Living Large
DECORATING
kids’ spaces FUN BY DESIGN
In a corner of their loft, Rebecca Robertson and Marco Pasanella created a play space for their son, Luca, left, that’s kid-friendly and blends in with the grown-up décor. They paired a lacquered table with
vintage chairs and made a custom chalkboard by mixing paint with unsanded tile grout. Martha Stewart Living Paint (on chalkboard), flat interior latex, in Azurite, $10 per qt., homedepot.com/ marthastewart.
CHI LDREN are constantly reminding their parents of their lightspeed passage from infancy to adolescence. Outgrown clothes, loose teeth, and first days of school are common milestones, but Rebecca Robertson and Marco Pasanella’s son, Luca, 5, announced his transition from toddler to schoolboy in a more creative way. “He began coming home from school each week with a folder full of art,” Rebecca says. “All of a sudden he was producing at a very rapid pace!” For Rebecca, deputy decorating editor at Martha Stewart Living, and Marco, a designer and owner of the couple’s wine store, Pasanella and Son Vintners, the influx of new works suggested more than his penchant for painting: Luca was outgrowing not just the clothesline they were using to display his art, but many elements of their family home. Although it had been only a few years since they renovated their New York City loft (chronicled in the September 2008 issue of Living, below), the couple decided to make some adjustments to accommodate their growing son. Because the space, a former shipbuilder’s warehouse, is wide open and low on closets, Rebecca and Marco knew they had to be strategic about storage. “We’ve
Living Large
Martha Stewart Living decorating editor Rebecca Robertson updates her New York City loft to keep up with HER FAMILY’S CHANGING NEEDS. OUR 2008 STORY on the family’s home
D O NE T ELLO CO F F EE TABLE,
82 |
$648, chiasso.com. V INTAG E CHILD R E N ’S CHAI R S, $45 each, from Antiques Etc., 215-345-5901. FOTO P E N DA NT L A M P, $20, ikea.com.
M A RT H A ST E WA R T. C OM
T EXT BY
Sophie Donelson |
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
Jonny Valiant
DECORATING
kids’ spaces
always needed storage that is useful and beautiful, because it’s not going behind closed doors,” Rebecca says. The first order of business was dealing with the spillover of toys from Luca’s 126-square-foot room. To make space for clothes and art supplies in his tiny bedroom, Rebecca decided to carve out a play space for all of Luca’s toys, plus a tire swing, in the loft’s living room. “We spend so much time out there—eating, entertaining, reading,” she says. “I wanted to give him space to grow and express himself in the ‘adult’ area.” Toys were separated into wooden crates, which Rebecca painted in a spectrum of blue hues and placed in open shelving to create a graphic statement on the wall. In other parts of the loft, the couple encouraged Luca’s burgeoning independence by adding such elements as kid-height hooks for him to hang his coat and a low drawer where he can access his dishes. To foster his creative streak, they set up a small arts-and-crafts station in his bedroom. Rebecca and Marco often pull up a vintage school chair and work alongside him. “Drawing together is nice to do before bed because it calms him down,” Rebecca says. As for that expanding art portfolio, a yellow lattice grid was installed along one of Luca’s bedroom walls for his drawings. “He’s still in the free-form stage right now,” Rebecca says. “But the wall could just as easily hold blackand-white prints.” If Luca’s artistic ambitions hold up, it’s just a matter of time before it does.
H ERRI CK WALLPAP ER ,
84 |
M A RT H A ST E WA R T. C OM
family space A L L - ACCE S S E N T R Y WAY
Rebecca transformed a bookcase into a storage bench, above, by turning the piece on its side, sewing a cushion cover, and mounting casters. Above it, hooks were hung at staggered heights, some low enough for Luca. Lack shelving unit, in White, $80; and Ikea Stockholm Blad curtains (fabric on cushion), $60 per pair; ikea.com. Stable hooks, in Aluminum, $16 each, restoration hardware.com.
$148 per Euro roll, osborneandlittle.com. G R E E N ZI G ZAG RU G , $775, madelineweinrib.com. HELL ER DI NNERWAR E BOWLS A ND M U G S, $10 each, conranusa.com.
KITCHEN HELPER
“Luca’s learning in school that there’s a place for everything,” says Rebecca, who designated a low drawer, left, for Luca’s set of plastic dishes. To remind him what goes where, Rebecca painted a silhouette of each dish, labeling the placeholders in English and Italian (Luca is learning both languages).
DECORATING
kids’ spaces
art space A G ROW I NG GALLERY
“I wanted to display Luca’s artwork for both him and us,” Rebecca says. To create a graphic, tidy arrangement, left, Rebecca painted pieces of 13$8-inch lattice in high-gloss paint and adhered them to a wall with glue and nails. She then screwed Bulldog clips to the lattice to hold a rotating selection of Luca’s art, as well as other meaningful pieces (such as the painting by Marco’s father, an artist, in the lower right-hand corner). Lattice, from $1.25, home depot.com. Martha Stewart Living Paint (on lattice), interior/exterior latex, in Cornbread, $14 per qt., homedepot .com/marthastewart.
I N S P I R AT I ON EVERYWHER E
A built-in bookcase, right, which is backed with a striped wallpaper that echoes the walls’ yellow lattice, displays additional artwork, including a painting of a girl by Rebecca’s father and a giclée print of red chairs by Leah Giberson. Wilton Stripe wallpaper, in Yellow, cowtan.com (to the trade only).
86 |
M A RT H A ST E WA R T. C OM
CREATIVITY, UNLEASHED (AND CONTAINED)
Next to Luca’s bed, the couple set up a compact arts-andcrafts spot, below. A gooseneck curtain rod was installed on an Ikea table to hold a roll of paper, with a slat of lattice securing the paper to the other end. A lazy Susan and wall-mounted caddies keep supplies organized. Lack coffee table, in White, $20; Mala drawing paper roll, $5; and Grundtal cutlery caddies, $6 each; ikea.com. Gooseneck brass barrel brackets, 2", in Brass, $11 per pair, annwallace.com.
DECORATING
kids’ spaces
play space A SWINGING GOOD T I M E
STORAG E WI T H STYLE
The family strung up a tire swing, left, smack dab in the middle of the living area. “It’s hours of fun for Luca and his friends,” says Rebecca, who replaced the swing’s original industrial metal chain with a blue-and-white rope from Home Depot to give it a softer feel and help it fit in with the room’s décor. Playmor tire swing, in Blue, sasso construction.com.
To create attractive bins for toys in the common area, below, Rebecca painted wooden crates in several shades of blue and labeled them. She then arranged them on an open shelving unit. Crates (similar to shown), $11.66 each, woodthings .com. Martha Stewart Living Paints (on crates), high gloss, in Twilight, Cloudless Day, Myrtle Blossom, Azurite, and Darkening Sky, $25 per gallon, homedepot .com/marthastewart. Powder-coated steel shelving, $256, rtishelving.com. S E E WO R K B O O K FOR MORE SOURCES
new We’re blogging!
Read Living in the Family Room to see how the parents on our staff enjoy creative time with their kids, at marthastewart.com/family-blog.
Our decorating editor’s favorite online sources for kids’ rooms. ikea.com It’s great for affordable kids’ furniture, but many of its adult pieces also work well in kids’ spaces. I also love the graphic linens.
88 |
M A RT H A ST E WA R T. C OM
nonchalantmom .com This Rhode Island parent sells chic kids’ room accessories and clothing, and writes an inspiring blog.
montessori-n-such .com Many of the toys on this site, such as the natural lacquered tower, are beautiful enough to display as sculpture.
clementineart.com I’m a big fan of these natural, nontoxic art supplies—if Luca takes a bite of one of the crayons, I don’t have to worry.
PORTRAIT BY RAYMOND HOM
Rebecca’s Web picks
Living Large
kids’ spaces FUN BY DESIGN
In a corner of their loft, Rebecca Robertson and Marco Pasanella created a play space for their son, Luca, left, that’s kid-friendly and blends in with the grown-up décor. They paired a lacquered table with
vintage chairs and made a custom chalkboard by mixing paint with unsanded tile grout. Martha Stewart Living Paint (on chalkboard), flat interior latex, in Azurite, $10 per qt., homedepot.com/ marthastewart.
CHI LDREN are constantly reminding their parents of their lightspeed passage from infancy to adolescence. Outgrown clothes, loose teeth, and first days of school are common milestones, but Rebecca Robertson and Marco Pasanella’s son, Luca, 5, announced his transition from toddler to schoolboy in a more creative way. “He began coming home from school each week with a folder full of art,” Rebecca says. “All of a sudden he was producing at a very rapid pace!” For Rebecca, deputy decorating editor at Martha Stewart Living, and Marco, a designer and owner of the couple’s wine store, Pasanella and Son Vintners, the influx of new works suggested more than his penchant for painting: Luca was outgrowing not just the clothesline they were using to display his art, but many elements of their family home. Although it had been only a few years since they renovated their New York City loft (chronicled in the September 2008 issue of Living, below), the couple decided to make some adjustments to accommodate their growing son. Because the space, a former shipbuilder’s warehouse, is wide open and low on closets, Rebecca and Marco knew they had to be strategic about storage. “We’ve
Living Large
Martha Stewart Living decorating editor Rebecca Robertson updates her New York City loft to keep up with HER FAMILY’S CHANGING NEEDS. OUR 2008 STORY on the family’s home
D O NE T ELLO CO F F EE TABLE,
82 |
$648, chiasso.com. V INTAG E CHILD R E N ’S CHAI R S, $45 each, from Antiques Etc., 215-345-5901. FOTO P E N DA NT L A M P, $20, ikea.com.
M A RT H A ST E WA R T. C OM
T EXT BY
Sophie Donelson |
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
Jonny Valiant
DECORATING
kids’ spaces
always needed storage that is useful and beautiful, because it’s not going behind closed doors,” Rebecca says. The first order of business was dealing with the spillover of toys from Luca’s 126-square-foot room. To make space for clothes and art supplies in his tiny bedroom, Rebecca decided to carve out a play space for all of Luca’s toys, plus a tire swing, in the loft’s living room. “We spend so much time out there—eating, entertaining, reading,” she says. “I wanted to give him space to grow and express himself in the ‘adult’ area.” Toys were separated into wooden crates, which Rebecca painted in a spectrum of blue hues and placed in open shelving to create a graphic statement on the wall. In other parts of the loft, the couple encouraged Luca’s burgeoning independence by adding such elements as kid-height hooks for him to hang his coat and a low drawer where he can access his dishes. To foster his creative streak, they set up a small arts-and-crafts station in his bedroom. Rebecca and Marco often pull up a vintage school chair and work alongside him. “Drawing together is nice to do before bed because it calms him down,” Rebecca says. As for that expanding art portfolio, a yellow lattice grid was installed along one of Luca’s bedroom walls for his drawings. “He’s still in the free-form stage right now,” Rebecca says. “But the wall could just as easily hold blackand-white prints.” If Luca’s artistic ambitions hold up, it’s just a matter of time before it does.
H ERRI CK WALLPAP ER ,
84 |
M A RT H A ST E WA R T. C OM
family space A L L - ACCE S S E N T R Y WAY
Rebecca transformed a bookcase into a storage bench, above, by turning the piece on its side, sewing a cushion cover, and mounting casters. Above it, hooks were hung at staggered heights, some low enough for Luca. Lack shelving unit, in White, $80; and Ikea Stockholm Blad curtains (fabric on cushion), $60 per pair; ikea.com. Stable hooks, in Aluminum, $16 each, restoration hardware.com.
$148 per Euro roll, osborneandlittle.com. G R E E N ZI G ZAG RU G , $775, madelineweinrib.com. HELL ER DI NNERWAR E BOWLS A ND M U G S, $10 each, conranusa.com.
KITCHEN HELPER
“Luca’s learning in school that there’s a place for everything,” says Rebecca, who designated a low drawer, left, for Luca’s set of plastic dishes. To remind him what goes where, Rebecca painted a silhouette of each dish, labeling the placeholders in English and Italian (Luca is learning both languages).
DECORATING
kids’ spaces
art space A G ROW I NG GALLERY
“I wanted to display Luca’s artwork for both him and us,” Rebecca says. To create a graphic, tidy arrangement, left, Rebecca painted pieces of 13$8-inch lattice in high-gloss paint and adhered them to a wall with glue and nails. She then screwed Bulldog clips to the lattice to hold a rotating selection of Luca’s art, as well as other meaningful pieces (such as the painting by Marco’s father, an artist, in the lower right-hand corner). Lattice, from $1.25, home depot.com. Martha Stewart Living Paint (on lattice), interior/exterior latex, in Cornbread, $14 per qt., homedepot .com/marthastewart.
I N S P I R AT I ON EVERYWHER E
A built-in bookcase, right, which is backed with a striped wallpaper that echoes the walls’ yellow lattice, displays additional artwork, including a painting of a girl by Rebecca’s father and a giclée print of red chairs by Leah Giberson. Wilton Stripe wallpaper, in Yellow, cowtan.com (to the trade only).
86 |
M A RT H A ST E WA R T. C OM
CREATIVITY, UNLEASHED (AND CONTAINED)
Next to Luca’s bed, the couple set up a compact arts-andcrafts spot, below. A gooseneck curtain rod was installed on an Ikea table to hold a roll of paper, with a slat of lattice securing the paper to the other end. A lazy Susan and wall-mounted caddies keep supplies organized. Lack coffee table, in White, $20; Mala drawing paper roll, $5; and Grundtal cutlery caddies, $6 each; ikea.com. Gooseneck brass barrel brackets, 2", in Brass, $11 per pair, annwallace.com.
DECORATING
kids’ spaces
play space A SWINGING GOOD T I M E
STORAG E WI T H STYLE
The family strung up a tire swing, left, smack dab in the middle of the living area. “It’s hours of fun for Luca and his friends,” says Rebecca, who replaced the swing’s original industrial metal chain with a blue-and-white rope from Home Depot to give it a softer feel and help it fit in with the room’s décor. Playmor tire swing, in Blue, sasso construction.com.
To create attractive bins for toys in the common area, below, Rebecca painted wooden crates in several shades of blue and labeled them. She then arranged them on an open shelving unit. Crates (similar to shown), $11.66 each, woodthings .com. Martha Stewart Living Paints (on crates), high gloss, in Twilight, Cloudless Day, Myrtle Blossom, Azurite, and Darkening Sky, $25 per gallon, homedepot .com/marthastewart. Powder-coated steel shelving, $256, rtishelving.com. S E E WO R K B O O K FOR MORE SOURCES
new We’re blogging!
Read Living in the Family Room to see how the parents on our staff enjoy creative time with their kids, at marthastewart.com/family-blog.
Our decorating editor’s favorite online sources for kids’ rooms. ikea.com It’s great for affordable kids’ furniture, but many of its adult pieces also work well in kids’ spaces. I also love the graphic linens.
88 |
M A RT H A ST E WA R T. C OM
nonchalantmom .com This Rhode Island parent sells chic kids’ room accessories and clothing, and writes an inspiring blog.
montessori-n-such .com Many of the toys on this site, such as the natural lacquered tower, are beautiful enough to display as sculpture.
clementineart.com I’m a big fan of these natural, nontoxic art supplies—if Luca takes a bite of one of the crayons, I don’t have to worry.
PORTRAIT BY RAYMOND HOM
Rebecca’s Web picks
Living Large
