By Babs Rodriguez
Photos courtesy of MTK Design Group
Great design includes storage and furnishings solutions that evolve as children grow.
The crib converts to a sophisticated bed for a toddler, a storage bench is a great place to quickly stash toys, and the knotted velvet ottoman will evolve into kids seating. A thick sheepskin rug is a welcome lounging spot.
The Nursery
The home has a predominantly neutral palette, but for the children’s spaces, Kranz uses color in a playful way. The jungle theme is inspired by a stuffed toy elephant, seated on the storage bench, now joined by a wire elephant head mount above the crib.
“There’s drama and whimsy in the elephants,” Kranz says. Strands of faux greenery draped across the wall evoke the pachyderm’s passage along a jungle path.
And there’s more delight in the details: Up close, the curtain rods look like knotty wood branches, and textiles chosen for drapes have the texture of tree bark.
Furniture that does double duty includes the convertible crib’s backboard that will transform into a toddler bed’s sophisticated headboard. Parental seating is key to any nursery. Kranz chose a cozy, comfortable glider to pair with a side table that keeps books at hand. “Miquette loves her alone time with Jackson, reading to him in his room.”
The Playroom
What had been a small, somewhat awkwardly shaped bedroom is a smash hit as a playroom. An en suite bathroom is welcomed by young Jackson’s sisters, Sammy and Alex, whose bedrooms and bathrooms are on the other side of the home’s second floor. Kranz designed the room to be attractive to the girls, who are its primary occupants now, but kept it gender neutral to ensure it will have an equal draw for Jackson when he begins to join in activities and schoolwork there.
Wallpaper features numbers and letters of the alphabet in muted primary colors that enliven the room without overwhelming it.
Net “hammocks,” hung in one corner of the room allow easy stashing of stuffed animals. A boiled wool ottoman stashed underneath (one of a pair) provides sturdy extra seating — and more color.
Kranz was delighted to find case goods that combined open shelves with storage space hidden by doors; the featured collections in the units will evolve as the children’s interests change. The back panel detail of the bookshelves ties into the woodwork of the adjacent table’s top — a sophisticated design note. Shelves built into the base of the table provide storage for art and school supplies. Perfectly scaled for the room, both the table and brick-red metal bistro chairs have a timeless appeal.
Toy hammocks create a system for tidying up that even small children can use. A letter “M” in the wallpaper is a wink to the Martinez family name. Practicality extends to shelving built into a table’s base.
THE DETAILS
Interior design Megan Kranz, principal designer/owner, MTK Design Group, 469-608-1334, mtkdesigngroup.com. Follow on social media
@mtkdesigngroup.