have hired Kidtropolis to design rooms for his own children. Want your little princess to dream about ruling the realm in a royal carriage? A REAL castle? Well, one customer did and here’s what Kidtropolis came up with:



Another family hired Kidtropolis to give their young “Wyatt Earp” a way to sleep in the OK Corral every night. Here’s what they got, pardner (no spurs in the stagecoach, please!):


Another family, inspired by their child’s love of Mother Goose, wanted their little one to live in the shoe with Old Mother Hubbard... well, you get the idea:




And their latest creation is like a page out of the Swiss Family Robinson, with a few modern updates:



Okay, so maybe you’d prefer to send your kids to college rather than let them sleep in a fairy tale world. Who could blame you? But browsing the KidtropolisBuild.com website is still a ride worth taking… and a lot less expensive than four plane tickets to “The Magic Kingdom.”

Oh, the things that you'll see, the places you'll soar, you'll look at your child's room the same nevermore. The company's not-to-be-believed creative designs and custom-built doors, beds and themed rooms transform a child’s room into a truly unique, personal and functional space.

For information, visit www.kidtropolisbuild.com. For detailed examples of their work or work in progress, click on their website blog.

Queen for a Day

Maybe it's the princess in me, maybe it's because my name means "royalty", or maybe it's because I'm from a culture of Mardi Gras traditions where it's often normal to hear "I'm royalty this year" or "I'm on the court" -- but I just love representations of royalty and elegance! This classic crown pillowcase is no exception -- I think it would make an awesome addition to our bedroom, as a matter of fact, because it would match the blue and brown color scheme that I've got going. This fabulous accent pillow is 14x9 inches and is stitched on a fine linen. Be royalty in your own right by grabbing one for $26.50 at Orient Expressed.

PS -- Be sure to check out their smocked children's clothing while you're there -- it's not to be missed!

Boon Animal Bag

Little AG has a major love for animals. Before I had a child, I would have never believed that they can show tendencies towards things like that until they are much older, but she was infatuated with our dogs starting at 4 months old (coincidentally, buy then, they had lost interest in her). She will pet anything on four legs, and giggles uncontrollably if it shows interest in her.

This interest in animals has transferred over to stuffed animals as well, and as such, we have begun quite a collection. I tried making a bin just for stuffed animals in her toy room, but they end up strewn around the room by the end of the day. She loves them and hugs them and then tosses them over her shoulder. Then, its on the the next one.

When we got the Animal Bag by Boon, I really felt like our stuffed animal organization troubles were ending! It is made of a pink fuzzy type material and has several mesh zippered windows through which to fill it with stuffed animals! Little AG already loves it -- she likes to pet the fuzzy material (maybe she just likes fur?) and zip and unzip the sections with the big, soft zipper pulls! The other thing is that when it is completely full, it acts as a soft seat for kids (almost like a bean bag without the beans!). Its super cute sitting in the corner of a room, and I am rather tempted to crash onto it myself.

I thought that we were going to fill this thing up and still have half of the stuffed animals left over, but boy was I wrong. We got the basic oval shape Animal Bag in Pink and I scoured the house for every lovie around, and I still have room for more! However, if you really think that your kids may have an excess of lovies, then try the Otto, which has two sections, or the Trio, which has (you guessed it!) three sections! I truly recommend these for anyone with young kids who finds that their house is being overrun by stuffed bears and puppies like mine. It's smart and cute -- and the pink one matches her room, so it doesn't look out of place. Plus, it's multi-purpose use as a seat scores it major points in my book!

The Oval shape like we have retails for $60 on Boon's Website.

Posh Pinboards

When I was a college student I was a nanny for a family who's house was something straight out of a Pottery Barn Catalog. Seriously, every day there were new items showing up -- anything from giant pieces of furniture to rugs to shelves and organizational baskets. I loved the look and style, and always thought that when I had my own house I would decorate just like them.

Fast forward to the "having my own house part". Right. Did I not realize that it costs a fortune to deck out my entire house in Pottery Barn? So, my entire house is not a Pottery Barn showcase, but I still do manage to pick and choose some favorite items here and there. Like these adorable Pinboards for Little AG's playroom. You buy the insert for $39 (though I could have sworn it was $29 in the catalog) and then you choose different color covers for $20 to go over them. Strategically placed, they are decorative and practical. You can even have the cover personalized. These are great for hanging pictures, lists, and other things that have no "real" place in your house, except for here. Check them out at PBK.

Custom Canvas

I have been admiring these customized wall art pieces from the Etsy Storefront of "Sweet Angels" for about a month now. While she does offer different sizes, the one you see here is 16x20. Each one that you purchase can be customized by you -- you choose portrait or landscape (this one is landscape), the colors, name and/or saying. The canvas wraps around the side and is painted as well, so there is no need to frame it, just hang it up as is. This would make a great baby gift, or the perfect finishing touch to a child or teenager's room. You can check out all of Sweet Angel's awesome paintings and products here, or you can go here to see this particular piece, available for $40.

Write-on Walls

Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with crayons and markers in the house yet, because Little AG is thrilled if she even gets the crayon to make a mark on the paper at a restaurant, and so far I'm happy to have that as the extent of our "art" experience. But, I know these days won't last long, so I was pretty excited when I found these vinyl chalk board sheets over at Olive Kids. They are 9" by 12" panels, and you get four of them in a pack (available in blue, pink, green, or grey) ! I was thinking on buying several packs of them and sticking them in a line all along the baseboards on one side of her playroom! The best part is, they stick to any clean and dry surface, and are completely adjustable, so if you get sick of them in one place, just peel them off and put them somewhere else! Pick up a set of 4 for $16.99 at Olive Kids.