How charming and decorative are these paper lanterns by Djeco? They are for indoor use only and measure approximately 16 inches. We love them for a playroom or nursery.

Photographer John Murphy's archival pigment prints will have every child thinking they are peeking through Alice in Wonderland's looking glass. After 10 years of combining influences ranging from Eastern tapestries to children's books, Murphy has just released our newest infatuation: black-and-white animal prints layered with arrangements of vibrant remastered flowers. Perfect for any child’s room or frankly, any room of the house, these paintings are so delightful, we might just snag one for ourselves. See for yourself here.

Stefanie, a government psychologist, and Ryan, a Biotech manager, from Rockville, Maryland, sent us photos of their 4-year-old daughter Hayley's bedroom makeover. We love how their small tweaks made huge differences. Check out these before and after shots.

What was the color palette you were working with?
Her favorite colors are blue and pink, and I also love contrast, so I tried to introduce brown and white to tie in her bedframe and all of the white accessories. The floral curtain fabric really helped. It's a Michael Miller fabric called Flower Crystals from the Corduroy line.

Were you going for an Asian vibe—the bed, the tree decal, the lamp—or any theme in general?
Yes, I try to have some Asian-inspired pieces throughout the house, because my husband is from India. Also, my best girlfriend is from China, and I'm definitely drawn to that kind of decor. We bought the West Elm bed because of its Asian vibe. But I actually bought the cherry-blossom decal from ShaNickers on Etsy, because we live in the D.C. area, and I love the cherry blossoms we have here, so it was a nod to that. And I got the lamp because I thought it went well with the Michael Miller fabric. But, in general, I did want it to have a sort of Asian feel, because Hayley is half Indian, and that's a part of who she is.

What tricks did you use to save space?
I put her dresser in her closet to have more floor space. I hung a shoe organizer behind her door to organize all of her small items, like stuffed animals and costume jewelry that seem to clutter the floor. There are storage bins under her bed, where she puts her special stuff, like her drawings, animals, and doll blankets, which I do not touch when cleaning or purging the room. I put 3M hooks on the back of her closet doors to hang dress-up clothes, and on the side of the bookcase closest to the door to hang play necklaces. There are two pillows on her bed that I added pockets to (only one is complete in the photo). I thought since I was adding pillows for decorative purposes, I wanted them to be useful as well. Hayley loves to use them as stuffed-animal beds or doll beds, or to carry toys throughout the house. So now they have more of a play purpose too. I'm still working on a big pocket pillow for the bed.

Are there any furniture pieces that were difficult to tie in?
There are some things she made me keep in the room: the rose-petal play cottage and the Sleeping Beauty vanity. I tried to tie all of her interests together and somehow make the cottage and Disney stuff work too.

Are there any items in the room that are a product of a DIY?
I painted the bookcase white before I really knew how to paint furniture, but I like it because it fits the canvas totes I got from Lowe's.


How did you settle on these prints from Etsy?
They remind me of my daughter, who has dark brown hair and likes animals, butterflies, princesses, fairies, and dancing.

Every image in the room is hung on the wall except the one on the shelf. What is that one of?
The framed photo is of her pet goldfish that died just before I redid the room. We are on to Goldy #2 now.

Do you have any tips for saving money while decorating a room?
I love to buy prints, but I hate spending a lot of money on frames, especially odd-size frames. So I buy framed artwork at Goodwill, and I recycle the print and paint the frame. Half the frames on the art wall were frames from Goodwill that I painted white, the rest I had on hand. Also, I found that a lot of craft stores have cheap unfinished frames that can be painted or stained. I did not have anything custom matted. If I could not buy a cheap ready-made mat, then I used scrapbook paper or fabric as the background. Last, I have a lot of stuff that I never use, and I've just committed myself to finding a use for it.

Give me a rundown of your Etsy finds.

Over the bed
"Love" poster = Made by girl
drawings of little girls = Belle and Boo

Top row
"Ashland tree of peace" = Creative Thursday
"Dancing Fairies" = original painting from JMC designs
butterfly = daughter's drawing
elephants = scanned from book
"Morning Swing" = Tummy Mountain
Make a Wish (edition 2) = yumi yumi

Second row
"You're beautiful / It's true" = made up by me in Photoshop
Peacock Girl = Lindsay Brackeen
une duex trios = postcard from Blue bonbon
Fairy School Portrait of Ophelia = High On Craft
In Bloom = original watercolor from Orange Studio by Helen Dardik
"Animal ballroom" = watercolor done by me in high school

Third row
"Do not go" = original postcard from yaelfran
"Spring bunny" = original AECO painting from Ashley White Jacobsen
Baldwin = Tim's sally

Thanks, Stefanie! Check out more of our favorite kids' rooms and send us a shot of your own!

As the weather gets cooler, kids and mamas cuddle up inside more often to read those favorite stories. ("Again, again!") We're loving this new cloud shelf from Fawn & Forest for displaying each day's literary canon. So cute and graphic!

-- Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo
P.S. Cloud mobiles, and a great bookcase in a Brooklyn nursery.
(Via Minor Details)

We loved Kim Ludy's son's bedroom (complete with a trapdoor!), but this week, it's her Etsy shop, Trampoline, that's making our hearts pitter-patter. Ludy scouts vintage pieces in flea markets and thrift shops in Massachusetts, and our current favorites are these botanical lithographs. What science-loving kid wouldn't adore old-school butterfly prints?

--Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo

P.S. More of our favorite children's bedrooms...

Consider stealing this idea from Cookie’s home editor, Kiera Coffee. When she came across a bunch of old photo-booth pictures in her apartment, she decided they were way too cute to keep tucked away in a drawer. To give the tiny snapshots more presence, she had them all matted and framed in the same simple white-on-white style, and voila, a fabulous wall display. Try doing the same with your kids’ school pics and line them up (down a long hallway perhaps) for a flip-book-style record of their childhood evolution.

Or, if there happens to be an old photo booth lurking somewhere in your town, consider creating a twist on a family tree for your baby’s nursery. Just drag all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins to the booth and capture their mugs in miniature (funny faces encouraged!). 

The same company that brought us the brilliant crib and high chair that fold flat has just released a couple of new smart baby products. Loving Bloom's limited-edition Fresco Fiamma high chair (in Ferrari red!) and the Luxo Sleep, which seamlessly goes from crib to baby bed.

Thanks to MinorDetails for introducing us to the Donut Potty, which is part of a new line of products by HopPop. As its name suggests, it has a donut-shaped base that's extremely sturdy, and the pot in the middle is removable for easy cleaning. The Donut comes in three fantastic colors and will look great in any bathroom!

Thanks to Nesting reader Jackie Kersh for sending us a picture of her son's bedroom. Love how graphic that flock of birds is in the corner--and the gorgeous color of the dresser! Do you have a room in your home you want to share? E-mail us your photos!

Digging this ingenious and beautiful key cleaner made in Berlin from Present&Correct. Tie a ribbon to it and hang it on your bulletin board for those crumb emergencies.