design, create & fascinate

  The very first kid’s room I decorated, as expected, was my own.  As I describe the room, you might notice clues to which decade I’m talking about.  I was about 6 years old and had just inherited my sister’s old room.  She was the coolest older sister, she had style!  She made Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum wrapper necklaces from memory, listened to the Monkees and had her own record player and curly corded rotary telephone.

  My impressionable, critical eye wandered around my groovy new room, amazed by its many colors.   The modest space was a marigold yellow, with a white popcorn textured ceiling.  On the bed head wall there was a wall system of interlaced shelves that formed a grid pattern from wall to wall and ceiling down to 5 feet.  The pre-Ikea design was well executed, consisting of birch plywood painted in shades of olive green, chocolate brown and burnt orange.  At my height, I had a clear view of the random scribbles and notes she inscribed on the underside of the lowest shelf.  I imagine these were in response to a well deserved grounding or were vacant doodles of a teenage girl lying on her bed while chatting on the telephone.  My twin bed fit perfectly length wise along that wall, allowing me a safe mattress landing while skydiving down from the shelves above.   To personalize the room, I was excited to bring in my favorite possessions, a Dakin-like tiger lamp, my Creepy Crawler Bug Maker and my well stocked piggy bank that looked like Alfred E. Newman’s head popping out of a money bag.

With my intensive decorating complete, I moved onto more important things like building forts and haunted houses out of blankets, stacked furniture and string.  I invited friends and family to experience the ultimate in bedroom amusement parks.  Although the reviews were positive, I never was able to collect the 25 cent admission.

To me, my room had somehow graduated from a little boy’s room to a coolest big kids room.  My theme of tiger-bug-fort room was playful, yet (in my mind) sophisticated.  By today’s standards it would not win any awards, make HGTV, or technically qualify as a themed room.  To me, the room was beyond compare, whether it was due to leftover style mojo, from my sister or the daring colors, I’m not sure.  Yet, despite my fading memory for more important things, I can recall with fondness, the lingering scent of Juicy Fruit, the acrobatic flips while freefalling from my shelves, my turquoise shag yarn rug, our pet cat Smokey sleeping in my pajama drawer and the well orchestrated hauntings by toilet paper ghosts.

Now, I imagine you are wondering what this has to do with theme rooms.  Come on, theme room guy….give us some information we can use!  Admittedly, I have not offered any design tips, nor product reviews or even hinted at the latest trends in children’s themes.   What I have done, is opened a door into the mind of a 6 year old.  Who’s small little room left a lifelong impression and inspired his future (or maybe damaged him for life…it’s debatable…Ha Ha).

  We live in a world where children grow up way too fast.  It’s a world where the ever growing and sometimes harmful exposure to media, electronics, mature themes and the strife for better, stronger…faster has robbed many of their childhood.  My job, if it were described as a cause, is to help prevent maturity and nurture the magic that is childhood.  What may seem like four blank walls and furniture to an adult, is actually the ingredients to high adventure, merriment and fond childhood memories.  So, within your busy adult life, juggling parental demands, fighting for good and undoing evil, take a few moments to contemplate or discuss with your child what it would take to make his or her room a magical place.  Maybe all it would take is a few colors on the wall, a blanket fort or admission at the door.  Sometimes it’s the little things!

I am blessed, if through my creations, I have helped create those fond memories, not only for my children, but for the children I am lucky to design for.   Now, if I could just teach my children how to make a Wrigley wrapper necklace.

My daughter’s elementary school has an annual auction which anchors its fundraising efforts by encouraging classroom projects.  Every year, I try to invent a fun, educational and hopefully high wager product.  In the flavor of mid century illustrator Charles Harper, I worked with the students to create their own minimal realistic interpretation of a bird.  As a supporting ingredient, they authored quips and rhymes to engage the viewer, which were handwritten on vintage style ruled paper.  These elements were integrated into a triptych series that I rendered with branches and a sky blue background.  The kids had a great time and were very pleased with the final product.  The true test will come on auction night.  Wish us luck!

Charles Harper, born 1922 in Virginia, was trained as a realistic painter at the Cincinnatti Art Academy.  His works evolved away from realism into a more interpretive modern (for the times) feel.  Check out his works here at Flicker’s Harper Fan Club http://www.flickr.com/groups/charles_harper/ or http://www.theframeworkshop.com/store.cfm?SubCatID=25

San Francisco based retailer, Restoration Hardware is launching a children’s collection entitled Baby & Child.  In their words - The same quality craftsmanship and iconic esthetic that makes us who we are.  All in a smaller, sweeter package.  I’m honored and excited to be part of this launch, as a contributing artist for a line of exclusive Children’s art, that will coordinate with their textiles.  You can sign up for their Baby & Child catalog here.

The internet is a remarkable place.  Having the ability to share ideas and images via websites is one thing, but now to have the technology to post via blogging opens up so many avenues to sharing ones creativity.  I look forward to sharing my ideas with you here.  Thanks, Aaron