Kids' rooms

I'll never forget preparing the nursery for my baby.  This was back before blogging--even before digital cameras!  But I selected just the right shade of yellow for the walls, just the right accessories from the Classic Winnie-the-Pooh line, just the right fabric for curtains.

And then came the room I decorated for two little boys.  They loved fishing, and I used that theme for their room.  I painted the walls a deep olive green, made cafe' curtains that hung from bamboo poles, hung my son's first rod and reel on the wall, found perfect linens for their bunkbeds.  It was boyish yet beautiful.

And then there was a jungle-themed room, then a space-themed room, then an Army-themed room.  That one was the best, full of authentic items purchased from an Army surplus store--even camouflage netting used as a window treatment.

But now?  This is what my oldest son's room looks like right now:

That's an actual, unretouched photo.  Can you believe it?

You see, our home is in Durham, North Carolina.  We're just a few minutes from the campus of Duke University, where my son will be a senior.  Will's friends from all over the country asked if they could store things here for the summer.

Doesn't look too great, does it?  But it works for now, because Will is not here.  He's spending the summer in Rome, working as an intern in the office of the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican.  (And if I can be a proud mom for a minute, I'll say that there is only one intern in that office--my Will.)

So Will's room at home is a storage room this summer, but it doesn't matter.  We just close the door and wait for August, when his friends will collect their things.

If you have little kids, my advice is to have fun decorating their rooms.  Involve them in the process, and create spaces that they'll enjoy.  But remember that the hearts and minds of the little ones who play and sleep there are way more important than the decor.

I'm joining Show Us Your Kids' Rooms party at Kelly's Korner.